Quick And Easy Miso Butter Recipe

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If you want to enhance the taste of any savory dish with a little something – Miso Butter is the answer. This simple recipe takes two ingredients and mere minutes to come together giving you a truly versatile condiment that goes with everything from grilled meats to pasta.

A small blue bowl full of miso butter is sitting on a green knitted pot holder.

In This Article

What Makes This Recipe So Good?

The miso! I’ve covered the many benefits of miso before in my garlic miso recipe. But for a quick recap – this ingredient is rich in protein and contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals. It’s also a fermented food, which means it provides plenty of beneficial probiotic bacteria for the gut too. And if you’re ever nursing an upset stomach – little sips of miso soup throughout the day will do you wonders.

What Is Miso?

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans, salt, and a grain like barley or rice, with the fungus Aspergillus oryzae. This produces a thick paste that has a very distinct, complex, umami flavor.

In the West, miso is often identified by its colour rather than its name, and the three types of miso paste we generally find are red, yellow, or white. Colour is a very simplified way of categorising this incredibly versatile ingredient though, as overall there are more than 1,300 varieties.

The three different kinds of miso most commonly found are:

White miso (also called shiro miso) – a young ferment that’s slightly sweet and nutty tasting with a lower salt content. This is the one used in this recipe.
Yellow miso – another light variety though this is fermented for longer with more depth of flavor than a white miso. This is a great general-use miso for things like soups, sauces and marinades, or for any recipe that calls for miso without specifying which one.
Red miso – this is fermented the longest and has a very strong, concentrated and salty taste. This is very bold and intense so is best used for things like meat marinades, braises or generally very hearty dishes. It can be dark or very dark – see the two variations below.

Four small bowls with various coloured misos are laid out across a table.

Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Two simple ingredients are all you need to make this recipe – miso and butter – with no cooking time required. Miso is a favorite condiment for many and as a result, is quite easy to come by. You’ll find it stocked in the international foods aisle in most supermarkets or at your local Asian grocery stores.

The two ingredients needed to make compound miso butter are in small bowls on a benchtop.

Miso paste – While less of this is used than the butter, the miso provides the majority of the flavour.
Butter – Salted butter is my preference if using white or yellow miso. Plain butter is best for red miso, as this is already quite salty.

I’ve used white miso in this recipe but any will work just fine. The type of miso you choose generally depends on what you intend to make with this butter. Take a look at the flavour profiles outlined in the ‘What Is Miso’ section above to help you decide. A white miso is perfect for light dishes like scrambled eggs. A yellow miso would be great for an all-round butter condiment. Red miso would work well if you’re melting butter over steaks or grilled meats.

How To Make Miso Butter

This homemade miso butter stores well, and a dollop or slice of it will make any savory dish even more delicious.

Butter is being tipped off a small plate into a bowl.

A dollop of white miso is being added to butter in a small bowl.

White miso and butter are being mixed together in a small bowl with a fork.

Two white hands are rolling miso butter into a log in brown parchment paper.

Bring the butter to room temperature if it’s been refrigerated. You should be able to mash easily with a fork when it’s ready.
Place the butter and miso in a bowl and mash/stir together to combine.
Ensure they’re well incorporated so you don’t have a big dollop of miso sitting in one section of butter with none in another. It should look like a very creamy butter at this point.
Use straight away or wrap into a log in plastic wrap or parchment paper (baking paper) then store in the fridge. Cut slices from this as you need them.

When it comes to wrapping – if the butter was out of the fridge too long simply refrigerate the miso butter for 20-30 minutes before rolling it into a log. This recipe can also be frozen for longer storage. The best way to do this is when wrapped in a log or frozen in cubes in a ice tray.

Compound miso butter is being sliced with a silver knife on a small wooden board.

Substitutions And Variations

Crushed garlic can be added while you’re mixing the butter and miso. This is also delicious! To ensure it forms a paste that blends easily with the butter, mince the garlic with a little sea salt. For best results I first mince the garlic clove, put that on a chopping board, sprinkle over some salt and keep mincing with the flat edge of a knife. It will form a perfect paste when doing it this way.

Expert Hints And Tips

For the best nutrient intake and taste use butter, not margarine, for this recipe. And splurge on good quality butter too! When using so few ingredients they have nowhere to hide and quality becomes very important.

How To Use This Miso Butter

There are lots of different ways to use this fantastic compound butter!

Use the butter to make this miso pasta recipe then sprinkle it with parmesan cheese (another umami ingredient) and a drizzle of lemon juice. Divine!
Put a dollop into a bowl of steaming hot brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Spread some on a piece of toast. Such a simple and delicious way to use this condiment.
Melt a spoonful of miso butter in a large skillet and pan-fry sliced shiitake mushrooms until golden brown. If you also add a dash of soy sauce, the umami flavour intensifies even further.

Sliced mushrooms cooked in miso butter are piled high on a piece of sourdough toast and sprinkled with gomasio.

Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 months either wrapped in a log in plastic wrap/parchment paper or in an airtight container. In the freezer it will keep for up to a year and can be stored in the plastic wrap or in ice cube trays for single portions.

This is the perfect make-ahead recipe! And the bonus in doing so is that the flavors have more time to meld together.

FAQ

What does miso taste like?

Miso has a salty, rich, savory flavour with the intensity depending on the type of miso chosen. It can be anything from slightly sweet right through to very salty and pungent.

Does miso butter go bad?

Miso butter like plain butter can spoil if left exposed to the elements for lengthy periods. This is why it’s best stored in the fridge, where it will last for several month, or the freezer where it will keep for up to a year.

Can I use vegan butter to make this recipe?

You could, though the flavour profile will be different. This is not something I’ve tried but so long as the butter can be whipped together with the miso it will work just fine.

More Miso Recipes To Try

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!