This Pesto Butter Salmon is the quick homemade version of Costco's salmon milano with pesto butter. It comes together in a few minutes and only requires 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper).
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Why We Love This Salmon
- It's easy: This salmon takes about five minutes to prep and only requires 4 main ingredients. It's so simple and tastes just as good (if not better!) than the Costco version.
- It delicious: This salmon is just good. The pesto forms a delicious crust on top of the salmon, and the butter adds a wonderful richness.
- You don't have to drive to Costco to get it: I love Costco as much as the next person, but Sunday Costco runs are just not worth it to me some weeks. Enter: this salmon recipe.
Looking for other great salmon recipes? Try our crispy fried salmon nuggets, grilled miso salmon, baked salmon bites, or air fryer blackened salmon.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Salmon fillets: Large, thick salmon fillets work the best for this recipe, but use whatever you usually buy.
Unsalted butter: Use whatever butter you usually buy. We love Kerrygold.
Basil Pesto: You can make your own pesto or buy it. We've made this with store-bought pesto and homemade—both work well. If you want to make your own, try our vegan spinach pesto.
Fresh dill: I don't recommend substituting dried dill.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and amounts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add pesto and butter to a small mixing bowl and mix until well-combined. Place the butter mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into a log shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 3: Add the salmon fillets to a sheet pan, then sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and dill. Cut the butter into six equal slices and place three on each fillet of salmon.
Step 4: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon easily flakes with a fork and reaches 145°F.
Frequently asked questions
We love serving this pesto salmon with rice, veggies, pasta, or salad. Check out our side dish ideas below for some great recipes that pair well with this dish.
Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the salmon, pop it back in the oven at 400°F until warm.
We prefer wild-caught salmon, but use whatever kind of salmon you usually prefer. A thick-cut fillet of salmon works best.
Side Dish Ideas
These recipes pair perfectly with this pesto butter salmon:
📖 Recipe
Pesto Butter Salmon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This Pesto Butter Salmon is the quick homemade version of Costco's salmon milano with pesto butter. It comes together in a few minutes and only requires 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper).
Ingredients
2 large salmon fillets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons basil pesto
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Add pesto and butter to a small mixing bowl and mix until well-combined. Place the butter mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into a log shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Add the salmon fillets to a sheet pan, then sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and dill. Cut the butter into six equal slices and place three on each fillet of salmon (see note 1).
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon easily flakes with a fork and reaches 145°F.
Notes
- If your salmon has skin, it may stick to the bottom of the sheet pan. You can spray your sheet pan with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet
- Calories: 659
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 762.6 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.6 g
- Protein: 66.9 g
- Cholesterol: 192.1 mg
Michael says
So easy and the salmon was delicious!