Looking for a new way to serve up versatile salmon rich in omega-3 fatty acids? Try this tender and succulent Miso Butter Salmon that‘s pan-fried in a delicious savory sauce. Cooking time from start to finish is less than 30 minutes!

Now that your children are back in school and you as a parent is finally finding your way into the regular school-year routine, I assume you need a quick and easy dinner inspiration. My kids love Miso Salmon, which is frequent in our family dinner rotation and today I’m going to share a slightly different variation that has become such a staple – Miso Butter Salmon (味噌バターサーモン).
The Golden Combination of Miso and Butter
Have you had a chance to combine miso and butter in your cooking? Does it sound strange or unusual to you? If that was the case, you’re gonna give this new flavor a try. I promise they are so, so good together.
Miso and butter – miso is definitely Japanese, but butter? Well, for those who have visited Hokkaido, you’ve probably tried the legendary Hokkaido’s Miso Ramen that is adorned with a golden piece of butter on top. Yep, there is such a thing! Known for its delicious dairy and agricultural products, it is no surprise that the locals in Hokkaido utilize their best commodity in every way.
I’m not sure if that’s how the miso and butter combination was introduced to the Japanese, but you can certainly find many dishes that incorporate the two ingredients as a power duo. Miso is earthy and packed with umami, while butter is rich and creamy. Together they make the most versatile flavoring to dress up a dish.

How to Pan-Fried Salmon Perfectly
Now if you don’t usually pan-fry salmon, here are just a few quick techniques you may want to know before you start.
1. Make sure your salmon is closer or at room temperature
Before you’re ready to start cooking, remove the fish from the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes in advance. When the fish is at room temperature, not only it cooks more quickly, it also ensures even doneness throughout the salmon fillet.
2. Pat dry your fish before seasoning
If the fillets are wet, they are more likely to stick to the pan, and the skin won’t crisp as nicely. Before seasoning it with salt and pepper, use a paper towel to gently pat dry the fillets.
3. Use a spatula to press down the fish
Once you flip the salmon to the skin side, press down the fillet using your spatula to give some firm pressure so the ends of the fish won’t curl up.
4. Do not overcook salmon
This is always the key to juicy and tender salmon. Pay attention to the fish as it is cooking, watching for the change in color. You can see how far you’ve cooked the fish from the sides. Once it’s already more than 75% cooked, be sure to control your heat by turning it to low. It is completely okay when there is a bit of translucent pink in the middle. The remaining heat will continue to cook the rest of the fish. Using the spatula to give the sides a gentle squeeze. The flakes should begin to separate when it’s done.

Different Types of Miso
For this salmon recipe, I used Hikari Miso® Organic Miso – Mild Sodium Miso (shown in left top). It is made of 100% USDA Certified Organic rice and soybeans and is additive-free. It has a light yellow color original to Shinshu-style miso. A high volume of rice koji produces its mild taste and smooth texture.
If you’re interested to try it out, you can purchase Hikari Miso from a majority of Japanese/Asian grocery stores or on Amazon. It is my favorite brand of miso paste. There is also a variety of miso, each with a different flavor you can use for various purposes.

Accompanied by flavorful mushrooms, this Miso Butter Salmon is the ultimate weeknight dish for the entire family. It’s healthy and delicious, and I know your family will enjoy it often.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Miso Butter Salmon
Ingredients
For the Seasonings
- 1 Tbsp miso (I used Hikari Miso® organic mild sodium miso)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
For the Salmon
- ½ package shimeji mushrooms (2 oz, 50 g; skip or use other mushrooms)
- 2 shiitake mushrooms (1.75 oz, 50 g; skip or use other mushrooms)
- 2 fillets skin-on salmon fillets (¾ lb, 340 g)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
For the Toppings
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- For the seasonings, combine 1 Tbsp miso, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 1½ Tbsp soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.
- Finely chop some chives and cut off the stems of ½ package shimeji mushrooms. Separate the shimeji into smaller clusters with your hands.
- Cut off the stems of 2 shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice them.
- Check to see if your salmon has any bones and remove if there are any (I use a pair of fish bone tweezers). Pat dry 2 fillets skin-on salmon fillets with a paper towel and season it with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Sprinkle ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) on the salmon and thinly coat it all over. The flour will seal in the delicious salmon juices and act as a thickening agent for the sauce.
To Pan-Fry the Salmon
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Place the salmon in the pan, flesh side down. Cook for 5 minutes. Tip: You can see how far you’ve cooked by checking the color of the fish from the side of the fillet. After cooking for 5 minutes, you should see that about ¼ inch (6 mm) of the flesh has turned a lighter color from cooking. Be careful not to burn your salmon using high heat.
