David Chang's 5-Minute Method For Cooking Salmon In The Microwave

You might ignore the microwave as a way to prepare your dinner, especially for something delicate like salmon, but you shouldn't ignore anything David Chang tells you to do. The celebrity chef and founder of the famous Momofuku restaurant group isn't just a five-time James Beard award winner; he's also someone with a deeply practical understanding of cooking. While he may serve creative, high-end cuisine at his restaurants, he doesn't shun technology or conveniences at home, and Chang has repeatedly endorsed the microwave as an underrated cooking tool. And recently on TikTok, he shared one of the great ways he uses the microwave for quick and easy dinners: steaming salmon.

Chang says that when he gets home late and needs to get dinner on the table quickly, microwave-steamed salmon is a lifesaver. All he does is put a salmon filet in a bowl, and then cover that bowl tightly with a microwave-safe lid. He then heats it for five minutes. The sealed lid traps the moisture from the salmon in the bowl, steaming it, which can produce a perfectly flaky and tender piece of fish with zero effort. Chang explains that he cooks the salmon for five minutes for a well-done piece because he's making it for his kids. But for him and his wife, he might only cook it to medium or even medium rare. In that case, you can microwave your salmon for only three-and-a-half to four minutes, depending on your preference.

Of course, you want to flavor your steamed salmon in the microwave like you would any other piece of fish. Fortunately, Chang's recipe is also quick and easy. He just adds some soy sauce (barrel-aged Momofuku soy sauce, naturally), some savory seasoned salt, and agave, then rubs it over the filet.

You don't need to follow Chang's recipe, though. And many of Tasting Table's easy weeknight baked salmon recipes translate well to the microwave. You can go even simpler by brushing your fish with some homemade teriyaki sauce, or you can make a classic miso salmon with white miso, sake, and soy sauce. You won't get the same level of browning or thickening of the sauce you would get in the oven, but the flavor will still be there. You can even go for a fresh flavor with lemon and herb salmon.

Finally, many of salmon's favorite sides can also be steamed in the microwave. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or spinach can all be made in the microwave in the same short amount of time as the salmon. All you need to do to steam them is put them on a microwave-safe tray and cover them with a few layers of damp paper towels, then cook for three to six minutes, depending on how strong your microwave is.