Japanese
Miso Butter Salmon
A spoon of white miso and butter turns into a quick glaze while the salmon cooks in the same skillet. It tastes savory and a little sweet without a long marinade.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 17 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Salmon is done in about 12 minutes.
- Miso brings salt, so you do not need a heavy hand with the salt shaker.
- The glaze is made in the pan.
- It is a high-protein dinner with very little prep.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the salmon dry and season the skin side, if it has skin, and the flesh lightly with salt.
- 2
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium. Cook the salmon skin-side down, if it has skin, 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the thickest part flakes. For a softer center, pull it around 125°F to 130°F. The food-safety temperature for fish is 145°F, which will be firmer. Give it 3 to 4 minutes more, and another minute or two if you are cooking to 145°F. Move it to a plate.
- 3
Lower the heat. Whisk the miso, butter, honey, water, and vinegar in the skillet until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not boil the miso hard or it can turn grainy.
- 4
Spoon the glaze over the salmon.
- 5
Finish with scallions.
- 6
Serve right away. The center should look moist, not chalky.
Pro tips
- Miso is salty. Taste the glaze before adding more salt.
- If the fillets are thinner than 1 inch, start checking at 3 minutes per side.
- White miso is milder than red. Red miso will make a darker, stronger glaze.
Easy substitutions
- Honey
- 1 tsp sugar.
- Butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil for a dairy-free glaze.
- Salmon
- Steelhead trout fillets, same timing.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating
Warm covered in a low oven, 275°F, until just hot. A hot skillet will dry it out.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Gluten-Free, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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