- Flip the fillets over so the skin side is on the bottom. Then, add the shimeji and shiitake mushrooms. Cook the skin side for 5 minutes.
- Next, cook the sides of the salmon fillets for 1 minute each. It is completely okay when there is a bit of translucent pink in the middle. The remaining heat will continue to cook the rest of the fish.
- Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and sauté the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms on top of the salmon so the fillets absorb some of the delicious sauce.
- Add the seasonings mixture to the pan. Coat the salmon with the sauce using a spoon.
To Serve
- Transfer the salmon and mushrooms to individual plates. Spoon some pan sauce on top and garnish with the chopped chives and toasted white sesame seeds.
To Store
- You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Made this the other night for our family of 4. Relatively easy to make and the flavor was incredible. My 8 and 11 yo boys were begging for more salmon! Thanks for this recipe. It is a keeper. Tip 1: you want at least 1″ thick fillets if you can find them, otherwise you won’t be able to easily stand them up on their sides. So, be selfish when you are making your selection and ask them to cut only the thickest part for you. If you need to take fillets from multiple slabs, so be it. Tip 2: Feel free to substitute another mushroom you like. I only had enoki and maitake on hand, so that’s what I used and it was delish.
Hi Chris! Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback and helpful tips! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
Made the miso butter salmon tonight… and I’ve found my new favorite food! This was absolutely to die for, and I say that having tried many of your recipes. (Your blog saved my life in grad school – my dorm didn’t have an oven and I prefer my own cooking to most restaurants). I’d have taken a picture, but the salmon fell apart as I plated it. Maybe next time, because this is one recipe I’m DEFINITELY making again and again! Thank you!!!
Hi Ali! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that made me happy! The most important part is to enjoy the meal at that moment. I sometimes wish that I am not a food blogger so I don’t have to always worry about “contents” around the food I’m about to enjoy.
Really happy to know that my recipes helped you when you were in dorm. Most of Japanese food don’t require an oven, so yeah it’s kinda perfect for dorm room cooking! 😉
Thank you for your kind feedback and for writing sweet message!
I love using your recipes from your ecookbook. I wil try this one tonight.
Hi Colleen! Thank you so much for trying my recipes! Hope you enjoy(ed) this recipe! 🙂
Hi, wanted to ask you about Hikari MIso. It is not kept in the fridge in the supermarket and I am wondering if that means that it is not really fermented. I heard that only miso that needs to be kept in the fridge before opening is the one with the real bacteria. Hikari miso seems a bit industrial, don’y you think?
Thanks
Hi Kasia! I hope you can read this in English (maybe chrome can translate?).
https://marukawamiso.com/spec/84.html
So basically, if you use Nama Koji, it has to be kept in the fridge all the time, but if you use dried koji, then it can be kept at room temperature.
Some hikari miso product has a special air hole too is breathable.
Majority of miso in Japan is on the shelf that’s on the room temperature. They are not in refrigerated section.
Always looking for new protein rich recipes! This looks amazing! Have you tried it with any butter alternatives? I might have to experiment!
Hi Michelle! Hmm I didn’t add butter as if you would need oil in the pan, this butter is actually added purposely to create miso butter taste. If you don’t want to use butter, simply omit it and just make it as miso salmon. 🙂
Nami, thank you for your response! I am trying to cut down on some extra calories (the butter seems so delicious here though) but I’ve found some great high protein recipes on your blog and I just picked up a new book by Melanie Wildman. It’s called the Ultimate Protein Cookbook but she has a ton of easy delicious recipes. I love new ideas! Thank you again!
Hello from Melbourne! I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. I also really appreciated your miso recommendation more than you can imagine–I always get analysis paralysis whenever I look at the miso section at my local Asian grocery store so you definitely helped speed that process up for me, haha!
Hello H! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Ahahaha! I understand as the same thing happens to me when I go to a grocery store of unfamiliar cuisine… I actually write my blog posts and blog trying to put me in that situation too. 🙂 Regarding the miso’s varieties though, I’d encourage you to try different miso – everyone has different preference even in Japan and there is no such “one miso” everyone loves. It took me several years of trying different miso tubs to finally found the miso I love (I shared the picture of it in my miso pantry page). I love Hikari Miso and they make very good miso for all different kinds. Some miso works for cooking salmon, but that miso may not be your favorite miso soup. So have fun experimenting! 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/miso/
Hello, just cooked salmon with miso butter sauce and really liked the flavor! A recipe enjoyed by all that I have faithfully wrote down on my recipes notebook. Thanks for sharing. Sorry I ate it before I could take a picture to post on #justonecookbook.
