Apply this dreamy Herb Garlic Compound Butter to steak, chicken, fish, or pork to bring a huge infusion of rich flavors! It comes together in just a few minutes!
Every time we go to a steak house, I seize the opportunity to add compound butter to my meal! There’s just nothing like a big burst of buttery, garlicky flavors to turn any steak into the best culinary experience.
I always assumed making compound butter was somehow challenging or time-consuming, but neither is true! The process requires minimal effort and very little time. A huge return on investment, if you ask me!
This easy herb and garlic infused delight is ideal for those who are looking to enhance any main entree, prepare the most amazing garlic bread, or to make vegetables much more exciting. Use it on Reverse Sear Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast, or My Go-To Crispy Salmon!
One of my favorite parts about flavored butter is that it is highly customizable! Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for my compound butter recipe, as well as some potential changes.
Ingredients for Compound Butter:
Salted Butter: The star of the show! Pick a good quality butter that you know you love. I use grass-fed butter that is salted. The recipe calls for one stick of butter, but you can double it if you’re serving a crowd, or if you want plenty of leftovers.
Fresh Garlic: One of my personal favorite ingredients to add to infused butter, fresh garlic brings that amazing punch of flavor. You can increase or decrease the amount to your personal taste, but I find one large clove is the right amount.
Fresh Parsley: Parsley adds a big blast of herby flavor.
Fresh Chives: Brings a lovely onion flavor that isn’t too spicy or zingy. Chives are a big flavor enhancer here!
Dried Rosemary: Similar to the parsley, rosemary is here for herby flavor. I find it pairs magically with beef and chicken.
Lemon Zest: A bright infusion of citrus flavor adds tang to cut some of the richness.
Black Pepper: Go with whatever amount feels best to you. If you’d like to add some sea salt, feel free. I find salted butter has the perfect amount of salt for my taste.
Optional Additions and Changes
- Turn it into Cowboy Butter by adding ½ teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, and/or horseradish to taste.
- All dried herbs and fresh herbs are welcome in finishing butter. Consider using fresh thyme, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, sage, and more.
- Swap the garlic for 2 to 3 tablespoons of finely minced shallot or use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Use unsalted butter and salt it to taste if you want to have more control over the salt content.
- Experiment with sweet butters by incorporating fresh fruit, dried fruit, and sweeteners like pure maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar. I love making honey butter to spread over toasted bread, muffins, scones, or pancakes.
How to Make Compound Butter:
Chop the softened butter into 4 chunks, then transfer it to a food processor or a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Blend (or mash with a fork or use a hand mixer), until all of the ingredients are combined.
If using a food processor, you may need to stop the blending to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula several times in order to help it along.
Taste the savory butter for flavor and add a pinch of salt, more garlic, herbs, or some lemon juice to your own personal taste.
Use the compound butter immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for later use. To do so, transfer the butter mixture to the center of a large piece of plastic wrap.
Wrap it into a log shape and keep chilled for up to 2 weeks. Butter hardens after about 20 minutes, so you can slice it into clean slices after it hardens.
You can also store homemade compound butter in an airtight container rather than using plastic wrap.
Ways To Use It:
Other than using it on toasted bread, here are some great ways to use compound butter!
- BBQ Tri Tip
- Broiled Steak
- Garlic Butter Salmon
- BBQ Ribeye Steak
- Easy Baked Cod
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
A great way to add savory flavors to any meal, this garlic herb compound butter recipe is so versatile!
Most often, I use compound butter recipes for steak butter, to spread over roast chicken, or to smear over sweet potatoes or baked potatoes. It is my favorite way to add extra flavor to any meal.
Let me know in the comments how you use yours!
Garlic Compound Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) salted butter softened
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the softened butter into 4 chunks, then transfer it to a food processor or a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Blend (or mash with a fork or use a hand mixer), until all of the ingredients are combined. If using a food processor, you may need to stop the blending to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula several times in order to help it along. Taste the savory butter for flavor and add a pinch of salt, more garlic, herbs, or some lemon juice to your own personal taste.
- Use the compound butter immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for later use. To do so, transfer the butter mixture to the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap it into a log shape and keep chilled for up to 2 weeks. Butter hardens after about 20 minutes, so you can slice it into clean slices after it hardens. You can also store homemade compound butter in an airtight container rather than using plastic wrap.
