Shio koji is a Japanese fermented condiment used as a salt substitute and to add deep, savory umami and fermented complex flavor. The natural enzymes in shio koji react with chicken, fish, and vegetables to tenderize and enhance their natural flavor. Simply swapping salt with shio koji is one of the easiest ways to elevate everyday meals with rich, umami taste.
You can buy shio koji at Amazon, but making shio koji at home is so easy! I have another post all about How to Make Shio Koji at Home, so make sure to check it out, too!
If you're getting into the world of Japanese fermentation, I've got you! I've been making and using shio koji for 10+ years, and it's really foolproof (except that one time I forgot to mix my shio koji daily while fermentation and ended up so moldy).
You can use shio koji just like salt, and it adds a complex umami flavor. I always keep homemade shio koji in my fridge and love making Simple Shio Koji Chicken, Baked Salmon, tamagoyaki, Tomato Soup, and vinegrette to enjoy shio koji daily.
Jump to:
- What Is Shio Koji?
- What Does Shio Koji Do?
- How to Use Shio Koji
- Shio Koji Marinade Basics
- How Long to Marinate with Shio Koji
- How to Use Shio Koji on Different Foods
- How to Use Different Types of Shio Koji
- How Much Shio Koji to Use
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Easy Recipes Using Shio Koji
- Where to Buy Shio Koji
- FAQ
What Is Shio Koji?
Shio koji is a salty fermented rice seasoning made with rice koji, salt, and water. It has a slightly sweet, savory flavor and is commonly used in Japanese cooking to season and marinate ingredients.
Rice koji is steamed rice inoculated with koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae). This mold plays a very important role in developing umami flavor in Japanese cuisine. It's used to make staple seasonings like soy sauce, miso, mirin, and sake. With rice koji, you can also make simple fermented condiments at home, such as shio koji and amazake.
Making shio koji is so easy, and using it in daily cooking is even easier. Use it in place of salt to add umami depth to your salad dressing, stir-fry, and marinated meat and fish.
What Does Shio Koji Do?
What makes shio koji so unique and special is its reaction with ingredients. Shio koji not just seasons the food, but also tenderizes and enhances the natural flavor of food.
During the fermentation process, natural enzymes are produced in shio koji. These enzymes play a key role in developing flavor.
- Tenderizes meat and fish - The natural enzymes break down proteins, making ingredients more tender and juicy.
- Adds umami - While enzymes break down protein, amino acids are produced, which are responsible for umami flavor. It brings a deep, savory flavor to simple dishes.
- Enhances natural sweetness - The enzymes turn starch in the ingredient into simple sugars. Ingredients taste more balanced and flavorful without needing extra sugar.
- Lightly season food - It works like salt, but with more complexity and depth.
Even a small drizzle of shio koji goes a long way! It's truly a magical ingredient that makes your instantaly rich and delicious.
How to Use Shio Koji
You can use shio koji as a marinade or salty umami seasoning as a salt replacement.
Shio Koji Marinade
To use shio koji as a marinade, coat your ingredients evenly with about 2 tablespoons per pound, let it marinate, then cook as usual.
- Use 2 tablespoons per pound of protein.
- Coat evenly on all sides.
- Marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Cook as usual (grill, bake, pan-fry, etc.)
Salt Replacement
Shio koji is great for low-sodium cooking, as its rich umami flavor tastes saltier and more satisfying than regular salt.
- Use 2 teaspoons of shio koji for every 1 teaspoon of salt.
- This ratio contains less sodium than pure salt.
- Add more as needed.
Shio Koji Marinade Basics
Basic Ratio
Golden rule of shio koji marinade: use 10% of the weight of your ingredients. This basic ratio works for meat, fish, and vegetables.
For example, use 30g of shio koji if you are marinating 300g of chicken.
1 Tablespoon of Shio Koji is about 20g. So for every 1 lb (454g) of food, add about 2 tablespoons of shio koji.
Saltiness changes depending on the shio koji you use. So adjust to your liking.
Shio Koji Measurement Chart
| Ingredient Weight | Shio Koji (grams) | Shio Koji (Tablespoons) |
| 100g (Small sides) | 10g | ½ Tbsp |
| 200g (For a single dinner) | 20g | 1 Tbsp |
| 454g (1 lb) (Main protein) | 45g | approx. 2 Tbsp |
| 900g (2 lbs) (Batch cooking) | 90g | 4 ½ Tbsp |
Optional Add-ins
Shio koji itself makes a great marinade to tenderize and season food. Adding aromatics makes it even more flavorful. Here are some delicious ideas:
- Grated/sliced/ minced garlic
- Grated ginger
- Sliced lemon
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sliced jalapeno
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
How Long to Marinate with Shio Koji
Marinating time depends on the ingredient and flavor you're looking for. Since shio koji is an active ingredient, longer is not always better. Powerful enzymes in shio koji can break down too much if you marinate for too long.
- Meat: 30 minutes to 24 hours
- Fish: 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Vegetables (for quick pickling): 1 to 8 hours
The time above is marinating time in the fridge. 30 minutes is enough to tenderize, and marinate longer to develop a deep flavor.
