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    Home » Seafood

    Salmon with Toasted Hazelnut Herb Butter

    Published: Mar 26, 2021 · Modified: May 18, 2023 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    PIN for Pinterest - Salmon with Toasted Hazelnut Herb Butter

    Wild salmon is a well-known Pacific Northwest ingredient, but hazelnuts are just as local so why not combine the two of them into one dinner along with some herbs? I keep it simple with a seared salmon with toasted hazelnut herb butter.

    Sklllet with Salmon and green beans

    This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click them and purchase something, I get a little commission. Thank you for your support.

    The salmon is the simplest part of this recipe

    You just have to take out the pin bones and season it with salt and pepper. I'll get back to the salmon in a bit.

    Pulling the pin bones

    Movin' on to the toasted hazelnut herb butter ...

    Toasting the hazelnuts is as simple as tossing them into a dry skillet and heating them over medium to medium-high heat. Keep them moving around by stirring or swirling the skillet so that they don't burn. They only need 3-5 minutes. Set them aside to cool. When they have cooled, put them in a food processor or the jar of a blender and pulse until finely ground.

    hazelnuts in a cast iron skillet to toast

    It's important to use softened butter. If you buy butter in sticks, you'll use a whole stick, which is 8 Tablespoons, ½ cup, or 4 ounces.

    butter cut into a half cup measurement

    Use a microplane to zest a lemon and chop some chives.

    lemon zest in the zester and chives from the garden

    Finally mix the ground hazelnuts with softened butter, lemon zest, and chopped chives. Sounding good, huh?

    Crushed nuts, butter, chives, and lemon zest

    Let's cook our salmon

    After you've seasoned the salmon, press on some toasted hazelnut butter. I say "press" because "spreading" it doesn't work! The slickness of the salmon and the fattiness of the butter just don't mix well.

    hazelnut herb butter slathered on the salmon fillet

    Place the salmon in the skillet butter side down and cook till the flesh is browning, about 5 minutes. Carefully turn it over using a fish spatula and cook it till it is still translucent inside, but flaking easily. How long this takes is fully dependent on the thickness of the salmon so you can test the internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer. Look for about 140 degrees.

    salmon fillet seared flesh side down

    Add more hazelnut butter to the top and serve it with lemon wedges.

    Close up - Seared salmon with hazelnut herb butter sauce

    Other recipes you might like:

    • Spiced Wild Salmon Tacos
    • French Onion Chip Dip
    • Hazelnut Jam Prints
    • Honey Mustard Salmon
    • Tavern Green Goddess Salad

    If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!

    Recipe

    Featured Image - Salmon with Toasted Hazelnut Herb Butter

    Salmon with Toasted Hazelnut Herb Butter

    Tammy Circeo
    Wild Salmon and hazelnuts are both local ingredients to the Pacific Northwest so it makes sense to make a dinner using them both! Add a little butter and herbs and it's amazingly delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1½ pounds wild salmon cut into 4 fillets
    • Salt and pepper for seasoning
    • ½ cup butter (8 Tablespoons, 1 stick, 4 ounces -- all the same thing) softened
    • ½ cup hazelnuts (2 ounces) toasted (See notes)
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh chives chopped
    • zest of one lemon
    • Lemon wedges for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Pull the pin bones out of the salmon and season with salt and pepper.
    • When the toasted hazelnuts have cooled, put them in a food processor or the jar of a blender and pulse until finely ground. Mix them with the softened butter, lemon zest, and chopped chives.
    • Press the toasted hazelnut herb butter onto the salmon. I say "press" because "spreading" it doesn't work! The slickness of the salmon and the fattiness of the butter just don't mix well.
    • Preheat a skillet over medium heat, then lay the salmon fillets in butter side down. Let them cook about 5 minutes, then using a fish spatula, turn them over to the skin side. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes longer or until the internal temperature is about 140°F. This time will vary depending on how thick the fillets are.
    • Serve with more hazelnut herb butter on the fillets and some lemon wedges.

    Notes

    To toast the hazelnuts, put them in a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Keep them moving around by stirring or swirling the skillet so that they don't burn. They only need 3-5 minutes. Set them aside to cool. 
    The toasted hazelnut herb butter can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week or wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
    Keyword hazelnut butter, herb butter, salmon
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

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