Miso Cod is one of those exquisite Japanese seafood recipes that taste like delicacy, yet easy to make at home. Melt in your mouth black cod is buttery and so tasty! This Nobu style Black Miso Cod recipe will be your go to for fancy weeknights, and you’ll be done in 20 minutes! Read below and watch the video for how easy it is!
YES, another cod recipe. We have Pan Seared Cod and Baked Cod Recipe tutorials as we love code fish. But today’s recipe is made with black cod. It’s recognized as a high end fancy dish, thanks to Nobu–a Japanese celebrity chef. He made a genius sweet and savory marinade combined with buttery black cod fish.
If you love super rich, thick and buttery fish, we can’t recommend enough trying Chilean Sea Bass. It has to be our ABSOLUTE favorite fish. For today we’re gonna talk everything about cod, black cod and this phenomenal Miso Cod recipe which is adapted from his Cookbook.
What is Miso Cod
Also known as Black Cod with Miso is a famous Japanese dish that became popular at the high end Nobu restaurant chains. The world famous dish combines black cod fish with a sweet and salty miso marinade. The fish gets cooked until perfection.
While it was originally grilled, you can broil or bake it as well. This dish is not for pan searing as the marinade would burn. The beauty of this exquisite dish is that you can make at home–much easier than you expect.
Why Black Cod?
Black cod is a sustainably grown fish that is SUPER rich in omega-3. It has such a high content of omega 3 which is why the fish has an impeccable buttery texture and taste. Another benefit to the high fat content is that you can hardly overcook it.
Black cod is also known as Sablefish and is growing n popularity as a high end gourmet fish because of its richness. This fish is great for baking, broiling, grilling and pan searing.
Where To Buy it?
As your fish monger for it, the absolute best type would be Alaska caught.
Why You’ll Love Nobu’s Miso Cod Recipe
- The complexity of the flavors is IMPECCABLE!
- The black cod is ultra flakey and buttery, and the texture is perfect.
- You only need a few ingredients to make this miso cod recipe.
- The time it takes to prep and cook this dish is minutes!
- You can marinate the cod fish for up to two days, so it’s a great make in advance dish!
- It’s an impressive meal if you’re entertaining, and very much a popular crowd pleaser dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Black Cod. The star of the show. The rich, buttery and succulent fish is ideal for this recipe.
- Miso Paste. White miso paste is what we use, and organic is best. If you can find Saikyo miso, then you can skip the brown sugar below.
- Mirin & Sake. These are used to soak the fish in and neutralize any fish taste. We substituted rice vinegar and it worked wonderfully!
- Soy Sauce. the umami and the saltiness here.
- Brown Sugar. This is used for the balance of sweet and salty, and for an extra boost of caramelization.
How to Make Miso Cod
Prepare the Marinade
- The first step to this recipe is to prepare the miso marinade. Simply combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk them well. And it’s ready.
Marinate The Black Cod
- Take the miso marinade and spread it evenly over the tops and sides of the black cod fish.
- You can marinate the fish for 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Obviously the longer it marinates, the tastier. However, for the record we have also made this recipe within 30 minutes and it was so good!
Broil The Cod
- While you can grill the black cod or bake it, we have found the broiler to be the closest to the original recipe.
- Broiler is the easiest option too as it requires no flipping around of the sensitive black cod fish.
- Of course bonus, the broiler option is SUPER quick too!
- Once the fish is broiled and evenly browned, you can test how easily it flakes off with a fork. It’s ready when it flakes off evenly.
- At that point you’re ready to serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with this Nobu Miso Black Cod?
You can absolutely enjoy this fish with as many side dishes as you like! Some of our favorites include:
- Coconut Rice (recipe coming soon!!) or zesty Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Easy Stir Fry Recipe with Veggies or Spicy Ramen Bowl.
- Easy Cucumber Salad, Asian Cucumber Salad, exotic and delicious Papaya Salad
- Broccoli Rabe, Honey Glazed Carrots, Air Fryer Mushrooms or Crispy Potatoes
Tips for the BEST Miso Cod at Home
- For best results, use black cod fish for this recipe. It’s richer and butterier in texture and taste, plus it’s the original fish that made this recipe popular by Nobu.
- Try to buy cod fillets that are similar in size and thickness so they cook evenly.
- When making the marinade, look for Saikyo miso. It has a sweet and mild taste compared to regular white miso. You can find it at Japanese stores or Amazon.
- When you prepare the marinade, it’s best to marinate the cod for 2 days. However we have tested it for just 30 minutes of marinating and we’ve seen great results!
- When broiling the fish, remove any excess marinade to avoid burning.
- Broiling is our favorite way to achieve this Nobu style black cod with minimal hassle.
- You’ll notice that broiling creates even browning and you won’t need to flip the fish around at all.
- Making this recipe in the oven is great for super fast and easy cleanup.
- The black cod is ready when it has a beautiful brown color and flakes easily with a fork.
How to Store And Reheat Leftovers?
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can likewise freeze leftovers for a month. To reheat the miso cod, it’s best to thaw in the fridge and place on a baking sheet. Reheat in the oven at 350 for 5-6 minutes with 1 tablespoon of water. Line your baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
How to Freeze uncooked?
You can marinate the cod for 2 days and then remove excess marinade. Then freeze the ready marinated fish for up to 1 month. That entirely in the fridge before proceeding to cooking the fish in the oven.
Can I make this in Advance?
The best thing about this recipe is that the more it stays in the marinade the better it tastes. So you can marinate the fish for up to 3 days in advance.
