By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
720 min
Japanese-Style Salted Salmon (Shiozake)
Recipe GLPR39b8e8bd282259
A traditional Japanese preparation that brings out the natural flavor and firm texture of salmon through dry-salting. Two skin-on fillets are cured overnight with kosher salt and optional sake, creating a delicately brined exterior while preserving the moist interior. This simple yet elegant dish celebrates the pristine quality of fresh fish and requires minimal cooking—just a quick pan-sear or broil to warm through before serving.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon Sake
2 4-ounce fillets Skin-on salmon fillets, preferably from the belly
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Directions
Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels, ensuring no moisture remains on the skin or flesh.
Lightly brush or sprinkle the sake over both sides of each fillet if using.
Divide the kosher salt evenly between the two fillets, sprinkling it evenly over the flesh side of each fillet.
Place the salted fillets skin-side up on a wire rack or perforated surface positioned over a baking sheet to allow any liquid released during curing to drip away.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight, until the salt has drawn out moisture and created a light brine that is then reabsorbed into the flesh.
Before cooking, gently rinse each fillet under cool running water and pat dry to remove excess salt from the surface.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place the fillets skin-side down in the dry skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the skin crisps and turns golden.
Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on the flesh side until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately while warm.
Comments
This is a genuine 12-hour curing recipe, not a quicksand trap disguised as simple cooking—the stated 720 minutes is honest, which is rare and refreshing. Salmon and salt are universal at Charlotte chains (Harris Teeter and Kroger have excellent seafood counters), but sake requires a separate trip to a liquor store or an Asian market like H-Mart; check your local options first, as this means a real second stop for a weeknight. At roughly $15–18 for quality salmon plus $10–15 for sake, you're looking at $12–16 per serving for a elegant, hands-off dish that reheats beautifully and teaches a real technique. The fussiness is minimal once salted—no constant attention, just patience—making it ideal for meal prep.
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