Simple yet deeply flavorful, Shio Koji Salmon is the best way to enjoy the Omega-rich fish. It’s as easy as marinating salmon in shio koji (a natural salt-based seasoning) overnight and broiling to perfection.
This Shio Koji Salmon (塩麹サーモン) recipe is a staple that pairs beautifully with a typical Japanese meal. And it requires only 2 ingredients!
Not only is it fuss-free to make, but the flavor of salmon really shines through. Let’s learn more about this amazing condiment – Shio Koji, and how you can use it in Japanese cooking.
What is Shio Koji
Simply made of salt, koji, and water, Shio Koji (塩麹, 塩こうじ), or salt koji, is a condiment used in Japanese cuisine for hundreds of years.
Koji is steamed grains or beans that are bred with microorganisms called aspergillus. If koji is made from rice, it becomes rice koji (kome koji, 米麹), if it is wheat, it becomes wheat koji (mugi koji, 麦麹), and soybeans become bean koji (mame koji, 豆麹).
Koji has long been a familiar food to Japanese people. Many of the seasonings such as miso, mirin, sake, and soy sauce, which are indispensable for Japanese cuisine, are made from koji.
It is a 100% natural seasoning that boosts the flavor of your ingredients, resulting in a flavorful dish. As it is packed with probiotics, Shio Koji offers plenty of health benefits.
You can learn more here.
Where to Get Shio Koji
Here in the US, you can get a bottle of Shio Koji – All Purpose Seasoning from Hikari Miso at a Japanese/Asian grocery store or Amazon.
It’s a liquid form with the tiny half-dissolved grains of rice malt. When you open the bottle, you would immediately smell the floral aroma of rice koji.
If you wish to cook more home-style Japanese dishes, I highly recommend stocking it up.
How to Cook Shio Koji Salmon
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salmon
- Shio koji
The Cooking Steps
- Coat salmon with shio koji and marinate it overnight.
- Remove shio koji and broil till cooked.
Yes, that’s it, as simple as that. Shio koji does an amazing job overnight. You’ll find the salmon nicely tenderized and the taste deeply enhanced. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon, especially when you can hold fresh, wild-caught salmon.
For a Japanese home-cooked meal, serve this super-healthy, delicious-tasting salmon as a main protein to go along with rice, a side of veggies, miso soup, and pickles.
Other Delicious Shio Koji Recipes
- Shio Koji Karaage
- Shio Koji Yakisoba
- Shio Koji Chicken
- Pickled Daikon with Shio Koji
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Shio Koji
I hope you enjoy cooking with shio koji!
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Shio Koji Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets (1½ lb, 700 g; you can use yellowtail, cod, and other types of fish fillet; for more shio koji recipes, please read the post)
- 4 Tbsp shio koji (I use shio koji from Hikari Miso)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Marinate the Salmon
- Pat dry 4 skin-on salmon fillets with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Put 4 Tbsp shio koji on salmon fillets. It doesn‘t have to be precise amount, just enough to coat the salmon.
- Distribute shio koji to all sides of salmon, including the skin. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. Depending on the thickness of the salmon, the marinate time may vary. If you have a thin piece, you can marinate it for a few hours. For thick pieces like mine, I recommend overnight. If you want to freeze the uncooked salmon, you must store the marinated salmon in an airtight freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to a month.
To Broil the Salmon
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Set the broiler on High with a rack placed about 8 inches (20 cm) from the top heating element (I use the middle rack of my oven) and preheat for 5 minutes. When broiling, you don‘t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It‘s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill. My broiler setting is Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and High (550ºF/288ºC). I usually use the medium (6 inches away) or high (8 inches away).
- Using your hands, wipe off shio koji from the salmon fillet. Shio koji gets burn easily, so it’s best to remove it completely from the salmon. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet, 1–2 inches apart from each other.
- Broil the salmon for 10 minutes. NOTE: The cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance between the broiler and the food. When the top is nicely charred, take it out from the oven.
- Flip so the side of the salmon is now up. Place the salmon back in the oven, and broil again for another 5–8 minutes until the thickest part of the fillet reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63ºC) using an instant-read cooking thermometer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To Bake the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218ºC) with a rack placed in the center of the oven. For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, or until the surface is blistered and brown a bit. You do not need to flip the fish. Note: 5 minutes per ½-inch thickness of salmon (measure at the thickest).
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 1 month.
Hi Nami-san! Wondering if liquid Shio-koji will work here. I have Hanamaruki の 液体塩こうじ。Will that be ok?
Hi Yosh! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
We have never tried liquid Shio-Koji, but it should work. Let us know how it goes!
I haven’t even put my dish in the sink yet, because I had to tell you how much I loved this! So easy! I ordered the shio koji online, but it turns out I didn’t have to, since the new Japanese supermarket nearby stocks it, so I’ll know I can get this easily. And I will be using it again, not only is the fish super tasty, I’m already imagining this on chicken and other ingredients! The real test is my father who barely likes fish, so I’ll have to wait until he gets home to see if he likes it. I almost hope he doesn’t because I want to eat the rest myself!
