Miso Butter Salmon (with Bonus Salmon Recipe!)

Finding a great miso butter salmon recipe means you get to have this tasty fish on repeat for dinner or lunch whenever you want. Miso butter salmon is a healthy meal for any season or occasion. Its super easy to make but is dressed to impress with the buttery miso that creates a delightful sauce for your fish.

Topped with a few sesame seeds and green onion, you will want to make this every week! It can be hard to find a way to cook salmon that varies from a traditional salmon rub but also has enough flavor for those who do not always enjoy the taste of fish. Miso butter salmon pairs well with any vegetable or salad, making it easy to complete this meal in no time!

I have also included my recipe for Pesto salmon which is a skillet fried salmon that is seasoned with plenty of pesto, garlic, and topped with tomatoes and cheese. It is indulgent and mixes so well with your favorite pasta or even roasted potatoes. I hope you give one or both of these salmon recipes a try and love them!

Notes and Tips for Great Miso Butter Salmon:

• Use a 2:1 butter to miso ratio. I use white or red miso, but be aware that white miso is less salty and intense than red miso is. If you use red miso paste, start with 1 Tbs of paste to 4 Tbs of butter. Red miso has a stronger flavor so taste and adjust miso levels as you desire.

• Miso butter saves well! Put it on rice, in eggs, or on vegetables if you make too much miso butter. I use miso butter in my miso butter eggs, that are so delicious!.

• If I am roasting my miso butter salmon or pesto salmon in the oven, I cook my salmon at 400 F on a baking tray. This catches any miso butter that may drip down in the oven. A cast iron skillet is another great cooking dish since the butter will drip down and add crispy bits to the bottom of your fish. Since the miso butter does run, I like to use the skillet most often so that it cooks the green onion.

• The time for salmon to complete cooking will depend on the size of the fillet and your oven. Be sure to watch it as salmon cooks quickly and can dry out. Look for the fat to starting to separate out, and the salmon to be flaky and to easily pull apart with a fork. You want your fish to light pink all the way through for your salmon to be cooked all the way through.

• I have a great recipe for homemade basil pesto, if you want to give it a try before making the pesto salmon, it is easy, flavorful, and goes well with so many other dishes! Store bought pesto also works great!

What is Miso Butter Made of:

• This miso butter is truly just miso paste and butter! Its a delicious combination adds umami and richness to anything you put it on!

• Miso paste is made from fermented soya beans and is a popular Japanese cooking ingredient. There is red and white miso paste. Both have incredible flavor, but white miso is little more mild. I recommend using white miso paste.

• Miso paste can be found in most grocery stores. There are refrigerated and non-refrigerated versions. If you live near an Asian grocery store like HMart, try that store for incredible miso paste selection!

• You can use leftover miso butter on a lot of different things. Try it over roasted broccoli, mixed into scrambled eggs, or on plain rice. Let me know what you use your leftover miso butter for in the comments below!

Why Brine Your Fish?

• Brining your fish is a great way to introduce salt into the fish before it cooks. This helps prevent the fish from becoming tough or overcooked by partially breaking down the muscle fibers that can lead to dense fish.

• Brining also helps increase the flavor of your cooked fish. When a fish is brined, the salt that is introduced helps compliment the flavors that you cook with. You do not want to leave your fish in your brine too long. 10 to 20 minutes should be plenty to introduce flavor and help the fish cook better.

• You do not have to brine your fish. Your salmon will turn out wonderful if you do not have the time or the desire to brine your fish. Let me know if you prefer to brine your fish in the comments below!

What is Good To Eat With Miso Butter Salmon Or Pesto Salmon?

• The great thing about salmon, is that it goes with so many different dishes. It is a flavorful fish that contains healthy fats but is not overly filling. I like to eat my salmon with different starches and vegetables depending on what I season it with.

• The miso butter salmon goes with my Green Cabbage Slaw with Creamy Soy Dressing. It is a crunch and hearty salad that is begging for some miso butter salmon.

• My Honey Lime Bok Choy would go wonderful with miso butter salmon over a bowl full of steaming white rice.

• The basil pesto salmon goes so well with my Kale Salad with Creamy Date Dressing.

• My Roasted Red Sweet Potatoes and Fried Red Onions would make a great base for the basil pesto salmon!

  Ingredients for Miso Butter Salmon and Pesto Salmon:

Directions: How To Make Miso Butter Salmon OR Pesto Salmon

1. Brine the Salmon

   1. To a large container, add the water, sea salt, and sugar. Mix until the salt and sugar are dissolved.

   2. Add the 2 salmon halves. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the Ingredients

   1. In a microwave safe container, combine the miso paste and the butter, heating in increments of 5-10 seconds on medium heat in your microwave. Stir the mixture each time and stop microwaving when the miso butter is smooth.

   2. Cut you green onion, on a bias, set aside

   3. Chop the tomato, if using, and set aside.

3. Cook the Salmon

   1. Remove your salmon from the brine

   2. Lay your salmon and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess water and salt.

   3. Lather one fillet miso butter on the salmon fillet until it is well coated. Save any extra miso butter for making fried rice, vegetables, or the next time you want miso butter salmon!

   4. To the other fillet, drizzle with olive oil and garlic powder

   5. Heat two skillets over medium high heat. Once hot, add one fillet to each skillet. To the miso butter skillet, add the green onions.

   6. Flip the fish every two minutes. After about 4-6 minutes, add pesto and tomatoes to the pesto salmon.

   7. Continue to flip until the salmon is flaking, and the fat is separating, about 10-12 minutes.

   8. Remove from the skillet and serve the pesto salmon with parmesan cheese, and the miso butter salmon with sesame seeds and extra green onion.

How to Store Leftover Salmon:

You can store leftover salmon in your fridge for a couple of days. You can reheat it in the microwave, on the skillet, or even just eat it cold. You will love both of these recipes served straight out of the fridge and paired with a crisp salad or a bowl of steaming rice.