Garlic Herb Compound Butter

Compound butter is surprisingly easy to make! For this flavored butter recipe, we're quickly mixing rosemary, garlic, coarse salt and ground pepper, and then chilling it for a couple of hours. From there, you're ready to slice the herb butter and place it on top of your favorite cut of meat!

When you hear the phrase "compound butter", it's simply referring to flavored butter. And you can easily make your own compound butter recipes in your own kitchen! This herb butter is full of flavor and really enhances the flavor on so many foods, especially steak and salmon. 

🧈 Margarine vs Butter

When making this garlic and herb butter, it's important to use butter and not margarine. The flavor will not be as intense if you use margarine. And, margarine is highly processed. Butter has more nutritional value than margarine and contains healthy cholesterol and amino acids. 

And while we're at it, use a good quality butter. I like a good European style such as this Land O Lakes Ultra Creamy Unsalted Butter. I also like using Irish butter, such as Kerrygold, because it has a higher butterfat content and tends to be more creamy and flavorful than American brands. 

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

This one is made with 5 simple ingredients. You’ll also need parchment paper. When making this herb butter, ensure you use an unsalted butter so you can manage the level of saltiness.

To make the most of the flavor, mince your own garlic from the cloves and finely chop two fresh rosemary sprigs. I also recommend using coarse black pepper and a coarse salt, such as kosher or Himalayan. 

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

Let's walk through how to make garlic butter. To start, combine the softened butter, salt, pepper, fresh minced garlic, and fresh chopped rosemary in a medium bowl. Using either a wire whisk or a handheld mixer, mix the ingredients until well combined.

Using a spatula, remove the mixture and place it onto a large piece of parchment paper. Divide the mixture in half and put it on plate and set aside.

For the remaining half that is on the paper, starting from one edge of the parchment paper carefully roll the mixture, tucking the paper under the mixure as best you can and form into a log shape.

Using both hands, twist the ends on the parchment paper on both sides so it looks like a large tootsie roll. Place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set.

Once it’s chilled, you’ll be able to slice it and place it on top of each piece of steak.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• This herb butter will last in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Once it's sliced, place the leftover roll in a sealable plastic bag to maintain the freshness.
• The variations are endless. You can add your favorite herbs and spices to this basic recipe or you can create a sweet version made with ingredients such as brown sugar and honey.
• Not only is this excellent served on top of a freshly grilled steak, but you can use it on bread, as well. When serving a fresh baked french loaf, I skip chilling the herb butter and just lathering it onto the pre-cooked bread.
• It's typically ok to freeze this compound butter, but if making one that contains any type of oil don't freeze it. The consistency will be off when it thaws.

🥘 Recipes to Pair with Garlic Herb Butter

Herb butter tastes amazing on top of so many different foods. I can tell you it's the absolute best steak butter. I use it to form a crust on my Smoked Prime Rib recipe. It's just an all around great herb butter for steak.

If you want to skip the chilling process, after I combine the ingredients I spread it on fresh baked bread. It makes a great garlic butter spread on these Herb Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls.

When melted, it also makes a really good herb butter for turkey and seafood. Regardless how you serve it, this is an incredibly flavorful herb butter that is easy to make and it's so versatile that it can be paired with just about anything! 

I can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe of mine on the website, make sure you rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! I love hearing from you!

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Garlic Herb Compound Butter

Surprisingly easy to make, you'll quickly mix rosemary, garlic, coarse salt and ground pepper, and then chill it for a couple of hours. From there, you're ready to slice and place it on top of your favorite cut of meat!

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Refrigerate Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

• ▢
  parchment paper

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper using either either a wire whisk or electric mixer.
• Place the mixture onto a small piece of parchment paper, about 6 inches long.
• Starting from one edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the mixture and form into a cylinder shape, twisting the ends on both sides.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until ready to use.
• Slice into 1 tablespoon slices and place on top on your favorite freshly cooked meat so it melts down the side.

Notes

• This recipe will last in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Once it's sliced, place the leftover roll in a sealable plastic bag to maintain the freshness.
• The variations are endless. You can add your favorite herbs and spices to this basic recipe or you can create a sweet version made with ingredients such as brown sugar and honey.
• Not only is this excellent served on top of a freshly grilled steak, but you can use it on bread, as well. When serving a fresh baked french loaf, I skip the chilling step and just lathering it onto the pre-cooked bread.
• It's typically ok to freeze this compound butter, but if making one that contains any type of oil don't freeze it. The consistency will be off when it thaws.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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