Aromatic and sweet-savory Niku Miso (Miso Meat Sauce) is a meal-prep hero. This tasty all-purpose meat sauce adds protein to any dish—whether it’s plain steamed rice, noodles, or lettuce cups. It’s quick, easy, and ready in just 10 minutes!
Today, I’m bringing you a popular and tasty dish called Niku Miso that Japanese home cooks make to accompany plain steamed rice or noodles. In this simple recipe for our Easy College Meal SeriesI braise ground meat with aromatics in a sweet-and-savory miso sauce. I’ll show you how to whip together this meal-prep wonder in 10 minutes!
For more popular quick and easy pork main dishes, try my 10 Minute Meal – Mapo Tofu, Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)and Mabo Eggplant (Mabo Nasu)!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Cooks in one pot and is ready in 10 minutes! It’s perfect for busy professionals, college students, or anyone who needs an easy and tasty weeknight meal.
- Protein-packed main dish. Niku miso is nutrient dense and boosts the protein component of any meal.
- Ideal for weekly meal-prep. Heavily seasoned niku miso keeps well in the fridge for up to 7 days. I’ll make it on the weekend and serve it throughout the week in school bentos or for my work-from-home lunch. It’s a lifesaver on busy weekdays!
- Adaptable for vegetarians. I used ground pork for this recipe, but you can easily substitute it with meatless options.
- Versatile for many dishes. I serve it with plain rice, on noodles, or in lettuce cups. Missing some spice? Drizzle in chili oil. See more ideas below!
Ingredients for Niku Miso
- Ground pork
- Ginger
- Geen onions/scallions
- Toasted sesame oil
- Seasoning:
- Miso
- Sugar
- Mirin
- I am willow
- Sake (or water)
- Potato starch (or cornstarch)
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Substitutions
- Ground pork: Pork and beef are the typical choices in Japan, but feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey; for vegan/vegetarian, use cubed firm tofu.
- Miso: You can use any miso paste, but I like using red miso as it has a bolder and deeper flavor than mild white miso.
How To Make Niku Miso
Preparation
Step 1 – Prep the ingredients before cooking starts. Grate the ginger and thinly slice the green onions.
Step 2 – Mix the sauce. Stir together the miso, sugar, mirin, sake, soy sauce, and potato starch in a bowl until smooth and well combined.
Cooking
Step 3 — Cook the meat with the aromatics. Add the ground pork to the hot sesame oil in the pot and break up the meat with a spatula. Add the grated ginger and green onions and sauté in the oil.
Step 4 — Add the miso sauce. When the meat is nearly no longer pink, give the sauce mixture a final stir and add it to the pot. Stir to incorporate and thicken the sauce. Cook and reduce the cooking liquid to the desired thickness.
Step 5 – Serve. Turn off the heat and serve hot along with plain steamed rice.
Nami’s Recipe Tips
- Break up the ground meat with a spatula – Separate the chunks of ground pork into small crumbles as it cooks. The meat will cook more thoroughly and evenly this way and better absorb the delicious seasonings.
- Dissolve the miso completely – When you mix the sauce ingredients, stir it until it’s a smooth consistency. You don’t want chunks of undissolved miso in your final dish.
- Give the sauce ingredients a final stir – The potato starch in the sauce can settle, so I always give it one last stir just before adding the mixture to the pot.
Variations and Customizations
- Try a different ground meat. You can use any ground meat you like for this dish. While I used ground pork today, ground beef is another popular choice in Japan. I also suggest trying ground chicken and ground turkey, a popular option in the US.
- Bump up the aromatics. To add more depth of flavor, you can incorporate other common aromatics in Japanese cooking. You could definitely add garlic, yuzu kosho, or chili paste. For a more traditional Japanese flavor, I like using Tokyo negi (long green onion) instead of green onion.
- Bulk up the volume with veggies. When my kids were little, I would sneak in veggies into this dish because the meat sauce binds well with vegetables. Finely mince carrots, eggplants, zucchini, and/or shiitake mushrooms and cook them together with the ground meat. I think it’s a tasty way to incorporate more veggies in your diet!
- Make it meatless. Instead of ground meat, try cubed firm tofu or chopped mushrooms for a plant-based version.
What To Serve with Miso Meat Sauce
Niku Miso is a versatile protein add-on for many dishes. Here are some delicious ideas:
- Rice – Serve it with steamed rice, fried rice, or as a filling for rice balls (Onigiri).
- Noodles –Toss into stir-fried noodles or pasta, or use as a topping for udon, soba, or somen noodle soups.
- Sandwiches – Spread it on sandwiches or onigirazu.
- Low-carb options – Enjoy it in lettuce wraps, in vegetable stir-fries, and more!
Storage and Reheating Tips
To store: Once the sauce is cooled to room temperature, refrigerate immediately in an airtight container for up to a week.
To Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 3–4 weeks.
To Reheat. Reheat only the portion you will serve in the microwave or a frying pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you can use any type of miso for niku miso, I suggest using one with a bolder flavor like the red miso that I use in the recipe. A deeper miso taste stands up well to the ground meat in the dish. If you do use a mild miso, be sure to adjust the sugar and other seasonings for a balanced flavor.
I don’t recommend it. Sugar is essential to counter balance the salty elements of the sauce like the miso and soy sauce.
More Delicious 10-Minute Recipes
They these popular recipes from our Easy College Meal series!
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
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Thinly slice 2 green onions/scallions into small rounds. Set aside some for garnish.
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Peel and grate 1 inch ginger (I use a ceramic grater). Set aside.
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To mix the sauce, add 2 Tbsp miso to a small bowl. Add ½ Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sakeand 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Stir until smooth and well combined.
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Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat or on Mode II (600W) for the electric pot. When it’s hot, add ½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil and 6 oz ground pork.
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Sauté the meat, breaking up the clumps with a spatula. Add the grated ginger with juices and keep stirring.
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When the pork is almost no longer pink, add most of the green onions, reserving some for garnish.
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When the green onions are coated with oil, give the sauce mixture a final stir and add it to the pot.
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Stir to incorporate and thicken the sauce. Continue to sauté and reduce the cooking liquid until it reaches the desired thickness.
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Transfer the niku miso to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with green onions. Enjoy!
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