This umami-rich homemade Miso Butter adds mouthwatering flavor to everything from roasted salmon, seared steaks, grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and even toasted crusty bread. It's an incredibly easy recipe, providing a deliciously sweet, fruity, and salty flavor.
Miso butter is simply a combination of miso paste and softened unsalted butter. While there are only two ingredients to this recipe, it is certainly not lacking in the flavor department.
There is some unique food science at play with this recipe, and while my culinary arts degree helps me understand how and why this recipe works, you simply need to know two simple concepts. First, miso, a Japanese ingredient, is made from fermented soybeans, salt a koji fungus and sometimes a grain or other ingredients. It has a thick, paste-like texture similar to peanut butter, but not quite. Miso paste can taste salty, sweet, fruity, earthy and downright funky! It is miso, not the butter, that gives this spread such enormous flavor.
Second, however, the butter plays a crucial role. It provides a balanced creamy texture and rich flavor. Plus the fat from the butter coats your tongue, meaning the miso may taste fuller and the flavor may last longer than eating straight miso. In very basic terms, miso butter tastes like salty, sweet and earthy butter. And it is these unique qualities that make it shine stirred into pasta, brushed on roasted salmon or even topped on grilled steak.
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Ingredients that Matter
With just two ingredients, it's important to know exactly what to buy for this recipe. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Miso. Sometimes labeled as soybean paste, miso is typically sold in plastic containers. You will find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, often with tofu or other Asian ingredients, though I have seen it near sauerkraut. There are many verities of miso, but the most common found in the U.S. are white miso and red miso (sometimes yellow or mixed). White miso is relatively mellow and mild, slightly sweet and fruity while red miso is bold with a stronger, more pungent flavor. For this recipe I recommend reaching for white miso for its more mild, fruity flavor.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter for this recipe. You could splurge for the expensive European high-fat butter if you'd like, but I think a good quality American butter is just fine for this application.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here is how to make miso butter from scratch:.
Start by adding softened (room temperature) unsalted butter to a medium mixing bowl. Smash it lightly with a fork then add the miso.
Combine the miso and butter until smooth. I like to do this with a fork, but you can also do this in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer. Try to get the miso and butter into one cohesive mixture.
To store, you can simply transfer to an airtight container or wrap this miso compound butter in parchment paper. To wrap the butter, add the mixture to a small piece of parchment and use your fingers or fork to form a rough tube shape. Then roll the parchment paper around the log.
You can make a tight log by using a bench scraper. Press the bench scraper against the log while pulling the parchment paper back. Continue to press the bench scraper against the log until the butter forms a tight log.
Roll the edges of the parchment to seal the butter. You can seal it even further by wrapping this parchment log in plastic wrap.
Hint: The most crucial step of this recipe is using room temperature or softened butter (learn how to soften refrigerated butter below). If the butter is too cold it won't mash easily into the miso, making for a chunky texture.
Modifications
This creamy miso butter spread is super easy to adjust. As written, there is twice the amount of butter compared miso. That means for every two tablespoons of softened butter you'll want to use one tablespoon of miso. You can adjust this by reducing the miso to ½ tablespoon instead if you want a milder flavor. Consider these other tweaks to this recipe:
- Garlic - To further enhance this miso flavored butter, try adding garlic. You can simply mash in one clove of garlic to this recipe or one clove of roasted garlic.
- Herbs - Try mixing in finely chopped scallions, chives or parsley. NOTE: The butter will discolor with herbs added.
- Vegan or Dairy-Free - Miso is naturally vegan and vegetarian, but this recipe is not vegan because of the butter. If you want to keep it dairy-free or vegan, try swapping in a plant-based butter alternative. Just be sure it's also room temperature or softened.
Serving Suggestions
This quick miso butter tastes amazing on more than just Japanese dishes. It truly shines when used as you would other compound butters. Try letting a pad of this miso flavored butter gently melt into a freshly grilled steak or toss with steamed greens. Use the umami butter to further enhance our Roasted Miso Cauliflower or Miso Salmon.
It is delicious when used to finish our Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic. Just add about 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet off the heat and toss to coat those tender charred broccolini spears. Try adding it to our Crispy Herb Roasted Potatoes or our Seared Green Beans with Spiced Almonds. It also works well with our Miso Salmon or Miso Roasted Cauliflower recipes. You can even stir a tablespoon of this miso-infused butter into our Easy Caramelized Mushroom and Onions!
Perhaps you can tell that miso butter is incredibly versatile and makes everything from seafood, beef and vegetables taste incredible!
How to Soften Butter
Have you ever started a recipe only to find the ingredient list calls for softened butter but yours are still in the refrigerator? No fret, I got a great tip for you! Try placing a whole stick of butter, still in its wrapper, in a warm glass of water as shown above. Then let it sit on the counter until it's softened. This should take just a few minutes. So long as the butter is still wrapped well, it won't get too wet. If a little water gets on the butter as you unwrap it, simply blot it dry with paper towels. Now you never have to skip a recipe because it calls for softened butter!
Miso Health Benefits
Did you know miso has quite a few health benefits? First, it has gut-friendly bacteria and can improve digestive health. It is also protein-rich with Vitamin A and Vitamin K. And, it's high in amino acids. All of these qualities, among many others, have led researchers to label miso as a functional food, meaning it has qualities that provide health benefits and can reduce the risk of chronic illness. For further reading on the nutritional properties of miso, check out this study published in 2022.
Storage
Store miso butter wrapped in parchment paper and in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Or, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You need to refrigerate this compound butter as miso is a refrigerated product and it will spoil if left out too long.
You can also freeze this butter by wrapping tightly with plastic wrap. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 1 month, or perhaps a little longer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Top tip
Miso butter stays spreadable even when refrigerated thanks to the miso paste. Use this to your advantage and spread some on your morning toast and try adding a small spoonful of jam on top. Funky? Yes! Delicious? Also, YES!
FAQ
Yes, eventually miso butter can go rancid even if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but it should stay good for several weeks or up to a month in the freezer.
Miso butter is simply made with miso paste, typically a mellow white miso, and unsalted butter.
You can make vegan miso butter using a plant-based butter. Just be sure it is softened when stirring it into the miso.
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Recipe
Miso Butter Recipe
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 Tbsp. 1x
Description
This umami-rich homemade Miso Butter adds mouthwatering flavor to everything from roasted salmon, seared steaks, grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and even toasted crusty bread. It's an incredibly easy recipe to make and provides a deliciously sweet, fruity and salty flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp. white miso
Instructions
- Place butter in a medium mixing bowl and mash lightly with a fork. Add the miso paste and continue to mash with the fork until well combined. The mixture should be cohesive and mostly smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a couple weeks. Serve miso butter as you would other compound butters. It tastes great on steamed or roasted vegetables, salmon, grilled steak or even popcorn!
Notes
- You can also wrap the butter in parchment. Place the butter on a small piece of parchment and form into a log. Wrap the parchment around the butter and pull the log against a bench scraper to form a tight log. Roll the edges of parchment around the log and wrap in plastic wrap to fully seal.
- You can make this recipe in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Japanese/American
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