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Home ► Recipes ► Japanese (Traditional)

Japanese Breakfast Salmon

Updated: 05.22.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 18 Comments

5 from 11 votes
Shiozake (塩鮭), or Salted Salmon, is a Japanese breakfast staple made from a handful of ingredients. It makes the perfect savory side dish for a bowl of rice or a bento box lunch.
Recipe Video
Grilled salt-cured salmon is a staple of traditional japanese breakfasts. This easy grilled salmon recipe includes just 3 ingredients.

Japanese Breakfast Salmon (塩鮭 - Shiozake)

Traditional Japanese breakfasts tend to involve many components, but none of them are complicated, and this Shiozake, or grilled salted salmon, is no exception. It was originally made by salting whole salmon to preserve it, but these days, most people opt to cure salmon filets in brine. This is not only faster, but it also gives more control over how salty you want the salmon to be. With the popularity of savory breakfasts on the rise, Japanese breakfast recipes are gaining interest, and salmon breakfast recipes are particularly appealing worldwide.

Jump to:
  • Japanese Breakfast Salmon (塩鮭 - Shiozake)
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients for Japanese Breakfast Salmon
  • How to Make Japanese Salted Salmon
  • How to Cook Japanese Breakfast Salmon
  • How to Prepare Daikon Oroshi
  • How to Make Japanese Breakfast
  • FAQ
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • Applying salt directly to the surface of the fish can make some areas saltier than others. Preparing a liquid brine ensures the salmon is evenly seasoned throughout.
  • The brine also ensures the thin salmon fillets stay moist and tender.
  • Adding mirin to the brine adds umami to the salmon thanks to its high concentration of naturally occurring glutamate. It also adds a barely perceptible sweetness that balances the salt without tasting overtly sweet.
Salt-cured salmon or Shiozake is a staple of traditional Japaense breakfasts, shown here with tamagoyaki, rice, miso soup, and pickles.

Ingredients for Japanese Breakfast Salmon

  • Salmon - Traditionally, salted salmon is made with a small species of salmon native to East Asia, but any kind of fresh salmon fillet can be used. You want the salmon sliced into fairly thin fillets so that it cooks through relatively quickly. The ideal thickness is about ¾ of an inch (2cm), and you don't want it to be any thicker than 1 inch (2.5cm).
  • Salt - There's no need to use fancy salt here. Table salt or kosher salt will work fine, but I recommend measuring the salt by weight, as different types of salt can have vastly different volumes due to the shape and size of their crystals. This could result in your brine ending up either too salty or not salty enough.
  • Water - traditionally, salted salmon was made by applying salt directly to the salmon pieces, but this can result in uneven salting, and the resulting fish tends to be much saltier. Dissolving the salt in water to make brine allows you to control the salinity of the fish while ensuring it's evenly seasoned.
  • Mirin - Mirin does three things. First, the fermentation process creates a high concentration of amino acids, which adds the taste of umami to the salted salmon fillets. Mirin also conceals odors. Finally, it adds a balancing sweetness to the brine that prevents the salt from tasting too harsh.

How to Make Japanese Salted Salmon

To salt the salmon, you want to first make a brine by mixing the water, salt, and mirin until the salt is fully dissolved. I usually do this in a storage container so I can drop the fillets in, cover it, and store it in the fridge.

You want to let the fish brine for at least twelve hours to ensure it's uniformly seasoned, but don't let it go for longer than a day; otherwise, the proteins will start to denature and make the flesh mushy.

When the salted salmon is cured, remove it from the brine and pat it dry using paper towels. Then, you can grill it to make breakfast salmon. If you want to save it for later, just wrap it in plastic wrap and store it for a few days in the refrigerator or a few months in the freezer.

This Japanese salt-cured salmon is juicy, flavorful and tender, which makes it a great side-dish for rice.

How to Cook Japanese Breakfast Salmon

Most Japanese kitchens have a small broiler under the stove to grill fish, but you can also grill the fish in a toaster oven (or a full-size oven) set to broil. Put the fish on an oiled rack and set the rack on a sheet pan.

The other option is to pan-fry the salted salmon. To do this, preheat a frying pan over medium heat and add a small splash of oil. Lay the salmon fillet skin-side down in the pan and let it fry until it's golden brown on the skin side and opaque about a third of the way up the side. Reduce the heat if it looks like it's browning too quickly.

