Miso Butter Salmon for One Person (20 minutes)

About miso

Miso isn't an ingredient I've bought much before, but have always enjoyed restaurant dishes with it.

Luckily there are lots of great dishes you can make with miso, and it's flavorful on it's own, so you don't have to add lots of ingredients to it to taste good.

Pascale Yamashita a Japanese recipe developer and food photographer gave a great intro to miso on Food Network. Here's her interview.

This miso butter salmon recipe I came up with, was loosely based off of 3 delicious recipes I found online.

Easy Miso Butter Salmon from Ketch-up with Linda, Miso Butter Salmon Recipe from No Recipes, and Miso Salmon from Just One Cookbook.

While this recipe isn't traditional Japanese, it incorporates a traditional Japanese ingredient: miso.

Sustainable Seafood

Buying seafood that's more eco-friendly isn't usually the least expensive option, or always available. If you have the money, access, and desire to choose sustainable seafood, go for it. If not, no problem at all.

For years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been at the forefront of providing recommendations/information about sustainable sourcing seafood through Seafood Watch. They have resources on their website and app.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the miso butter salmon recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

• Salmon: Use your favorite type of salmon for this recipe. Frozen salmon is a great option for most people, it's less expensive, and is often frozen quickly after being caught, so it's kind of more fresh than fresh for most people.
• Butter: Softened butter adds a nice sweet and rich flavor to your dish. It mixes well with miso and just melts into the salmon in this miso butter salmon recipe.
• Miso: White miso, in particular, has a slightly nutty, umami (savory) flavor. White miso is the most mild type of miso, then yellow and red is the most umami and strongest flavor. I recommend white or yellow to not overpower the salmon.
• Garlic: Minced garlic adds a nice sweet flavor to this easy dish.
• Rice: A more traditional Japanese side, simple rice is great with miso butter salmon and veggies.
• Vegetables: I really enjoy cooking cabbage with my miso butter salmon, but sliced carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and other vegetables would be good with it too.

Instructions

Scroll down to the miso butter salmon recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

1. Start your rice, cook according to package directions. Chop vegetables, if applicable.

2. Pat salmon dry with towel or paper towel. Individually frozen salmon filets often have lots of water/liquid in the package after they're thawed.

3. To start your miso butter salmon, mix together room temperature butter, miso paste, and garlic. If butter is a bit cold, and not incorporating well, microwave the mixture for 5-10 seconds, and stir.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add about ½ of miso butter to pan.

5. Place fish in center of skillet, skin side up, if there's skin. Add vegetables around salmon. Spoon remaining on vegetables.

6. Cook your miso butter salmon and cabbage for 3 minutes. Add water if needed, like if it seems like anything is burning. A little brown on your salmon is ok, but you don't want to burn the miso.

7. Flip, and cook until fish is cooked, about 5-6 minutes, or once it reaches about 140/145 degrees F. Stir vegetables occasionally.

8. Serve miso butter salmon and vegetables over rice. Enjoy.

How to Cook in Air Fryer

You can make your miso butter salmon in an air fryer, just follow the directions for this Air Fryer Salmon from Frozen.

Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 390 degrees. Then cook salmon 5 minutes. Then add ½ miso butter and vegetables, if desired. Cook another 5-7 minutes, until salmon is cooked. Top salmon and vegetables with remaining miso butter.

Cabbage would get dry and burned in the air fryer. You can pan fry it with some water, or cook carrots or another vegetable in the air fryer.

Storage/Reheating Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. I don't think the texture will stay nice if frozen and thawed for later.

Reheat, covered in the microwave or eat cold.

Substitutions/Tips

• You can use whatever type of miso you have access to, but I recommend using white or yellow miso for a more delicate flavor, and so it doesn't overpower the salmon flavor.
• Serve your salmon with whatever vegetables you have, or without. Either works.
• Steaming the salmon and vegetables helps keep your salmon tender, and prevents the miso from burning. If you don't like soft vegetables, you can cook those separately or not cover the salmon and veggies. Don't cook it over too high heat.
• Other great toppings: sesame seeds, sliced green onion or cilantro.

Other good salmon recipes

• Air Fryer Frozen Salmon for One
• Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Salmon
• Parchment Baked Salmon

Repurpose this salmon

Serve leftover miso butter salmon over greens and rice with a simple dressing made of miso, neutral oil, garlic, and lemon or lime juice.

What to do with leftover ingredients

When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

• Miso: Check out these 15 Miso Recipes
• Butter: Peanut Butter Caramel, Pancakes for One, Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies, and Single Serving Mac & Cheese.
• Garlic: Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Beef and Broccoli, and so many other recipes.
• Salmon: Air Fryer Frozen Salmon for One, Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Salmon, and Parchment Baked Salmon.

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Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started.