What other Fish Can I use?
Our second choice other than black cod here would be Chilean Sea Bass. It’s also rich and buttery in taste with a high omega-3 content so it fits the bill. Salmon would be another great choice. Avoid using dry or firm fish like Mahi Mahi.
What Type of Miso Should be used for this recipe?
You’ll beed white miso paste for this recipe, and we always buy organic miso. Since white miso is unsweetened, we add some brown sugar to our ingredients. If you can find Saikyo miso, then it would be idea. It’s sweetened and rich, and in this case skip the sugar.
What can I use instead of Sake and Mirin
In some cases, we’ve seen water substituted for sake. We have found the best way is to use rice vinegar.
What is the difference between Black Cod vs Cod
Black cod aka Sablefish s richer in omega 3 and hence has a buttery taste and texture compared to regular cod. Best sources of black cod is Alaska! Pacific cod which is what we used in Pan Seared Cod and Baked Cod Recipe has a firmer texture. It also has a slightly sweeter flavor, and relatively flakey texture.
Fish Fillet Recipes
Halibut
Chilean Sea Bass
Baked Haddock
Baked Mahi Mahi
Maple Glazed Salmon
30 Mins Mexican Tilapia Fish
Pan Seared Cod
Perch
Fish Fry
Miso Cod
Ingredients
Black Cod
- 4 black cod fillets dried
Miso Mariande
- 1/4 cup white miso organic, or use saikyo miso
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar skip this if using Saikyo miso
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar use sake and mirin combined instead
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade
-
The first step to this recipe is to prepare the miso marinade. Simply combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk them well. And it's ready.
Marinate The Black Cod
-
Take the miso marinade and spread it evenly over the tops and both sides of the black cod fish.
-
You can marinate the fish for 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Obviously the longer it marinates, the tastier. However, for the record we have also made this recipe within 30 minutes and it was so good!
Broil The Cod
-
While you can grill the black cod or bake it, we have found the broiler to be the closest to the original recipe.
-
Broiler is the easiest option too as it requires no flipping around of the sensitive black cod fish.
-
Of course bonus, the broiler option is SUPER quick too!
-
Once the fish is broiled and evenly browned, you can test how easily it flakes off with a fork. It's ready when it flakes off evenly.
-
At that point you're ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tips for the BEST Miso Cod at Home
- For best results, use black cod fish for this recipe. It's richer and butterier in texture and taste, plus it's the original fish that made this recipe popular by Nobu.
- Try to buy cod fillets that are similar in size and thickness so they cook evenly.
- When making the marinade, look for Saikyo miso. It has a sweet and mild taste compared to regular white miso. You can find it at Japanese stores or Amazon.
- When you prepare the marinade, it's best to marinate the cod for 2 days. However we have tested it for just 30 minutes of marinating and we've seen great results!
- When broiling the fish, remove any excess marinade to avoid burning.
- Broiling is our favorite way to achieve this Nobu style black cod with minimal hassle.
- You'll notice that broiling creates even browning and you won't need to flip the fish around at all.
- Making this recipe in the oven is great for super fast and easy cleanup.
- The black cod is ready when it has a beautiful brown color and flakes easily with a fork.
How to Store And Reheat Leftovers?
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can likewise freeze leftovers for a month. To reheat the miso cod, it's best to thaw in the fridge and place on a baking sheet. Reheat in the oven at 350 for 5-6 minutes with 1 tablespoon of water. Line your baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
How to Freeze uncooked?
You can marinate the cod for 2 days and then remove excess marinade. Then freeze the ready marinated fish for up to 1 month. That entirely in the fridge before proceeding to cooking the fish in the oven.
Can I make this in Advance?
The best thing about this recipe is that the more it stays in the marinade the better it tastes. So you can marinate the fish for up to 3 days in advance.
What other Fish Can I use?
Our second choice other than black cod here would be Chilean Sea Bass. It's also rich and buttery in taste with a high omega-3 content so it fits the bill. Salmon would be another great choice. Avoid using dry or firm fish like Mahi Mahi.
What Type of Miso Should be used for this recipe?
You'll beed white miso paste for this recipe, and we always buy organic miso. Since white miso is unsweetened, we add some brown sugar to our ingredients. If you can find Saikyo miso, then it would be idea. It's sweetened and rich, and in this case skip the sugar.
What can I use instead of Sake and Mirin
In some cases, we've seen water substituted for sake. We have found the best way is to use rice vinegar.
What is the difference between Black Cod vs Cod
Black cod aka Sablefish s richer in omega 3 and hence has a buttery taste and texture compared to regular cod. Best sources of black cod is Alaska! Pacific cod which is what we used in Pan Seared Cod and Baked Cod Recipe has a firmer texture. It also has a slightly sweeter flavor, and relatively flakey texture.
Oh my gosh, the sauce makes the cod more flavorful. I am pretty sure my husband would love this!
The balance of flavors here is amazing. I’ve only ever used miso for soup. It’s such a simple yet impressive dish, definitely one to make again.
Oh wow! The miso sauce really complimented the flavor of the cod fish. I tasted like something ordered at a fancy restaurant. We loved it.
This miso cod was restaurant-quality! The marinade gave it such an incredible umami flavor, and the fish turned out so buttery and flaky. Definitely a must-try!
A really impressive recipe that’s surprisingly simple to prepare! I had the Nobu version years ago and remember it was fantastic. Now I can make this any time the craving hits!
This is a delicious recipe. I love the sweet and tangy flavors and the firmness of the fish.