Learn how to make compound butter with simple ingredients, including easy sweet and savory variations! It’s perfect for steaks, veggies, and more.
I can still remember the first time I tasted compound butter at a dinner party years ago. The herby, garlicky pop of the creamy butter on a piece of crusty bread was out-of-this-world good.
Since that time, I vowed to learn how to make it at home — and I’ve learned it takes just 5 minutes with no special equipment! I’ve tested a few variations over the years, using it on bread, salmon, and even pasta for a quick sauce. It’s no wonder this this French technique has been a kitchen staple for centuries!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes gourmet: Your guests will think you’re a culinary wizard when you serve it (really! I’ve tried it)
- Incredibly versatile: You can use compound butter recipes for everything from steak to morning toast
- Makes ahead: You can prepare it weeks in advance and just slice off what you need
How to Make Compound Butter
Compound butter is a softened butter that’s mixed with flavorings like herbs, spices, and salt. It’s traditionally part of French cuisine and can be eaten as a sauce or spread for bread, crackers, vegetables, steak, seafood, and more. Compound butter is very simple to make at home: it takes just a few minutes and is easy to make in advance. Here are the basic steps:
- Soften the butter. Cut the butter in half lengthwise, then into about 12 pieces total. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until softened. Making sure the butter is at room temperature is key for mixing in the seasonings.
- Mix with seasonings. Place the butter in a bowl. Add the herbs and seasonings, then smash and stir the butter until everything is fully combined.
- Use plastic wrap to shape it into a log. Place the butter on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, then use the wrap to roll it into a log shape. You may need to do it a few times to get the ideal shape. Twist the ends closed and refrigerate until serving. It’s easiest to shape it this way so you can cut off pieces to use in recipes.
Pro Tips: Fresh herbs work best for compound butter, but if you only have dried herbs, use about one-third the amount. If your butter seems gritty or grainy, it was probably too cold when you mixed it: make sure it’s soft before adding the ingredients.
Flavor Variations
The compound butter recipe below is my favorite classic flavor: fresh chives, thyme, and garlic powder make an herbaceous, salty and savory spread. Here are a few fun ideas for making different types of compound butter:
- Lemon thyme butter: Mix in 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest, 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, and scant ½ teaspoon salt.
- Basil Parmesan butter: Mix in ¼ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ cup chopped basil, and scant ½ teaspoon salt.
- Jalapeño lime butter: Mix 1 finely minced jalapeño (seeds removed), 1 tablespoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and ½ teaspoon salt. It’s great on grilled corn or sweet potatoes.
- Smoked paprika butter: Mix in 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons chopped chives and scant ½ teaspoon salt.
- Rosemary butter: Mix in 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary and scant ½ teaspoon salt.
- Honey butter: Add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme and scant ½ teaspoon salt. Perfect on cornbread muffins or skillet cornbread.
- Maple cinnamon butter: Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt. Amazing on pancakes, waffles, or warm biscuits.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to use compound butter, but my favorite is simple: use it as a tasty appetizer my crusty no knead bread or sourdough bread. It feels much fancier than the effort it takes! You can also add it to a cheese board or charcuterie board. Here are a few more ways to use compound butter:
- Bread: Spread on a baguette or crostini as an easy appetizer.
- Proteins: Add a slice to a sizzling piece of steak or baked salmon or grilled salmon for even more flavor.
- Potatoes: Toss with fingerling potatoes after they’re roasted, swirl into mashed potatoes or dollop onto a baked potato.
- Veggies: Try on pan fried broccoli, roasted broccolini, sauteed carrots, sauteed green beans, or my very favorite sauteed mushrooms.
- Pasta: Stir compound butter into linguine pasta or angel hair pasta as a quick sauce.
Storage & Freezing
While you might normally store butter at room temperature, with the added flavorings it’s best to opt for the refrigerator or freezer:
- Store compound butter refrigerated for up to 1 month.
- Store compound butter in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before using.
Dietary Notes
This compound butter recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using unsalted butter gives you complete control over the salt level. Salted butter varies significantly between brands: some are much saltier than others. By starting with unsalted butter and adding salt yourself, you can adjust the seasoning to taste.
Yes, fresh herbs are perfectly safe in compound butter. The butter itself doesn’t support bacterial growth, and storing the compound butter in the refrigerator keeps it safe.
Compound butter is incredibly versatile. You can use it as a finishing sauce for grilled meats and fish, where it melts into an instant pan sauce. It’s also great tossed with pasta or vegetables, spread on bread as an appetizer, stirred into mashed potatoes, or melted over hot veggies. Sweet variations like honey butter work beautifully on breakfast items or muffins.
Compound Butter
Pin Recipe
Print RecipeLearn how to make compound butter with simple ingredients, including easy sweet and savory variations! It’s perfect for steaks, veggies, and more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup butter
- Category: Essentials
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Butter
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 grinds black pepper
Instructions
- Soften the butter: cut the butter in half lengthwise, then into about 12 pieces total. Let the butter sit at room temperature about 15 minutes until softened. Or, microwave on low power for a few 5 second bursts until it softens, checking after each burst and taking care not to overheat*.
- Place the butter in a bowl. Add the chopped chives, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Smash and stir into the butter until it’s fully combined.
- Use immediately, or if desired, place the butter on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and use the wrap to roll it into a log. Twist the ends closed and refrigerate until it’s solid enough to cut (or until serving; you can freeze it for a few minutes to speed up the process). The flavor is great right away, and gets even better after refrigeration. Use for spreading on bread, making garlic bread, pasta, seafood, steak, potatoes, and more. Stores up to 1 month refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
Notes
- *The microwave method is touchy and cooks unevenly. Be careful that you don’t overheat the butter! Typically I don’t recommend a microwave for softening butter, but since it’s not being used in a baked good, this technique works as a quick fix.
- Substitute dried herbs if needed: use 2 teaspoons dried chives and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
- This recipe works with salted butter too: just reduce or omit the additional salt to taste.
More Buttery Recipes to Try
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/qTvcYt9
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