Miso Butter

This garlicky Miso Butter recipe is an easy compound butter for spreading on toast or melting over noodles, rice, vegetables, and salmon!

Prep Time10

Chill Time20

Total Time30

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Keyword: miso butter

Servings: tablespoons

Equipment

Small Bowl

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened, (2 sticks)
1 Tbsp white miso paste
1 garlic clove minced
½ tsp soy sauce optional

Instructions

Let the butter soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then mash it with a spatula or spoon until smooth and creamy.
In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with the miso paste, minced garlic, and soy sauce. Stir well until everything is evenly combined.
Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Use it on toast, in stir-fried noodles, with salmon, or to add richness to soups and curries.

Notes

I use unsalted butter so I have more control over the finished salt level. Miso and soy sauce are already very salty, so starting with unsalted butter keeps the flavor balanced and makes the butter more versatile.

Miso is a thick fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cooking to add salty, savory umami flavor. I recommend white miso (shiro miso), because it’s mild, slightly sweet, and blends smoothly into the butter. Red miso has a stronger, saltier flavor and will make the miso butter taste much stronger.

The soy sauce is optional and doesn’t affect the texture. I include it when I want to deepen the miso’s umami flavor, especially when using the butter with rice or noodles. Leave it out for a milder spread.

Nutrition