Pesto butter salmon is about as easy as it sounds! It uses a simple sauce made out of pesto, butter, and lemon zest. Smother it onto some grilled or baked salmon fillets and that's it!
I love making homemade basil pesto for this recipe. It's so easy to make just by grinding up some basil, garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts), parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It really is a perfect accompaniment with salmon. Salmon's rich and succulent flavor is enhanced with the nutty and cheesy taste of pesto.
This recipe works just as well with store bought pesto too if you are in a pinch!
I like to serve this meal with a side of grilled vegetables like this basil garlic zucchini recipe and a simple rice pilaf with carmelized onions.
Key Ingredients
- Salmon - I prefer King or coho salmon because i'm in the Pacific Northwest and salmon is serious business here. A wild sockeye is also great for this recipe.
- Pesto - Homemade pesto really is best but a good store bought pesto works well in the butter sauce.
- Lemon - I like using the lemon zest in the pesto butter sauce to give it a nice brightness and then obviously you need some lemon wedges when serving fish.
Full ingredients and instructions below.
Top Tip
Don't overcook the salmon! Salmon doesn't need to be cooked for more than 10-12 minutes, especially on a hot grill.
More Salmon Recipes
Looking for some more recipes using salmon? Give these a try,
Pesto Butter Salmon
Nutrition
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cups basil (packed)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
Salmon
- 1 lb salmon (whole or cut into fillets)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- ¾ cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 lemon (zested and wedges for serving)
Instructions
- Start by making the pesto. In a food processor or large blender add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper and grind into a coarse paste. This usually takes about 5 minutes. This makes more pesto than needed for this dish.
- Get a charcoal or gas grill going. Prep the salmon by coating it in the oil, salt, and pepper. (or heat the oven to 400 degrees if baking).
- Grill the salmon on the skin side for about 8 minutes or until the skin starts to brown, flip and cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until cooked through. (if baking, cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through)
- Heat a small saucepan to medium heat and melt the butter and add the lemon zest and pesto and mix well. Coat the cooked salmon in the pesto sauce and serve with fresh lemon juice.
Video
Notes
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Food Safety
- Cook meat to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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