Flip the fillet over with a spatula and fry the second side until cooked through. Depending on the shape of the salmon fillet, you may need to use the spatula to press it down in parts to ensure the whole surface of the fish is making good contact with the pan. It's done when it flakes easily and is opaque to the center. If you're using an instant-read thermometer, check that it reads an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 C).

How to Prepare Daikon Oroshi

Grated daikon or daikon oroshi (大根おろし) is a condiment that often accompanies grilled fish. It's made by grating daikon and then draining off excess water. It may sound simple, but there are a few essential things to know before you make it.

  • Use the head-end of the daikon (the end towards the leaves). The top has a lower concentration of allyl isothiocyanate, the compound responsible for making radishes spicy. This will result in a milder flavor, and if you have good daikon, it may even be a little sweet.
  • Grate the daikon just before you eat it. If you grate it too far in advance, the sulfur compounds in it can make it smell strong.
  • It's best to peel it with a knife rather than a peeler. That's because a fibrous layer under the skin can make your oroshi gritty if you grate it in. Using a knife, you can remove the skin in a thicker layer to ensure you get all the fibrous bits.
  • Drain the grated daikon, or it will be watery. The best way to do this is to put the grated daikon into a tea strainer and press it lightly. You don't want to overdo it and make it dry, but it also shouldn't weep liquid onto your plate when you serve it.

Serve the daikon oroshi with the Japanese breakfast salmon. If you like, you can drizzle some soy sauce or lemon juice over the daikon.

How to Make Japanese Breakfast

A traditional Japanese breakfast, including grilled salted salmon, tamagoyaki, rice, miso soup and pickles.

Traditional Japanese meals follow the format of Ichiju Sansai (一汁三菜), which literally means "one soup three sides." Japanese breakfasts are no different, and a full breakfast usually consists of plain rice, soup, protein, and a few side dishes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Rice - Japanese eat short-grain rice, which has a higher amylopectin content than long-grain rice, making the grains stickier. Although there are some seasoned rice dishes in Japanese cuisine, the rice is almost always plain for breakfast. That's why dishes like this salted salmon tend to be salty as they are meant to season the rice as you eat them together. Instructions for cooking Japanese short-grain rice are here.
  • Soup - Traditional Japanese meals are almost always accompanied by soup. Miso soup is the most common soup, but it can be made in nearly infinite varieties based on the vegetables you add to it and the type of miso you use. 
  • Side Protein - Because Japan was an agrarian society until fairly recently, having enough protein for breakfast helped get farmers through the day. The protein can be cured fish like this recipe, eggs, or legumes. Here are some protein-rich side dish ideas to accompany your Japanese breakfast: Tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), Dashimaki Tamago (omelette with dashi), Vegan Tamagoyaki, Teriyaki Eggs, Miso salmon, Miso cod.
  • Side Veggies - The most common way to serve vegetables as a side dish for breakfast is with pickles. However, many seasoned vegetable dishes, such as Kinpira Gobo (burdock), Spinach Ohitashi, or Sesame Spinach, can also fill this role.

For an elegant take-along idea, try packing your items into a beautiful box like I did in this Japanese Breakfast Bento. Whether you're going on an early morning walk or just back to bed, the presentation is sure be appreciated!

FAQ

What is Japanese Salted Salmon?

Also known as Japanese Breakfast Salmon, Shiozake (塩鮭 - salt salmon) is salmon that has been salted to preserve it. Before the widespread use of refrigeration, whole salmon were gutted and packed in salt to cure them. The resulting salmon would be so salty; it would first need to be soaked in water to reduce the salt content before it was used. These days, salted salmon comes in varying levels of salinity with salmon containing less than 3% being labeled as amajio (甘塩), salmon containing 3-6% being labeled as chukara (中辛), and salmon containing over 6% as karakuchi (辛口).  

The brine for this Japanese breakfast salmon recipe is about 2.3% salt. If you account for the extra mass of the salmon, the salinity drops to about 1.7%. It's still reasonably salty, though, which makes it an excellent accompaniment for rice. 

Can I prepare salted salmon ahead of time?