Hi Anne! I’m happy to hear you liked the flavor. Thank you for your kind feedback. It means a lot to me that you left this comment. So thank you!!!
Exquisite recipe, Nami! I used only shimeji mushrooms but the flavor was still excellent!
Hi Alex! I’m so glad you give this a try and thanks for your kind feedback! Thank you!!
looks good! I am going to give it a try this weekend!!!
Hi Galaxy! Hope you enjoy(ed) this recipe! 🙂
Hi Nami, what is the weight of the salmon fillet you used? The ones sold near my place is 200g each. If too big, the marinade might be diluted.
Hi Sharyn! I don’t have the notebook with me, but when I find it I’ll add to the recipe. Typically one serving of salmon is 2-3 oz (57-85 g). This recipe is for 2 servings. 🙂
Hello Nami,
My husband and I both look forward to your “Just one Cook Book” instalments. We both like traveling to Japan ( our 9th trip coming up), we enjoy the culture, food and Japanese hospitality. We both enjoy eating Japanese cuisine and your instructions and video tutorials make trying new dishes easy to follow. I look forward to each new post. My husband enjoys your travel blogs. Car rental blog was helpful and great to see where you and your family have visited. Any blog that can help with educating others in cultural differences are also good. Finding out what the different specialties of the regions is most helpful. So not only do we enjoy your recipes we also like your “must,see” places in Japan and most recently your travel blogs of the US.
Thank you Nami and your team.
Mary Broadway
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for reading my blog posts! I’m happy to hear you enjoy your trip to Japan as well. We’ll try our best to keep JOC posts entertaining and helpful. Thank you for writing your kind feedback! xo
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I just received it in the newsletter this morning and had to cook it for dinner tonight. The whole family gave it a thumbs up and said it’s a keeper. I took a picture but can’t share it with you here. I’ll put it on Instagram and will tag you but not sure if you’ll be able to see it since my account is private. Thanks again Nami!
Hi Kathy! Thank you so much for your kind feedback (and I’m sorry I am responding so late here). I’m super happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe and that made my day! I have seen someone’s pictures of this recipe on Instagram, maybe it was yours, maybe not. If it was you, thank you for sending/sharing with me!
Delightful and appetizing – may try it according to my abilities to get ingredients here. In Australia we can only buy local Atlantic or farmed salmon in the long run so detrimental to one’s health . . . . Alaskan is only available in tins! And I would happily grab the whole pile of your organic misos but Amazon has already firmly advised this cannot be sent over ! So, local it will have to be 🙂 !!
Hi Eha! I have a little knowledge of food and ingredients that are available in Australia except that I heard there is a great food scene there (which is why I want to visit someday soon!). Hope you get to enjoy this recipe one day. 🙂
Nami, do you think I can follow this recipe and put the salmon to cook in the oven instead of pan-frying? If so, around what temp and how long would you suggest. Thank you so much!
Hi Leila! Do you mean to bake the salmon IN the sauce? One thing to be careful when you cook with miso is that miso burns SO easily. If you see the video/pictures of my Miso Cod recipe, you see me wipe off all the miso from the fish, but small bits of miso left on the fish turned into burnt pieces. So… you have to probably marinate the salmon in the sauce, remove the miso marinate and then bake like this recipe.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/miso-salmon/
Hope that helps!
Dear Nami san Thanks again for sharing another great recipe. I have a question regarding the salmon skin. When the sauce is poured over the fish with the seasonings, can the salmon skin still remain crispy? I like mine crispy. Please advise.
Hi Francis! You won’t be able to keep the skin crispy as the sauce would be covered. You could cook the sauce separately (and reduce the sauce to thicken) and then pour the sauce after cooking the salmon. That way, you can avoid pouring the sauce onto the skin. Hope that helps!
So I did this recipe but had salmon steaks – ended up chopping then in chunks, added scallops, thickly cut mushrooms, and onions, and then put it on skewers (not worth the hassle!) And this sauce…everyone LOVED it. I was even surprised because we get super oily wild salmon steaks and I thought the butter sauce would make it too strong but I thought it was lighter than expected. I am definitely keeping the sauce recipe – simple and delicious!
hi Katy! I’m glad to hear you liked the recipe and I love the skewer idea too! IT must be so good with all the mushrooms and scallops. YUM!!! Thank you for your kind feedback, Katy!
Is it possible to use the all purpose sauce for this recipe?
Hi Alexia, Is it All-purpose miso sauce? https://www.justonecookbook.com/all-purpose-miso-sauce/
If so, the ingredients’ radio is a little different, and it would not be the same flavor, but it should work for this recipe.🙂