How to use Compound Butters + 5 Recipes (2024)

Take your steak and savory dishes to the next level with compound butter! It’s a quick and easy way to add rich flavor to your regular butter to lather onto your chicken, beef, or vegetable dishes. If you’re looking for a simple guide to why and how to use compound butters, plus some delicious recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

There’s a little expression we love to cook with. Fat = flavor. We don’t shy away from using healthy fats in our cooking, as they are key to amazing taste. Fat adds richness and juiciness to a myriad of foods. And when it comes to our favorite to work with, these fresh herb butters may be the king.

By layering in subtle aromatics, spices, and salts to softened butter, we finish a lot of our dishes with that extra richness you often associate with restaurant-worthy steaks. It’s the secret ingredient that seems to make them unique and take meals to a whole new level.

What Is Compound Butter?

Compound butter is salted and softened butter mixed with other ingredients such as fresh herbs or spices. Finishing butter is a great way to add rich flavors to dishes such as roast chicken and baked potatoes or corn on the cob.

Many also use homemade compound butter to add incredible flavor to other various meat, fish, and vegetables. You’ve likely consumed garlic herb butter on garlic bread, right? That’s blended butter too. A simple fresh garlic blend butter with finely chopped herbs is a classic combo to spread on warm bread or rolls.

Have a sweet tooth? You can also make sweet combination of butter. That could look like creating a flavored butter with cinnamon, sugar, and butter to spread on baked goods, toast, waffles, or pancakes. There are many flavor combinations you can play around with.

Why Use Compound Butter for Steak?

Not only does savory butter add a layer of fabulous flavor to steak, but it also helps keep your meat more tender and juicy. Basting steak with butter helps cook it more quickly and adds more texture.

However, it’s most common to include compound butter after it’s cooked and plated. As the steak rests, allowing the juices to redistribute through the meat, a dollop of rich butter melts over the meat, coating it in a savory spread that also deepens the flavor.

This ensures your dish is even richer in flavor profiles. Compound butter can also be used to make delicious turkey when we coat it in butter before cooking like with our classic smoked turkey, and finish pork as well.

5 Compound Butter Recipes Variations

Now, onto the best part: easy compound butter recipes. If you’re looking for a classic combination of fresh ingredients to have at your disposal, listed below are just a few of my favorite recipes.

We don’t recommend using salted butter for any of these variations as you will be seasoning your recipe to taste. However, always start with room-temperature butter for ease of mixing.

Chimichurri Compound Butter

• 2 to 3 tablespoons chimichurri
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened

Harissa Compound Butter

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon fresh harissa paste
• Pinch of salt

Steakhouse Herb Compound Butter

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2 garlic cloves confit garlic for a richer flavor
• 1 tablespoon freshly prepared horseradish
• ½ tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Umami Compound Butter

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot minced
• ½ teaspoon Parsley fresh minced
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Girl Carnivore Ooomami

See Also

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe37 Easy and Delicious Electric Skillet Recipes - In the Kitch18 Non-Boring Salad Recipes You'll Want To Dig Your Fork Into ImmediatelyChateaubriand Recipe - Sous Vide Filet Mignon Roast

Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

• 1 head garlic tip ⅓ removed (Alternatively, we love smoked garlic confit in this recipe)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon smoked sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

After reading this guide, I hope you feel more confident and equipped to make compound butter. Which of the compound butter recipes are you most eager to try? What’s your favorite way to use it? Let me know in the comments below!