Sous Vide Salmon with Pineapple Miso Glaze

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Never worry about overcooking your salmon again! This Sous Vide Salmon recipe turns out perfect every time, with a moist and tender texture and the most amazing pineapple miso glaze.

Enjoy it as an easy weeknight dinner or serve it at your next dinner party!

You guys, the sous vide is my new favorite way to prepare salmon! I love that I don’t need to carefully watch it or guess when it’s done. I just set the temperature of the water bath and it cooks the salmon to my desired level of doneness! 

So, whether you love your salmon a little rare or firm and flaky, the sous vide helps you make it the way you like it just by adjusting the water temperature. How easy is that?!

The sous vide is a great method to cook other fish as well, like this sous vide tilapia, sous vide tuna, sous vide mahi mahi, sous vide halibut or sous vide cod.

And, to keep things easy, the salmon is served with a 3-ingredient pineapple miso glaze. It’s just the right amount of sweetness and helps cut through the richness of the salmon!

The next time you’re wondering what to make for dinner, try this sous vide salmon. It goes perfectly with a side of Instant Pot cilantro lime rice and spicy braised green beans!

Check out the sous vide salmon story!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Other sous vide recipes

• Sous Vide Lobster Tail
• Sous Vide Risotto with Mushroom Pesto
• Sous Vide Whole Duck
• Sous Vide Cheesecake

Why this recipe works

1. Salmon is a delicate protein, so it can easily be overcooked. When this happens, it turns out dry and chalky. You don’t have to worry about that with the sous vide. The controlled temperature of the water bath guarantees perfectly moist and tender salmon every time!
2. The sous vide allows you to cook salmon to varying temperatures to achieve different results. We like it cooked enough so it’s firm but still translucent and smooth. If you like it more rare or firm and flaky, I’ve included water temperature suggestions below! 
3. You still get crispy skin! Once the salmon comes out of the water bath, it gets a quick sear in a hot skillet so the salmon skin gets browned and crispy! 

Ingredients

Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.

You’ll need 16 ounces of salmon for this recipe, divided into 2-4 portions. For the best texture and flavor, I always prefer using fresh salmon, but you can also use frozen. 

You’ll need 2 teaspoons of olive oil to coat the salmon as it cooks in the sealed bag. This adds flavor but also helps prevent the salmon portions from sticking together when using a ziplock bag. 

For searing at the end, you’ll want 1 teaspoon of avocado oil or another high heat cooking oil. 

To make the pineapple miso glaze, you just need 3 ingredients: 2 tablespoons of white miso paste, 2 tablespoons of white wine and 4 tablespoons of pineapple juice. 

Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and white miso is the mildest type. It’s fermented with rice and has a sweet and mellow taste.

For the wine, go for a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. If you’d like to avoid alcohol in the glaze, try substituting with white grape juice.

I like to use no sugar added pineapple juice, but you can use juice with sugar added. Just note that the glaze will be sweeter.

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 115F degrees.

Coat the salmon portions with olive oil and salt.

Place in a vacuum sealable bag, ensuring the portions don't touch.

Vacuum seal and place in the water bath for 45 minutes.

Remove the bag from the water bath and gently remove salmon from the bag to avoid it breaking into pieces.

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon avocado oil.

Add the salmon, skin side down, and sear for 30-60 seconds, until the skin has crisped.

Remove and serve drizzled with pineapple miso glaze and chunks of pineapple (optional).

**The pineapple helps to cut the richness of the salmon. Highly recommend serving it with the salmon!

How to make pineapple miso glaze

Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring to combine the ingredients.

Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add additional salt to taste if necessary.

Expert tips

1. I prefer to use a vacuum sealable bag because it's easier to ensure the salmon portions don't touch. If using a ziplock bag, try to keep the salmon portions from touching or place the portions in individual ziplock bags.
2. If using a ziplock bag, you should also make sure the olive oil coats the salmon portions to help prevent them from sticking together. 
3. Whether you use a vacuum seal or ziplock bag, you’ll want to make sure to remove the air from the bag to avoid bacteria getting in.
4. You should also make sure the bag is completely submerged in the water bath. I like to use a sous vide sinker weight to ensure it doesn’t float.
5. If the bag starts to fill with air and float, just open the bag, remove the air and reseal it. 
6. To get the best sear on the salmon, pat the salmon portions dry with paper towels after they come out of the water bath. 
7. Sear the salmon skin side down so it gets nice and crispy. You only need to do this for 30-60 seconds. Any longer and you may overcook the salmon.
8. After the salmon comes out of the water bath, it will be very delicate to touch. Handle it carefully so it doesn’t start to fall apart.

Common questions

Storage and reheating

Leftover cooked salmon should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed within 3-4 days.

To reheat, you can warm the salmon on low heat on a baking sheet in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop. The key to not drying it out is to warm it slowly at a low temperature.

Other salmon recipes

• Cured Salmon Recipe (Gravlax)
• Salmon Cake Recipe with Lemon Pesto
• Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon Tacos

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!