One of the easiest ways to add rich, delicious flavor to your dishes is by making your very own Compound Butter! Choose from variations like Lemon Herb, Blue Cheese, Cilantro Lime, Sriracha, and more to create your ideal flavor profile. Compound Butter is such a versatile ingredient, and you’ll never regret having some on hand. Best of all, you can store it in the freezer and cut a slice anytime you need it! (Trust me, you’ll be inventing reasons to “need it” constantly). Choose the flavor that sounds the best, or try them all and see which one is perfect for you!
Is there any dish that isn’t made better with butter? Use it to saute or fry, add it to baking recipes, or simply add a pad on top of a juicy steak.
When you want to take your dish to the next level, Compound Butter is such an easy way to add rich, delicious flavor!
Try lemon herb compound butter for bread or potatoes, whip up garlic compound butter for steak, and so much more.
With so many variations to taste, you can see which flavor sounds best or try them all. Once you see how easy it is to make, you’ll want to put Compound Butter on everything!
Ingredients for Making Compound Butter Recipes
- Butter - Start with unsalted and let it come to room temperature. Softened butter is the best way to ensure that the flavors get completely incorporated.
- Salt and pepper - Add to taste for each compound butter recipe. (I tend to use a teaspoon salt per recipe.)
- Lemon Herb - Parsley, chopped herbs, and lemon zest give you a bright and fragrant flavor. (This is really nice with turkey and pasta.)
- Blue Cheese - Minced shallot and chopped chives with blue cheese crumbles is a classic to serve with steak. You can add minced garlic cloves if you like.
- Garlic Herb - Fresh herbs, lemon zest, and plenty of garlic is a classic combination you can serve with just about anything. (Serve this on dinner rolls and watch them disappear!)
- Cilantro Lime - Pair lime juice and cilantro with cayenne pepper for a little kick.
- Horseradish - Combined with chopped chives and garlic, this is another excellent variation to serve with steak.
- Sriracha - This popular chili sauce with scallions is packed with fun flavor and a little heat. I especially like this with shrimp.
Tips for the Perfect Compound Butter
- Let the butter come to room temperature before combining with other ingredients in the food processor.
- Use fresh herbs whenever possible. They will infuse the butter with more flavor than dried herbs.
- Don’t skip the salt and pepper since they will enhance all the other flavors of your compound butter.
- I like to use a food processor, but you can mix in a bowl if you do not have one.
Serving Suggestions
- If you want to make one of these compound butter recipes for steak, pair it with delicious Keto Flank Steak!
- Lemon or garlic herb butter would go beautifully with Instant Pot Frozen Whole Chicken.
- Spread a little butter on these Keto Biscuits for classic comfort food with a flavor-packed twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compound butter is a very simple combination of butter, salt, and pepper, and your choice of herbs, spices, or other ingredients. Each flavor is going to use slightly different ingredients to achieve the perfect taste.
Most commonly, you’ll see compound butter used with meats, fish, or vegetables. But you could also add it to your baking, throw it in a pan anytime you are sautéing or frying your ingredients, and so much more. Try using it as a substitute any time you’d use regular butter!
When stored in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap, compound butter will stay fresh for up to five days.
Absolutely! This is my favorite way to store it. Simply place the compound butter in foil, then in a freezer-safe container or bag. (You can wrap it in wax paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap before you wrap it in foil if you like.)
You can freeze it for up to 6 months.
To serve, slice off the butter that you need. Allow the butter to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften.
If you’re looking for the best compound butter for steak, why not try them all? Blue cheese and horseradish will have the strongest flavors while lemon herb and garlic herb offer milder flavors.
I would recommend garlic herb compound butter for filet mignon or another high-quality cut of beef.
Sriracha, cilantro lime or any of the herb butters would be great with chicken or fish. It all depends on what flavor you’re in the mood for.
Try using compound butter pretty much anywhere you’d use regular butter.
It’s great for sauteing or pan frying, spreading over low-carb bread, or even in baking!
If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute dried herbs in their place. They won’t infuse the butter quite as much, but they still add nice flavor.
Tools Needed to Make Compound Butter
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- Food processor
- Plastic wrap
Storage
Compound butter can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. When I know I am going to grill steaks (or cook them in a cast iron skillet), I will make compound butter on the weekend so the meal comes together in a flash.
For longer storage, wrap in aluminum foil, place in a freezer safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 6 month
How to Make Compound Butter
Place the butter and seasonings in a food processor. Pulse until well combined.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Use the lower portion of the plastic wrap to form the butter into a log, then roll the butter up in the plastic wrap.
Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to seal.
Chill until firm.
Other Recipes You May Also Like
- Once you try this delicious Keto Alfredo Sauce, you’ll want to serve it over everything.
- For a punch of flavor that never gets old, Garlic Lemon Aioli is creamy, rich, and makes a fantastic sauce or dip!
- Keto Mushroom Gravy turns even the most simple of meals into something special.
- You’re going to go wild for this Keto Pesto packed with garlicky goodness, toasted pecans, basil, and a bit of lemon juice.
Compound Butter
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature ½ cup
Lemon Herb Butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or thyme
- 2 tablespoons mixed fresh chopped herbs basil, oregano, or rosemary
- 1 lemon zest only
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Blue Cheese Butter
- 3 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
- Salt to taste
Garlic Herb Butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs
- 1 lemon zest only
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Salt to taste
Cilantro Lime Butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 lime zest and juice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
Horseradish Butter
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Sriracha Butter
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the butter and seasonings in a food processor. Pulse until well combined.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Form the butter into a log on the lower portion of the plastic wrap and then roll the butter up in the plastic wrap to form a log.
- Twist the ends of the plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate until firm.
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