I’m making it a goal to really start cooking more. This was my first recipe with this new goal in mind and it was well worth it!
Hi Amber! Aww… We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you!
We are glad to hear you enjoy the Shio Koji. Thank you for your kind feedback.
I used this to cook some farmed salmon fillets from Trader Joe’s since I had some 塩こうじ to use up. It just tasted plain and bland. I know the marinade is just to tenderize it and let the salmon flavor shine through, so I think this is wasted on frozen farmed fish.
I’m glad I tried it but I prefer soy or miso marinades.
Hi Nicole, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your feedback!
Usually, marinating with Koji gives Umami flavor to the dish and noticeable. We hope you will give it a try with a longer marinade time!🙂
Nicole, never, ever, NEVER – buy or eat farmed salmon again! It is bad for you, bad for the salmon, and bad for the oceans. It is wrong on so many levels all I’m going to do is point you in the right direction. Google: Marine Conservation Organizations and go to some of their websites. Then search farmed salmon.
Farmed and frozen salmon does not have the rich flavor or texture of fresh wild caught salmon. Which probably explains why you prefer to marinate your frozen filets in salt concentrated soy sauce.
BTW: never freeze ‘any’ salmon again…
This recipe was so easy to follow and prepare. I used wild sockeye salmon. My husband loved it!, and said that it was better than any restaurant he’s ordered it at! Thank you, Nami! Love your recipes.
Hi Marsha! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Nami and JOC teams are so happy to hear your sweet comment!😁
Super good thnaks
Hi David, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you very much for trying the JOC recipe and for your kind feedback.
is there any difference with liquid shio koji??
Hi Angie, The liquid Shio Koji will give a very similar flavor and texture to the Salmon.
However, since it is liquid, you do not need to wipe off Shio koji from the salmon fillet, and you may adjust the amount for your liking. We hope this helps!
I was blown away how soft and moist the salmon turned out! This will be one of my MUST-HAVE pantry item from now on! I had 1/3 pound of wild-caught King Salmon, marinated with Shio Koji overnight in the fridge and baked for 15 minutes.
QUESTION – It was delicious and I’d prefer a bit more seasoned the next time. Can salmon be marinated with Shio Koji for 48 hours in the fridge? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Robin, We are glad to hear you enjoyed the Shio Koji flavor.
Shio Koji is rich in enzymes that break down the starches and proteins in food into sugars and amino acids.
Depends on the fish’s thickness, the fish would be soggy if you marinated in Shio Koji for too long. You can try 24 hours and see how it goes?
We hope this helps!
Hi,
Where can I get a grill like the one in this picture and what is it called? Thank You!
Hi Lea, In Japan, we called it 卓上炉端 (Robata Grill tabletop).
You can also search them as “Yakitori grill.”
We hope this helps!
What is the green vegetables? with ground sesame ?
Hi DrDoom, The green vegetable is Chrysanthemum Greens and Tofu.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/chrysanthemum-greens-and-tofu-salad/
We hope you enjoy it!
Any thoughts on how this would taste with other fish? I have some opah cheeks and I’m wondering if it will work well.
Hi Jordan, This recipe would work for other types of fish fillet, and we think it would work for opah cheeks.
Let us know how it goes!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I’ve been using my shio koji sporadically since following your mashed potato recipe (wow, so delicious!!) and love how easy this recipe looks.
Question about step #4 “Flip so the side of the salmon is now up. Place the salmon back in the oven, and bake for another 5-8 minutes” – is this additional time under the broiler setting or at a specific temperature?
Thank you for all your amazing recipes!
Hi Erin, Yay! We are glad to hear you enjoyed Nami’s mashed potato recipe! Thank you!
Step 4, please continue to use the broil setting for the side of the salmon.
Thank you for checking with us! Happy Cooking!
You are great!
Thank you for each word, advice, photo and mail!
Awesome!
Hi Youliana Antonova, You have no idea how much your kind words meant to Nami and the JOC team! 💕
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
Is the Shio Koji usually located in teh refridgerated sections?
Hi Leena, Yes. It is usually located in the refrigerated sections. But some stores may have them on the shelf.
Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
This recipe is delicious. I don’t think I want it any other way. However I did buy the drive package of shioKoji and fermented it at home before I did my first fish. Thanks for suggesting this. to answer Gary’s question in the comments, this is a lighter version of miso marinated salmon. I recommend that you try it and compare the taste.
Hi Mary! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe.🙂
How is this any different in taste or texture then when I make something like Nobu’s miso marinated fish such as black cod etc?…..Thanks!
Hi Gary, Shio Koji is simply made of salt, koji, and water. Miso is made from soybeans, grains (steamed rice or barley), salt, and koji. So you would not taste Soybean in Shio Koji marinated and has a lighter flavor. As for the fish texture, it will be similar.
We hope this helps!