Chan Chan Yaki is a savory one-pan miso butter salmon dish featuring tender salmon fillets, and a medley of vegetables simmered in a rich, buttery miso sauce.
What is Miso Butter Salmon?
Chan chan yaki is a hearty salmon and vegetable dish from Northern Japan in Ishikari designed to feed large groups of fishermen. The one-pan meal features fresh salmon coated in a sweet and savory miso-based sauce simmered over fresh vegetables to give the dish its distinctive flavor.
Key Ingredients
- Miso Butter Sauce: A blend of white miso paste, mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine), and sugar creates the savory base that flavors both the salmon and veggies.
- Salmon: Use fresh salmon if you have it, but frozen fillets work just as well. I like to defrost Costco salmon overnight for easy meal prep.
- Vegetables: A mix of shredded green or Napa cabbage, yellow onion, carrots, Shimeji or Shiitake mushrooms, and minced garlic simmers with the salmon for a hearty one-pan meal.
- Scallions: Finish the dish with fresh scallions (green onions) for a pop of color and brightness.
Additions and Substitutions
- Switch up the fish. Swap the salmon for cod or halibut.
- Load up on veggies. One of the things I love the most about making miso butter salmon is how versatile it is. Use whatever vegetables you have—thinly sliced potatoes, onions, green beans, bell peppers, bean sprouts, and broccoli.
- Experiment with toppings. I enjoy the bright pop of freshly chopped scallions, but feel free to garnish with other ingredients, such as toasted sesame seeds.
How to Make Miso Butter Salmon
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk the miso paste, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: Pat the salmon with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Then, season the fillets with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Step 3: Warm oil and butter in a preheated large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, place the salmon (skin-side down) into the pan away from you and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the salmon fillets and set them aside.
Step 4: Add more oil and butter as needed. Then, sauté the garlic for one minute. Stir in the cabbage, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until softened and slightly wilted, and remove the pan from the heat.
Step 5: Arrange the salmon fillets on top of the vegetables and spoon the miso sauce over the top. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5-8 minutes over medium heat.
Expert Tips
- Sear the skin-on salmon in the pan to create the perfect texture for the skin once it steams. Feel free to skip this step and steam the salmon for skinless salmon fillets.
- Saute the vegetables until they wilt, but no more than that. Cooking the vegetables for too long before adding the salmon will cause them to become mushy.
If you enjoy miso butter salmon, try one of these quick dinner ideas!
Serving Suggestions
The quick and healthy meal features salmon and a ton of vegetables for a filling and delicious weeknight dinner. Pair it with white or brown rice, sesame noodles, or miso soup.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chan chan yaki mean?
The word ‘yaki,’ which means cooked over heat, appears in the name of many famous dishes in Japanese cuisine. Some of the most well-known dishes are teriyaki (meat with glaze) and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). Chan chan yaki means salmon over vegetables, and that’s exactly what it is.
What is miso salmon made of?
Miso butter salmon is a popular Japanese-inspired dish that features salmon cooked in a miso sauce mixture of miso paste, sake, mirin, and sometimes sugar.
Where can I buy miso paste, mirin, sake?
Mainstream grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, will carry a few of these main ingredients, but you’re better off visiting local Asian grocery stores to find all that you need in one trip.
More Salmon Recipes:
Miso Butter Salmon
- 4 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 salmon fillets
- ½ head green cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, julienne
- 1 cup shimeji or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, greens thinly sliced, for garnish
- Whisk the miso paste, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Pat the salmon with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Then, season the fillets with salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Warm oil and butter in a preheated large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, place the salmon (skin-side down) into the pan away from you and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the salmon fillets and set them aside.
- Add more oil and butter as needed. Then, sauté the garlic for one minute. Stir in the cabbage, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until softened and slightly wilted, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Arrange the salmon fillets on top of the vegetables and spoon the miso sauce over the top. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5-8 minutes over medium heat.
- Sear the skin-on salmon in the pan to create the perfect texture for the skin once it steams. Feel free to skip this step and steam the salmon for skinless salmon fillets.
- Saute the vegetables until they wilt, but no more than that. Cooking the vegetables for too long before adding the salmon will cause them to become mushy.