This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
This miso glazed sea bass marinated in mirin, miso, sake, and ginger is grilled until slightly charred and perfectly tender. You only need 6 ingredients to make this buttery Chilean sea bass and it's elegant enough for special occasions!
Table of Contents
- Best Miso Sea Bass Recipe
- Which Types Of Fish Can Be Used With Miso Glaze
- Ingredients For Sea Bass With Miso
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass
- Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What To Serve With Miso Marinated Sea Bass
- Other Recipes That You Might Like
- Miso-Glazed Sea Bass Recipe
Best Miso Sea Bass Recipe
I love Nobu’s black cod with miso, but it’s not easy to find fresh black cod in the market, at least not in my neighborhood.
In this recipe, I used Chilean sea bass instead. The flesh is moist, tender, silky, and sweet—it almost melts in your mouth! The miso marinade has the same base of sake, mirin, and white miso, but I added some ginger juice and sugar to cut through the richness of the fish.
I also used sea bass with its skin on (which can be fishy), so the ginger juice certainly helped rid of the smell. And I was right, the fatty skin of sea bass was fishy, so consider yourself warned when you try this sea bass recipe.
While you can bake or pan-fry the fish, I find that the best way to cook sea bass is on the grill. That smoky char brings it so close to the miso sea bass Nobu serves!
Got leftover miso paste? Use it to make my Honey Miso Chicken Wings or Miso Ramen!
Which Types Of Fish Can Be Used With Miso Glaze
Chilean sea bass is one of my top choices to pair with anything miso. The miso marinade tastes so good with the rich flavor and fatty flesh of the fish.
The next best option is black cod (a.k.a. sablefish) because it has a similar richness and is extremely tender. This fish does have a lot of pin bones so you may want to learn how to debone black cod!
You can also make this miso sea bass recipe with white fish like flounder, halibut, and sole. Salmon is a convenient and delicious choice as well.
Ingredients For Sea Bass With Miso
- Sea bass – has a rich, buttery flavor and meaty flesh. When shopping for sea bass, look for firm flesh that springs back when touched.
- White miso paste – also called shiro miso. It tastes sweeter and milder than other types of miso thanks to its shorter fermentation time.
- Mirin – a sweet rice wine used in many Japanese dishes. Aside from this miso-glazed Chilean sea bass, it’s also key to Japanese favorites like Yakisoba and Gyudon.
- Sake – a Japanese rice wine that adds a lot of delicate fruity flavors and some acidity to the marinade.
- Ginger juice – adds warmth and freshness to our sea bass miso glaze.
- Palm sugar – turns the marinade into a caramelized glaze on the grill. Regular white or brown sugar will work in a pinch.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy miso sea bass – Add layu (Japanese chili oil), red pepper flakes, or cayenne for a spicy version.
- With miso and orange – Add some grated orange zest and a splash of fresh orange juice for a citrusy twist.
- With sesame – Whisk toasted sesame oil into the marinade to infuse it with a nutty flavor. Finish with toasted sesame seeds.
How To Make Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass
This recipe is all about the incredible flavor of Chilean sea bass. Although if you ask me, the miso glaze is the real star here. It makes the sea bass taste like something you’d order in a fancy restaurant. Cooking sea bass this way always makes me feel like a chef!
Here’s a pro tip: If you have the time, marinate your sea bass for up to four hours. Because this fish is so meaty, it takes time for the flavors to penetrate the flesh.
Here’s how to make the best recipe for Chilean sea bass:
Step 1. In a small bowl, mix the marinade well and save some for the plating. Drop the sea bass into the marinade, coat well, and leave in the fridge for a few hours.
Step 2. Preheat an indoor grill and lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the sea bass, but don’t rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly cook both sides until the surface turns brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- The skin of Chilean sea bass tends to be fishy, so feel free to remove the skin after grilling.
- Grate your ginger finely. This makes it easier to squeeze out the ginger juice.
- Before grilling, lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinade clinging to the sea bass. But NEVER rinse it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Miso is a fermented soybean paste that is a staple in Japanese cuisine. It adds a deep umami flavor to dishes and comes in several varieties including white (shiro), red (aka), and mixed (awase).
Chilean sea bass is expensive because it’s hard to cultivate and the low supply can’t keep up with the high demand. It takes up to seven years for sea bass to mature, and it also costs a lot to catch them because these fish primarily live in the remote and freezing waters of the Antarctic.
Yes, sea bass is a healthy low-calorie fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and protein.
Sea bass is generally lower in calories and fat compared to chicken, but both are excellent sources of lean protein.
Salmon and sea bass are both delicious fish, so it really depends on what you enjoy. I suggest doing a taste test to help you decide—make this miso Chilean sea bass recipe AND my Miso Glazed Salmon!
Sea bass with miso pairs well with bright, acidic side dishes like a citrusy salad or steamed vegetables. It also goes great with a side of steamed rice.
A light-bodied white wine with high acidity like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio pairs well with this miso sea bass recipe. The acidity refreshes your palette while the light body doesn’t overpower the flavors.
What To Serve With Miso Marinated Sea Bass
For a wholesome meal and an easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes That You Might Like
Miso-Glazed Sea Bass
Ingredients
- Sea bass (about 5 oz. (115 g) a piece)
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 2 teaspoon sake
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice
- 1/2 teaspoon palm sugar or sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the marinade well and save some for the plating. Drop the sea bass into the marinade, coat well, and leave in the fridge for a few hours.
- Preheat an indoor grill and lightly wipe off any excess miso marinade clinging to the sea bass with your fingers, but don’t rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and cook both sides until the surface turns brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven at 350°F (175°C) and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- The skin of Chilean sea bass tends to be fishy, so feel free to remove the skin after grilling.
- Grate your ginger finely. This makes it easier to squeeze out the ginger juice.
- Before grilling, lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinade clinging to the sea bass. But NEVER rinse it off.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this easy and quick recipe!