Gochujang Salmon Recipe
Spicy, subtly sweet, and full of flavor., Gochujang Glazed Salmon is the dish you're going to make at least once a week, if not more.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: asian, korean
Keyword: anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, baked salmon, fermented foods, gochujang, gut health, korean, miso salmon, salmon
Servings: 2 servings
- 2 6-8 ounce fillets salmon any kind, see notes for details
- optional for garnish: sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds
for Gochujang Marinade/Glaze
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablepoon sake, aka Japanese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
Marinate Salmon
Rinse salmon, dry off thoroughly with paper towels, and remove scales if necessary. Place in a glass or non-reactive container, preferable if it has a tight-fitting lid.
Whisk together gochujang, sake, maple syrup, tamari, sesame, and grated garlic in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. The marinade will have the texture and consistency of a thin BBQ sauce.
Pour the gochujang marinade over the salmon in the container. Turn over the salmon fillets in the gochujang marinade to make sure all sides are coated. Spoon some of the gochujang marinade over the top to make sure there is a layer sitting on the top surface.
Cover the container. If you are cooking the salmon within 30 minutes, you can leave it on the counter. If you are marinating the salmon for longer than 30 minutes, place in refrigerator and marinate up to one day.
Bake Salmon in Oven
Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove salmon from gochujang marinade from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow salmon to take some of the chill off.
Lift salmon fillets from marinade, gently wiping off excess marinade from the salmon. ** Do not rinse ** You want to leave a thin layer of marinade on the surfaces of the salmon.
Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, then check for your preferred level of "donenes.." Because salmon fillet thickness varies so much, the best way to check if the salmon is done is to use an instant-read thermometer. For medium rare which is still raw/fresh in the center, aim for 120°F. The USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F. You can also just flake off a piece of salmon from the center of the fillet to see if it's cooked through to your preference.
Optional: Broil Salmon for Burnt "Char"
If you want a little bit of char on the salmon, turn the broiler to high in your oven. Place the cooked Spicy Gochujang Salmon under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the edges have developed a char. ** Do not leave the kitchen during the broil step, do not leave the oven, in fact you should stand right in front of the oven and watch the salmon until you remove it from the oven. Miso marinade burns easily because of the sugar and you definitely don't want to waste a perfect piece of salmon! I share from experience.