For delicate ingredients like fish, keep the marinating time shorter to avoid breaking down the texture too much.
When marinating in advance for more than 1-2 days, I recommend freezing instead of refrigerating.
How to Use Shio Koji on Different Foods
Chicken
Shio koji chicken is one of the easiest ways to start using it! Make sure to check out my Shio Koji Chicken recipe.
- Best cuts: thighs, breast, drumsticks
- Coat evenly with shio koji.
- Marinate for a few hours or overnight.
- Wipe off excess before cooking if needed.
The result is juicy, flavorful chicken with a lightly caramelized surface.
Fish
Shio koji works especially well with fish like salmon and cod. I have an easy
Shio Koji Salmon recipe.
- Lightly coat the fish.
- Marinate for 30 minutes to a few hours.
- Gently wipe off excess before cooking if needed.
It enhances the natural flavor without overpowering it. Marinating raw, sashimi-grade salmon is also delicious.
Beef/Steak
Shio koji can be used on steak.
- Use a thin, even coating.
- Marinate for 1-6 hours.
Because it tenderizes quickly, over-marinating can affect the texture.
Vegetables
Shio koji adds depth to simple, quick pickled vegetables and stir fry.
- Toss vegetables lightly with shio koji.
- Let sit for 30-60 minutes.
- Enjoy as a quick pickle or stir fry as usual.
- Mix in dressing and toss with vegetables.
It brings out natural sweetness and adds a subtle savory flavor. I like making Tomato Soup with Shio Koji.
Eggs
Shio koji adds depth to a savory egg dish.
- Add in tamagoyaki to make a savory egg omelette.
- Marinate soft-boiled eggs to make shio koji ramen eggs.
Rice
You can also use shio koji to enhance plain rice.
- Mix 1 teaspoon of shio koij to 1 rice cooker cup (go cup) of rice.
- Cook normally.
- Flu gently to combine
It adds a subtle umami boost without overpowering the rice.
How to Use Different Types of Shio Koji
Shio Koji Paste
This is the most basic type of shio koji. Homemade shio koji becomes a paste with a porridge-like consistency. It's thicker and slightly sweeter. Great for use as a marinade, since the thick paste sticks to ingredients.
- Stronger flavor
- Best for marinating
- Use a lighter hand to avoid over-seasoning
- Cook over low heat ot prevent burning
Liquid Shio Koji
Rice grains in shio koji are blended smoothly to make liquid shio koji. It's thinner and easier to work with.
- Easy to mix in sauces and dressings
- Great for marinades with mix-ins
- Burns less than the paste type when cooked
Shio Koji Powder
Powdered shio koji is more like a seasoning.
- Sprinkle directly onto food
- Use like salt
- Great for quick seasoning and finishing dishes
How Much Shio Koji to Use
As a general rule for shio koji marinade, use about 10% of the ingredient by weight. 1 tablespoon of Shio Koji is 20g, so you'll need about 2 tablespoons of shio koji per pound (454g) of protein. This is usually enough to lightly season and tenderize without making it too salty.
To use shio koji as a salt substitute, use 2 teaspoons of shio koji for every 1 teaspoon of salt. This ratio contains less sodium than pure salt, but shio koji tastes richer and more satisfying, so you don't need it as much. That's why shio koji is great for low-sodium cooking.
And because shio koji already contains salt, it's best to avoid adding extra salt until after cooking. It's best to taste and adjust the seasoning at the end.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using shio koji is so easy, but here are a few small potential mistakes you want to avoid.
- Using too much: It can make dishes overly salty or too strong in flavor.
- Over-marinating: The enzymes can break down the texture too much, especially for fish.
- Not wiping off excess: Too much marinade can burn during pan frying or grilling.
- Adding extra salt too early: Shio koji already seasons the food.
- Cooking on high heat right away - The natural sugars can brown quickly, so cook gently at first.
Easy Recipes Using Shio Koji
Once you start using shio koji, it's easy to add it to everyday meals.
- Shio Koji Chicken: juicy, flavorful, and perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Shio Koji Salmon: simple and rich with umami.
- Soup: Shio koji transforms simple soup into a rich and satisfying one, like this Roasted Tomato Soup.
- Stir Fry: lightly coated for extra depth and sweetness.
- Salad Dressing: Season your vinaigrette with shio koji to make it even more flavorful.
Where to Buy Shio Koji
As shio koji becomes more popular and common in cooking, it's becoming easier to find. Take a look around here:
- Japanese grocery stores
- Asian supermarkets
- On online retailers like Amazon, you can find shio koji paste and liquid shio koji.
Rice koji is also getting widely available, so you can make your own Shio Koji and Soy Sauce Koji at home! All you need for shio koji is just rice koji, salt, and water.
FAQ
Yes, shio koji can be a great salt substitute. It adds saltiness along with extra umami and depth of flavor.
Yes, the salt concentration of my shio koji recipe is about 13%, and premade ones on the market are around 11% in average. But it tastes more balanced than plain salt because of its slight sweetness and umami.
Yes. You can use it as a marinade or add a small amount directly to dishes while cooking.
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