Recipes

Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon – best salmon ever!

This Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon is the dish that forever ruined any chances of us having an exceptional salmon at restaurants.   After having this salmon, nothing ever compares – not even at the finest restaurants.  Do I dare say it: Even at Japanese restaurants, we are disappointed that it’s not as good as our salmon dish!

It’s super easy to make. And all the ingredients work so well with the salmon.  The seasonings aren’t the most common ingredients.  But they are easy to find on Amazon or in the ethic food section of the grocery stores.  

Hawaiian Kiawe Smoked Salt

One of my favorite things to do when I go on a vacation is to go through the local grocery stores.  You’ll find so many interesting new snacks, spices and ingredients.  Plus, it’s so much cheaper to shop for gifts in grocery stores than in gift shops! 

One of the best finds in Hawaii has been this Kiawe (pronounced “kee-ah-vey”) Smoked Salt.  Kiawe is a species of mesquite tree. And just as with the mesquite that we are familiar with, Kiawe can be used as firewood or to smoke meats, but it has deeper and more intense flavor, and it smells so good – smoky and sweet.  Just smelling it will make you hungry!

Be sure to put this on your shopping list for next time you are visiting Hawaii.  In the meantime, you can find some options on Amazon:

Sazón Seasoning

Sazon (pronounced sa-son) is a type of seasoning that’s used in Spanish or Mexican cooking. It typically consists of annatto, garlic, cumin, black pepper, coriander and oregano. 

Sazon is great on Spanish or Mexican dishes and delicious as a rub on meats! But the perfect combination of Kiawe smoked salt and sazon seasoning on salmon was a result of experimentation with different combinations of spices.  Try to find one without any salt if you can. Otherwise, you may need to adjust the amount of Hawaiian salt you use.  Some of them also contain MSG (monosodium glutamate).  If you are trying to avoid that, check the ingredient list on the label first.

Cooking methods

Grilled Hawaiian Lemon Butter Salmon

You can grill the salmon or bake it in the oven.  Use a large, thin filet of salmon or thicker individual salmon slices.  Either way, cook the salmon in the foil to lock in the moisture.  They turn out great with either cooking method. 

Because the thickness of the salmon and even the oven/grill temperatures can vary, be sure to check the internal temperature of the fish using a cooking thermometer.  The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended internal temperature for fish is 145 °F (63 °C) . But I found that’s the minimum. Especially for thicker slices, you’d want to reach the internal temperature of about 155 – 160 °F (68 – 72 °C) at the center of the thickest part of the fish. This will allow for carryover cooking to an internal temperature of about 165 °F (74 °C).

If you don’t have one already, invest in an instant thermometer like this one to check the doneness of the fish or meat.

Serving Ideas

Simple side dishes work well with this salmon that is already packed with flavor.  Here are some ideas.

  • I almost always serve this Hawaiian salt lemon butter salmon with this easy lemon turmeric rice for the perfect lemony combination. 
Easy lemon rice with turmeric and peanuts

Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon Recipe

Plate of Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon with broccoli and tumeric lemon rice

Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon

5 from 3 votes
Refreshing and savory flavor combination of this Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon will make this your go-to salmon recipe forever!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Grilling, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Hawaiian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb fresh salmon
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Hawaiian Kiawe Smoked Salt
  • 2 tsp Sazon seasoning
  • 2 tbsp butter cut into thin thin slices
  • 1 lemon, large sliced into 1/4 inch

Method
 

  1. Heat the grill to 450 °F. (If baking, preheat the oven to 400 °F)
  2. Place salmon flat on a large sheet of aluminum foil
  3. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle Hawaiian salt and Sazon seasoning on Salmon. Then gently spread oil, salt and seasoning evenly.
    Salmon with Hawaiian salt and sazon seasoning on a sheet of foil
  4. Place lemon slices over salmon, spacing them a couple of inches apart, and place butter slices on top of lemon slices. Cover salmon with another large piece of aluminum. Fold all the edges over to close the foil.
    Salmon with Hawaiian salt, sazon seasoning, lemon slices and butter on foil
  5. Grilling: Place the salmon in the aluminum foil pouch over grill. Close the lid. And let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until the optimal internal temperature is reached or salmon is just cooked through. Serve immediately.
  6. Baking: Place the salmon in the aluminum foil pouch on the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the optimal internal temperature is reached or salmon is just cooked through. Transfer the salmon from baking sheet immediately and serve.

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Hawaiian Salt Lemon Butter Salmon | The Japantry
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10 COMMENTS

  1. Kareena | 19th Jan 21

    5 stars
    This looks absolutely perfect and delicious in every way! I can’t wait to try! Thanks so much!

    • admin | 21st Jan 21

      Thank you so much Kareena! Enjoy!

  2. Heidi | 13th Jan 21

    5 stars
    Salmon is a favorite in house! We experiment with different seasonings so we will definitely be giving your recipe a try! I especially love the idea of shopping at grocery stores while traveling – great tip!

    • admin | 13th Jan 21

      Thanks Heidi! You can’t go wrong with this combo of seasonings 🙂 Enjoy!

  3. Brianna | 12th Jan 21

    This looks so delicious! Definitely need to try out this recipe soon!

    • admin | 13th Jan 21

      Thanks Brianna! I hope you enjoy it!

  4. Sarah | 12th Jan 21

    Hi Akiko! This salmon looks amazing, and I love the name of your blog! Great tip about shopping for gifts in grocery stores. 🙂 Do you have any other ideas for using the Hawaiian smoked salt in everyday cooking?

    • admin | 13th Jan 21

      Thanks Sarah! The Hawaiian salt goes great with pork, too. You can use it as part of the rub for BBQ, to make pulled pork in Instant Pot, pork chops! When you smell this fantastic salt, you’ll get more ideas on what you’d want to try it on!

  5. Michael Steliga | 12th Jan 21

    5 stars
    There is noting like the quality and flavor of a home cooked meal, no restaurant will ever add as much love as a home cook. haha
    As a chef I too get love exploring grocery stores in search of goodies I have not seen before.

    • admin | 13th Jan 21

      Thanks Michael! Yes! I just need to teach more people to make home cooked meals for ME! lol

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