Miso-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass: A Special Fish Dinner at Home

See how we make miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with white miso, honey, and ground ginger, marinated for one hour and grilled, served with rice and side dishes.

Trying Chilean Sea Bass for the First Time

I bought wild Chilean sea bass at Costco because it looked delicious, even though I had never cooked it before. It was a fish I first encountered after moving to the United States, and I wanted to try preparing it at home.

For this meal, I coated the fish in a mixture of white miso, mayonnaise, mirin, soy sauce, and honey, then cooked it using the grill setting on my air fryer. The result was exceptionally tender, with a sweet and savory glaze.

The flavor reminded me of a honey cod dish I had enjoyed while visiting Spain. That meal was delicious, but to my taste, this homemade sea bass was even better.

Preparing Four Servings from Two Large Pieces

The package contained two large pieces, which I divided into four portions. I bought the fish refrigerated, although the package label stated that it had been previously frozen.

I patted the fish dry and left the skin on before applying the marinade. With rice, side dishes, and soup, this amount made a meal for four.

Chilean sea bass was an expensive purchase: the price on my package was $32.99 per pound. That makes it more of a special meal for our household than an everyday fish dish.

Making the White Miso Marinade

I used a Japanese white miso for the marinade. Mayonnaise, mirin, soy sauce, and honey went into the mixture, along with ground ginger, sesame oil, and minced garlic.

I did not have fresh ginger, so I used 1 tsp of ground ginger in this batch. The amount below records what I actually used.

Ingredient	Amount used
Chilean sea bass	Two large pieces, divided into four portions
White miso	1 Tbsp
Mayonnaise	2 Tbsp
Mirin	2 Tbsp
Soy sauce	1 Tbsp
Honey	1 Tbsp
Ground ginger	1 tsp
Sesame oil	1 tsp
Minced garlic	1 tsp

Mix the marinade ingredients until evenly combined, then spread the mixture over the fish.

The finished glaze had a noticeable balance of sweetness and saltiness. For me, that flavor was part of what made the fish feel like a special dinner, even though the preparation was straightforward.

Marinating the Fish for One Hour

After coating the fish, I let it marinate for one hour. Keep the fish refrigerated during this step.

I did not wipe off the marinade before cooking. The coating stayed on the portions as they went onto the grill plate.

This is the method I used for this meal. The coating can brown quickly, so it helps to watch its color as the fish cooks.

Cooking on the Air Fryer’s Grill Setting

I used the grill mode on my air fryer, selected the high setting, and cooked the fish for about 10 minutes without turning it over. I did not add butter or extra oil to the cooking surface.

The outside developed a browned glaze, while the flesh was wonderfully tender when we ate it. That softness was the most memorable part of the meal.

The 10-minute cooking time describes this batch, rather than a fixed time for every appliance or piece of fish. Thickness and grill settings vary, so check that the center is cooked through before serving. If the coating darkens too quickly, reduce the heat and continue cooking as needed.

Serving It with Rice, Side Dishes, and Soup

We ate the sea bass with rice, banchan, and soup. I did not add lemon or a separate finishing sauce. The miso coating already gave the fish the sweet and savory flavor I wanted.

The tender fish paired well with rice, making it easy to serve as part of our usual home meal. If you are unfamiliar with this style of serving several small dishes alongside rice, our guide to eating Korean banchan explains how they fit into a meal.

For another fish-and-rice dish from our kitchen, we also make salmon sotbap. In that dish, the salmon finishes cooking on top of the rice. Here, the sea bass is cooked separately and served alongside it.

A Dish I Would Make for Guests

This was my first attempt at cooking Chilean sea bass, and it left a strong impression. The exceptionally soft texture and sweet, savory coating reminded me of a memorable meal abroad while giving us something new to enjoy at home.

The price is the main drawback. Still, after tasting it, I felt this would be a lovely dish to prepare for guests or a special occasion.

For our table, the appeal was simple: tender fish, a flavorful miso glaze, and rice to enjoy alongside it. It is a meal I would be happy to make again.