The fish needs to be brined for about 12 hours to ensure it is evenly seasoned. If you plan on making a Japanese breakfast, start brining it the night before. Don't let it brine for more than a day; otherwise, the proteins will begin to denature, and the flesh will get mushy. If you want to prepare this more than a day in advance, I recommend removing the salmon from the brine after a day, patting it dry with paper towels, then wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap or placing it in a zipper bag with the air pressed out. towels, then wrapping the fillets tightly with plastic wrap or placing it in a zipper bag with the air pressed out.

How do you pronounce Shiozake?

Shiozake is a four-syllable word that can be pronounced
shi like sheet
o like order
za like zombie
ke like kept

But is also often pronounced:

shi like sheet
o like order
jya like john
ke like kept

How to eat Japanese Salted Salmon?

Salted salmon is most commonly eaten as a side dish for Japanese breakfast, along with grated daikon radish, rice, and a bowl of miso soup. However, it can also be packed into a bento box lunch. Because the salmon is well seasoned, it can also be used as a filling for onigiri or to make ochazuke (tea rice). 

How long will salted salmon last?

Once the salmon has been removed from the brine, it can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for three more days. You can also freeze it at this point, but keep in mind that freezing fish in a home freezer will change its texture due to the formation of large ice crystals in the fish as it freezes. Once it's been cooked, it should be consumed within a day.

📖 Recipe

Grilled salt-cured salmon is a staple of traditional japanese breakfasts. This easy grilled salmon recipe includes just 3 ingredients.

Japanese Breakfast Salmon (塩鮭)

By: Marc Matsumoto
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 12 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Yield 2 servings
YouTube video

Units

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 12 grams table salt (mounding ½ tablespoon table salt)
  • 200 grams salmon (sliced into 2 thin filets)
  • 200 grams daikon (3-4 inch piece)

Instructions

  • Add the 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons mirin, and 12 grams table salt to a container with a lid and stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
    Brine for curing salmon.
  • Place the 200 grams salmon in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 or 24 hours.
    Salmon curing in brine for Japanese grilled salmon.
  • When you're ready to prepare the salmon, remove it from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
    Using paper towels to pat the brined salmon dry.
  • You can grill the salmon in a toaster oven or broiler set to broil until it flakes easily, or you can pan-fry it.
    Grilling salted salmon.
  • If you are cooking the salted salmon on the stove, heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a small amount of oil. Place the salmon skin-side down and let it fry undisturbed until you can see the salmon turn opaque about ⅓ of the way up the side.
    Shiozake salmon being pan-fried.
  • Carefully flip the salmon over and cook on the second side until it's cooked through. You can test it with an instant-read thermometer (it should read 140 F), or you can flake it with a fork (it should flake easily and be opaque all the way through).
    Japanese breakfast salmon in a frying pan.
  • While the salmon is cooking, peel and grate the 200 grams daikon. Drain the pulp in a strainer to remove excess water, and then plate the grated daikon with the salted salmon.
    Japanese salt grilled salmon with daikon oroshi.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 185kcalCarbohydrates • 11gProtein • 20gFat • 6gSaturated Fat • 1gPolyunsaturated Fat • 3gMonounsaturated Fat • 2gCholesterol • 55mgSodium • 207mgPotassium • 717mgFiber • 2gSugar • 7gVitamin A • 40IUVitamin C • 22mgCalcium • 46mgIron • 1mg

Comments

    5 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Stephen says

    March 17, 2025 at 4:02 am

    Hi Marc! If using kosher salt, would you use the same 12 gram amount as table salt?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 17, 2025 at 9:19 am

      Hi Stephen, that's the beauty of using weights to measure. 12 grams of kosher salt has the same salinity as 12 grams of table salt. When using volumetric measurements you have to account for the shape of the flakes/crystals, so the flakier they are the more space the take for the same amount of salt.

      Reply
  2. Yumiko says

    March 04, 2024 at 10:51 am

    Using a brine is such a good idea! Have you ever soaked the fish in sake before doing the brine? Like the traditional version? Thanks lots

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 07, 2024 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Yumiko! Are you referring to Kasuzuke (where the fish is marinated in sake lees)? If so, I do it frequently.

