Sous Vide Salmon with Ginger Miso Glaze

This sous vide salmon recipe with a ginger miso glaze is a healthy, delicious recipe that will keep you wanting more. The ginger miso marinade is a perfect compliment to the fish, but will not overpower.

The key to this recipe is its simplicity. The recipe takes very little prep work, and is practically foolproof. You can easily whip this recipe up anytime you need a meal that will taste great and make you feel great.

Selecting Quality Fish

I always recommend using high quality proteins in my recipes, especially when it comes to fish. Purchasing salmon that is wild-caught and sustainably-sourced not only tastes better, but is also better for the planet. Over fishing messes with food chains and ecosystems, and farmed fish can be packed with harmful antibiotics or diseases. That's why buying sustainably wild-caught fish is always on my list whenever possible.

Packaging

An essential part of cooking sous vide is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. The two most common techniques to package your ingredients are vacuum sealing and using the water displacement method.

A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents of a plastic bag through a vacuum. This process ensures the food is airtight and properly sealed, and prevents the bag from floating which can result in uneven cooking. If you are in the market for a vacuum sealer, I'd recommend the Anova sealer.

The displacement method is a technique where you first place your food and marinades in a sous vide bag, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.

Either method works for this recipe. Since we are adding a marinade in the bag, please make sure your vacuum sealer is capable of sealing liquids. If not, please use the displacement method.

Salmon Time and Temperature

Cooking salmon sous vide at 52C/125F for 45 minutes is our favorite time and temperature. Cooking the fish for 45 minutes is the sweet spot for a tender, juicy salmon. Also, cooking at a temperature of 125F results in a firm fish with unbelievable texture.

Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule).

Although this combination of time and temperature is our favorite, we recommend you explore different combinations to find your personal favorite. Cooking fish sous vide yields a unique texture that you can't achieve through other cooking methods, and is worth trying.

For example, cooking at lower temperatures like 110F results in an incredibly tender and soft fish, similar to the texture of sashimi. To explore other time and temperature options, check out our cooking guide.

Can you Sous Vide Frozen Salmon?

The quick answer is, absolutely! Cooking frozen foods sous vide is an ultra convenient, safe way to prepare your protein. Just take the food directly from the fridge, repackage it (unless you know the bag is sous vide safe) and let the sous vide work its magic.

The only thing you'll need to adjust is the cook time. If you are cooking frozen salmon sous vide we recommend adding an additional 30 minutes, so an hour and 15 minutes total.

Recommended Searing Methods for Salmon

A cool thing about cooking fish sous vide is that searing is not required. You can literally go from bag to plate if you want. However, the fish comes out of the bag an opaque color that is not the most appealing. 

If want your food to look like it is Michelin star quality, you are going to have to get a rich sear on it.

To get a great sear on your salmon, you’ve got to first pat the fish completely dry using paper towels. After the fish is dry, brush the salmon with the ginger miso marinade.

At this point you want to determine the best searing method. For fish, we suggest either pan searing or using a searing torch. Either method will result in a quick, high-quality sear without drying out the fish.

Special Equipment

Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.

The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.

12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.

Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for 72 hours care-free.

Cast Iron Skillet – If you are looking to take your searing game to the next level, we recommend investing in a cast iron skillet. By using a cast iron in this recipe, you’ll achieve a deep sear on the protein. Cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.

Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.

Check out our full list of recommended gear here.