Name: Rosemary Compound Butter
Prep time: 490 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, (at room temperature); 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, (finely chopped); 2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper; 1 teaspoon coarse salt, (Himalayan, sea, or kosher)

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One of the best ways to add delicious flavor to meat and vegetables is by using compound butters. Full of flavor and made with fresh rosemary, cracked peppercorns, salt, and unsalted butter, use this herb butter on top of steaks, as a rub for a whole turkey, and on top of grilled corn on the cob!

close up of sliced compound butter rounds.

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ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
💭 Expert Tips
💭 Recipes To Pair
Rosemary Compound Butter

Compound butters are easy to make and this rosemary butter is no exception. If you’ve never made a compound butter before, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised at the difference a flavored butter can make to some of your favorite foods.

So what is compound butter? Compound butter is mixture of butter (preferable unsalted) and other flavorful ingredients that can be used in many different ways. It can be used as a rub before roasting a chicken or turkey or to top a steak that just came off the grill. It can even be used on oven roasted vegetables or corn on the cob! Compound butters can be sweet, savory, spicy, or even have a citrus base. The opportunities are truly endless!

Rosemary compound butter on a table, sprigs of rosemary on table.

ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works

1. Turning a room temperature butter into a compound is simple. You'll mix the ingredients, roll it in parchment paper, and then refrigerate it for 2-3 hours until firm. That's it!

2. This same recipe can be used as a butter rub directly on raw meat before cooking or vegetables without refrigerating!

3. It lasts for several weeks in the refrigerator so it's handy to use whenever you need it! Try it on roasted potatoes, french bread, and fish!

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

This herbal butter consists of unsalted butter, fresh chopped rosemary, course salt and black pepper. Using kosher or Himalayan salt works great with this recipe. I also recommend using an extra creamy unsalted butter, but regular unsalted also works great. A good European brand to use is Land O Lakes Ultra Creamy Unsalted Butter. I also like using Irish butter, such as Kerrygold, because it has a higher fat content and tends to be more creamy and flavorful than American brands.

fresh rosemary, butter, salt, and pepper on a counter.

📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

I'm going to show you the simple steps involved so you know how to make herb butter. First, set the butter out at room temperature at least 1 hour before you start making this recipe. It needs to be soft before mixing it with the herbs. Finely chop the fresh rosemary sprigs and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary, about 20 seconds. Expert Tip: Using an electric mixer helps whip the butter and ingredients better, but you can also use a hand held whisk.

Bowl containing butter, salt, pepper, and rosemary being mixed with an electric mixer.

Using a spatula, place the mixture onto a small piece of parchment paper, about 6 inches long.

Dollop of herb compound butter on parchment paper.

Starting from one edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the mixture while pushing and spreading it within the paper to form into a cylinder shape.

Compound butter being rolled in parchment paper.

Once the butter is wrapped tight, twist the ends closed on both sides. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until ready to use.

Person rolling compound butter in parchment paper.

When firm and ready for use, use a serrated knife to slice into ¼ thick rounds and place on your favorite cooked steak, chicken, or fish!

It really is that simple to make this compound butter recipe and I can guarantee this rosemary butter is going to be a crowd pleaser!

pieces of flavored butter rounds on a table.

💭 Expert Tips

If you have a coffee grinder, use it to finely chop the fresh rosemary and peppercorns. It works extremely well!
It only takes 1 hours for cold butter to become soft at room temperature.
This recipe can serve for two different purposes. While excellent as a compound, it also works really well as a butter rub on a lot of food.
It will last in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Once sliced, place the leftover roll in a sealable plastic bag to maintain the freshness.
I don't recommend using a salted butter but you won't be able to control the salt level. By using unsalted, you can control the amount of salt you use.

💭 Recipes To Pair

This rosemary compound butter is excellent on so many foods, like my Smoked Turkey Breast. Here's a tip...try rubbing the butter under the turkey skin in this recipe. It brings out the most amazing flavor and really helps add extra flavor! I also like using this rub on my Smoked Elk Roast. It helps take away a lot of the gamey flavors.