      Reply
  3. DJ says

    August 27, 2023 at 3:33 am

    5 stars
    Elegant every-day dish that I'd eaten so very many times in Japanese homes, but always fell short replicating on my own (the brine is divine!). Along with kaki-gohan and a little misoshiru and/or simple veg/salad, one can get a high quality Japanese breakfast in under 30 min. Thanks Marc, you keep saving me precious minutes every day!

    Reply
    • Marc says

      August 27, 2023 at 8:29 am

      Hi DJ, glad to hear this was helpful! Lately I've been using a method of lightly pan frying, flipping and steaming (with just a little water added to the pan) to cook this because it makes the salmon more tender and moist. Not traditional for sure, but it's something to try if you have a chance.

      Reply
      • DJ says

        September 03, 2023 at 10:40 pm

        5 stars
        Excellent advice, as usual, sensei! Due to the brine, there is that moderate risk of dryness depending on the cut. And if one is using this for bento, that dryness gets potentially....um, even dryer =). This quick steam hack really does the trick. I've often found that cooking dishes with two or three different techniques can bring out the best of all worlds (medium sear+brief steam in this case, parboil+ice water bath/drain/dry+quick high sear for veg, etc.). I applied this trick to scrambled eggs (2) this morning: when 3/4 ready, I added 2 TBL of water mixed with 1/8 TSP dashi power, covered, then cranked up heat for about 30-45 seconds. The result was my best scrambled ever: Maillard and caramelization (I use some sugar and cream) were spot on, and the eggs really "souffléd" at the end with the intense steam. The extra notes of dashi umami didn't hurt either. I'm going to see what other dishes might benefit from this brief but intense almost pressure-steaming at the end, like your salmon and like my preferred gyoza cooking method. Maybe some chicken dishes (with pan wiped clean between sear and steam)? Much obliged, Marc!

        Reply
        • Marc says

          September 03, 2023 at 11:43 pm

          Hi DJ, I'm glad to it was helpful! I think originally the idea was dry the salmon out for bento as lower moisture = lower chance of spoiling, but these days most people carry their bentos in an insulated bag with ice packs it's not as big of a deal. Cool idea with the scrambled eggs, sounds like a quick alternative to tamagoyaki. I also use this sear then steam method to make my roast beef https://norecipes.com/wagyu-roast-beef-bowl/

          Reply
  4. Mel says

    June 26, 2022 at 1:00 pm

    Would it change the flavor by adding a tbsp of sugar as well? I wanted to try doing that to see if it helps crispen the edges of the salmon when cooked.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      June 27, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      Hi Mel, mirin is quite sweet and provides plenty of sweetness for the salmon. As for crisping the edges it's less about the sugar, and more about how you cook it. To get the most crispness, be sure you get the surface of the salmon extra dry with paper towels. You can even leave the salmon on a wire rack for a day in the fridge (after brining it). Then you'll want to fry it in a good bit of oil. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Amy Wakisaka says

    November 30, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Thanks so much Marc! This was a clear, easy to follow recipe that the family loved! The fish stayed moist and was evenly salted, much unlike my previous attempts based on my memory and verbal instructions from my mother and father.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 30, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      You're welcome Amy! I'm so happy to hear you family enjoyed this.

      Reply
  6. tei says

    May 22, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    This was a perfect way to prepare salmon. It was fully cooked but still moist. I'll certainly try it another time, maybe with some flavorings in the brine, like ginger. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 23, 2021 at 11:31 pm

      I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Shiojake is not usually seasoned (beyond salt), but I'm sure it would be delicious with some ginger or lemon zest in the brine.

      Reply
  7. Michelle McClintock says

    May 11, 2021 at 4:29 am

    What are all the components in the picture? I see the salmon, the rice and the miso soup, but what else is there?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 11, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Michelle, the yellow things on the red plate are tamagoyaki, and the three things in the lower right are different pickles (takuan, umeboshi, and chirimen sansho).

      Reply
  8. Sandi says

    May 10, 2021 at 10:14 pm

    Hi Marc,
    Sounds good. I’ll have to try making it. Love your miso salmon as well!
    Take care, keep well & live well,
    Sandi

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 11, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      Thanks Sandi! Miso salmon is delicious on it's own, but this has a lot of other potential uses as well. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
Marc Matsumoto

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