Compound Butter Recipes: Easy Flavor Bombs for the Busy Foodie (2024)

If you’re like us, you’re a little light on time most weeknights.

But you can make a masterful meal in minutes with these easy compound butter recipes.

Most come together in under 10 minutes. And wow, do they add on-demand flavor.

Create these easy flavor bombs ahead, freeze, and use as needed.

Stored in an air-tight bag, you’ll have go-to, fabulous flavor at your fingertips. Up to three months in the freezer and one week in the fridge.

These boutique butters create their own delectable sauce simply melted over steaks, chops, poultry, fish, and shellfish.

They’re amazing added to sauces, vegetables, rice, and pasta. And atop baked potatoes or spread over breads and baked goods in many cases.

We start with unsalted, European-style butter. The higher fat content works well for compound butter recipes.

Going unsalted gives you control over the salt content… and, the type of salt you use. (We’re salt snobs).

We typically like good quality sea salt, including Celtic Grey Salt. Or Himalayan Pink Salt is lovely as well. Both are much healthier, with many additional minerals you need.

We love a good food processor. Especially for butters that require mincing or chopping. It makes the job easier.

But you can simply use a bowl and spoon.

Either will yield a delicious butter.

If you can stir, you can make it.

You’ll want to create a log that can be cut into individual serving coins.

We highly recommend you use wax paper as shown below.

We’ve tested wax paper, parchment paper, and plastic wrap.

We found wax paper to be the easiest to work with. The butter didn’t stick to the paper as it did with the plastic wrap.

Wax paper is also more pliable than plastic wrap or parchment paper. Making it easier to twist off on the ends of the butter logs.

All compound butters begin with softened, room temperature butter.

If using fresh herbs, wash and thoroughly dry them before chopping. We like to use a salad spinner to remove moisture from herbs. Then we pat dry with a paper towel before chopping.

We like to use a food processor for butters that feature fresh herbs or aromatics.

For example, our Garlic Herb Butter.

But a bowl with the back of a spoon or spatula will combine the ingredients well.

A note about fresh garlic: When using it in a compound butter, we always mash it into a paste before adding it to the butter.

To mash the garlic into a paste – first, mince the cloves. Then sprinkle the minced garlic with sea salt.

Press the back of a chef’s knife into the garlic.

This technique releases oils and creates a better flavor ultimately.

Here’s a step-by-step process for making our Garlic Herb Butter.

Choose your favorite flavor profile from the compound butter recipes below. Simply adjust the ingredients accordingly and mix.

Step 1:

Prepare the ingredients. Butter needs to be softened to room temperature.

Step 2:

Mince the garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt and press into a paste with the back of a chef’s knife.

Step 3:

Mince parsley by processing in a food processor. Or mince by hand.

Step 4:

Add garlic, butter, and salt to the food processor.

Step 5:

Pulse the food processor until combined. Or, in a medium bowl, add room temperature butter, minced parsley, minced garlic, and sea salt. Mix thoroughly with the back of a spoon until well combined.

Step 6:

Spoon the butter onto the center of a sheet of wax paper.

Step 7:

Using a spatula or spoon, drop the butter onto wax paper. Shape into a rough rectangular size, similar in size to a stick of butter.

Step 8:

Roll the bottom half of the wax paper over the butter. Roll tightly into a log shape. Twist the ends of the wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.

Orange Honey Compound Butter

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

Zest of a medium orange

1 tablespoon juice from theorange

Ways to Enjoy

Spread over:

• Biscuits

• Pancakes

• French toast

• Cornbread

Melt over:

• Fish filets, including halibut, sea bass, salmon

• Grilled, roasted or pan-searedpork chops

• Grilled chickenbreasts

• Roasted chicken

• Steamed asparagus

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 package fresh chives minced, about 3 tablespoons
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Ways to Enjoy

Spread over:

Melt over:

Use it to cook:

Add to recipes or cooked dishes:

Garlic Herb Compound Butter

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup loosely packed parsley leaves or 3 tablespoons minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced, sprinkled with salt and pressed into a paste with the back of a chef’s knife
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Ways to Enjoy

Spread over:

Melt over:

Use it to cook:

Add to recipes or cooked dishes:

Lemon Provençale Compound Butter

Ingredients

Ways to Enjoy

Use it to cook:

Add to recipes or cooked dishes:

Chipotle Lime Compound Butter

Ingredients

2 chipotlepeppers in adobosauce, seeded, veins discarded and minced
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
Zest of a lime
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 large garlic clove minced, sprinkled with salt and pressed into a paste with the back of a chef’s knife
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon sea salt

Ways to Enjoy

Use it to cook:

Add to recipes or cooked dishes:

Ingredients

Ways to Enjoy

Melt over:

Add to recipes or cooked dishes:

Tomato Basil Compound Butter

Ingredients

Ways to Enjoy

Add to recipes or cooked dishes: