Bake Salmon With Cowboy Butter For A Decadent Steakhouse Flavor

There are so many ways to season salmon for the oven. You can keep it simple with just a lemon drizzle and some fresh dill, but for a more robust, well-rounded flavor, pair the salmon with savory cowboy butter. Cowboy butter is a spice- and herb-infused butter most often paired with steaks, and rumor has it that its name comes from a Southern-style NYC restaurant called Mr. Donahue's, which closed back in 2017.

It has a tangy, salty, somewhat spicy flavor that comes from a slew of ingredients folded into softened butter. Mustard adds an acidic element, and for a milder spice, some add paprika; if you want a more intense spice, try chili powder or cayenne. Those bold ingredients are balanced with bright, aromatic herbs like fresh parsley, chives, and thyme. Variations exist, but some blend of these ingredients comes together for a pretty irresistible butter topping that pairs perfectly with salmon's meaty profile. Or you can amp up the cowboy butter salmon experience by adding it before the salmon cooks.

For a slightly milder use of the cowboy butter, you can simply brush the fish with olive oil and cook it as you normally would, then spread the butter over the salmon when it comes out of the oven. The butter will melt as the salmon rests, so you'll still get the flavors, but they'll be subtle.

To get the best flavor infusion, add the cowboy butter before the salmon cooks. This way, the butter melts into the salmon while it heats up, and those herbs bake right into the top layer of the fish. You want to coat the salmon fillet entirely in the butter. It doesn't need to be a thick layer, but it needs to be evenly distributed. From there, bake the salmon fillet; the exact time will vary depending on its thickness, but the United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cowboy butter's role doesn't end when the fish goes in the oven. For even more flavor, remove the salmon about halfway through cooking and spread an additional layer of the butter onto the fish. The result is a butter-loaded fillet with a rich, bold profile.