3-Ingredient Pesto Butter Salmon

Looking for a quick and easy way to make salmon without sacrificing on texture and flavor? This Pesto Butter Salmon requires only 3 ingredients and 15 minutes and is both delicious and nutritious.

With a simple mixture of pesto and butter to marinate your salmon, and a simple yet effective cooking technique, this easy salmon dinner will be your new go-to when you need a fish fix in a flash!

As a mom juggling family time, work, and a passion for bold flavor, I absolutely love a quick and easy, delicious salmon recipe that only requires 3 ingredients!

Whether you keep it ultra-simple and pick up some pesto from the store or make a simple homemade pesto (like this Arugula Basil Pesto!), the fresh herbs and garlic are sure to bring tons of flavor!

Plus, if you happen to have leftover pesto butter after making it for this recipe, that’s an added bonus! You can use it to whip up this Pesto Butter Garlic Bread!

Pesto Butter Salmon Ingredients

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Here’s everything you need:

• Pesto. Use your favorite!
• Unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is softened for best results.
• Salmon. Fresh or frozen, but if you’re using frozen salmon, make sure it’s thawed.

Pesto Butter Salmon Tips and Tricks

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Prep Your Salmon

Before we get cooking, we have to prep our salmon. To get a crispy exterior on your salmon, it’s best to pat it dry!

Place your fish filets in between two paper towels and press down to pat dry. Drying the fish will help avoid a mushy texture by removing excess moisture.

This recipe is designed for fresh salmon, but you can also easily use frozen! Just thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator or add it to a plastic or reusable storage bag and submerge the bag in cold water for about 45 minutes to defrost.

Mix Up Your Pesto Butter

It’s as simple as mixing together your pesto and butter! For every 4 tablespoons of butter, you’ll add 1 tablespoon of pesto. This 4:1 ratio will yield enough pesto butter for 2 portions of salmon (about 4-ounce portions).

The key to making your pesto butter is making sure your butter is softened. Not melted, and not too solid. The best way to know your butter is perfectly softened is to poke it. If your finger leaves an imprint, you’re good to go!

The easiest way to quickly soften your butter for this recipe is to microwave your butter for 15-seconds on high. This will usually give the butter enough heat to soften it.

However, if after 15 seconds it’s still solid, continue to microwave in 8-second intervals until it is softened.

Once your butter is softened, add it to a small mixing bowl with the pesto, and use a hand mixer or whisk to combine until you are left with smooth pesto butter.

Coat Your Salmon

Use a spatula to spread a thick coat of pesto butter on top of the salmon in an even layer. Your butter will melt in the oven, but for now, we want it thick and soft so it’s easy to spread onto the salmon.

Place the Salmon Skin Side Up

Grab a small, 7 x 11-inch baking dish, and place your salmon inside, skin side up. The butter will ensure the salmon doesn’t stick, so don’t worry about lining your dish.

Bake and Flip

Bake the salmon, skin side up, at 475°F for just 5 minutes. Then, remove the salmon from the oven and use tongs or a fork to peel the skin off. It should come off very easily.

If you’re having trouble peeling the skin off, stick it back in the oven for 2 more minutes, then try again!

Once you’ve removed your salmon skin, flip the salmon and stick it back in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, until cooked through.

You’ll know your salmon is ready when it becomes a pale pink color, or when the internal temperature reaches 125°F.

Serving Your Pesto Butter Salmon

This Pesto Butter Salmon is super flavorful and makes a great addition to any meal! I absolutely love to serve it over this One-Dish Baked Goat Cheese Pasta or Mushroom Pesto Pasta for a hearty and filling meal!

Additionally, this salmon dish also goes great with a roasted vegetable like this Purple Asparagus or these Sweet and Salty Brussels Sprouts.

How to Store and Reheat Salmon with Pesto Butter

This Pesto Butter Salmon will last up to 4 days in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Otherwise, you can opt to freeze your pesto butter salmon for up to 6 months.

To reheat your pesto butter salmon, preheat your oven to 400°F and add the salmon to a baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 125°F.

From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and follow instructions above to reheat.

If you have leftover pesto butter, this will last for about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container or can be frozen for up to 3 months.