In partnership withLand O Lakes®

Grilled Salmon Becomes Next-Level Flavorful with This Herbaceous Compound Butter

published Apr 20, 2023
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Credit: Photo: Christopher Broe; Food: Martha Tinkler; Props: Margaret Ward

A flavorful compound butter of fresh dill and lemon pairs with salmon fillets for a delicious springtime meal. The best part: The butter can be made ahead for easier cooking.

Makes4 servings

Prep10 minutes

Cook11 minutes to 13 minutes

Jump to Recipe
Post Image
Credit: Photo: Christopher Broe; Food: Martha Tinkler; Props: Margaret Ward

With spring temperatures and sunshine finally taking hold, it’s the perfect time to break out the grill and cook a meal outdoors. So seize the day and grill salmon with an easy lemon and dill compound butter that’s fresh, bright, and extra flavorful. After the compound butter cools in the fridge for an hour, the meal comes together in minutes! And thanks to a great technique that’s no more complicated than ripping a sheet of aluminum foil, this salmon is guaranteed not to stick to the grill grates. It’s a great recipe to make confident grillers.

What Is a Compound Butter?

This recipe starts with making with a compound butter, which is basically just flavored butter. Compound butters can be used in many ways: spread it on bread, rub it on proteins before roasting, or drop it on whatever you’ve just cooked and let the heat work its melty magic.

Credit: Photo: Christopher Broe; Food: Martha Tinkler; Props: Margaret Ward

When a recipe calls for a compound butter, the butter you use really makes a difference. That’s why we used Land O Lakes® Butter in Half Sticks. Land O’Lakes has been a farmer-owned co-op since 1921, now composed of over 1,000 dairy farmers. Land O Lakes® Butter in Half Sticks, packaged in convenient half-sticks for small-batch cooking, is perfect for this recipe so that you don’t have to measure, cut, or rewrap any leftover butter. The half sticks are also wrapped in Flavor Protect® Wrappers to keep other odors and flavors out.

This compound butter is flavored with fresh dill, chopped shallot, lemon juice and zest, and garlic, turning it into a flavor powerhouse. After it’s mixed together, shape it into a log and refrigerate until it’s firm again. Cut into slices and place the slices on top of the salmon. As the salmon cooks, the butter melts and flavors the salmon, and the salmon juices and compound butter meld together to form a delicious sauce.

Credit: Photo: Christopher Broe; Food: Martha Tinkler; Props: Margaret Ward

How to Keep Fish From Sticking to the Grill

Grilling fish can be a bit nerve-racking, as it can be prone to sticking to the grill grates and cause a lot of frustration. The easiest way to ensure that the fish won’t stick is to cook it in an aluminum foil packet. For each portion, place the salmon on one side of a sheet of foil, top with the compound butter, then wrap up the remaining foil over the fish to create a sealed packet. You can even make these packets a few hours ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Fifteen minutes before you want to eat, throw the packets right onto a medium-hot grill to cook. The salmon will evenly cook in the foil, and the compound butter will melt into a flavorful sauce. Don’t have a grill or want to cook inside? You can bake these packets in a 400ºF oven for 12 to 15 minutes instead.

Serving is as easy as placing a packet on each plate. As you open up the packet, you’ll be greeted by steaming, enticing aromas, and all the melted compound butter will be pooled on the bottom so that every bite of salmon is flavorful and moist. You might want to have some crusty bread around for dunking in any leftover sauce, or you can serve the salmon with rice pilaf and some grilled asparagus for the ultimate spring meal.

Credit: Photo: Christopher Broe; Food: Martha Tinkler; Props: Margaret Ward

Lemon & Dill Compound Butter Grilled Salmon Recipe

A flavorful compound butter of fresh dill and lemon pairs with salmon fillets for a delicious springtime meal. The best part: The butter can be made ahead for easier cooking.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 11 minutes to 13 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

Compound butter:

  • 1 Half Stick (1/4 cup)

    Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

  • 1 tablespoon

    finely chopped fresh dill

  • 1 tablespoon

    freshly grated lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon

    fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon

    finely chopped shallot

  • 1 teaspoon

    finely chopped fresh garlic

Salmon:

  • 1 pound

    (1-inch-thick) fresh salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    pepper

  • Lemon slices, as desired

Instructions

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  1. Combine all compound butter ingredients; roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

  2. Heat gas grill to medium or charcoal grill until coals are ash white.

  3. Cut 2 (18x12-inch) pieces heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fold sheets together to create 18-inch-long packet. Spray foil with no-stick cooking spray. Lay salmon pieces, skin-side down, into middle of foil. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper.

  4. Place one-fourth (about 2 tablespoons) compound butter on top of each salmon piece. Bring long sides of aluminum foil together; seal top and sides of packet.

  5. Place foil packet onto grill. Cover; grill packet 11-13 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.

  6. Place lemon slices and additional fresh dill on top of salmon for serving. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Baking instructions: These salmon packets also be baked at 400°F for 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.