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Side Dishes » Garlic Herb Butter & 12 Ways to Use It

Garlic Herb Butter & 12 Ways to Use It

Created by Amy Engberson 4 Comments

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Garlic Butter in a bowl and on toast.
Steak butter in a bowl and on a steak.
Two images of compound butter made with garlic and herbs.

Herb Butter, or compound butter, is so EASY to make and is a great way to add fresh flavor to so many recipes! Plus, I’ll show you how to use this herb butter recipe in so many fun ways! It’s going to become a standard staple in your fridge!

Butter with herbs and garlic in a bowl.

This recipe was originally published in 2014. The post was updated to include extra information and new images. The recipe stayed the same.

What is herb butter? It’s simply butter mixed with fresh herbs. Shaped into a log, butter mold, or just put it in a dish.

This is a really EASY way to make any meal seem fancy and add loads of flavor, without much effort. My kids call this “steak butter“! If you haven’t had a steak with this butter melted all over the top of it, you are missing out!

Oh, and you’ll never want to buy one of those containers of garlic butter after you’ve tried this! This from-scratch garlic butter is the BEST for making homemade garlic bread!

Ingredients to make garlic herb butter.

Herb Butter Ingredients:

I’m sharing my Garlic Herb Butter recipe with you today. And it’s a basic herb butter recipe that goes well with about anything. Scroll down to see other varieties with different herbs.

  • BUTTER – Unsalted lets you control the amount of salt in your recipe. I’m a salt lover so I always buy salted butter. Either will work, it’s a personal preference.
  • HERBS – Fresh parsley and basil. I use dried herbs all the time in my cooking because I live so far from the grocery store and running in to grab fresh herbs isn’t always an option. But, for this recipe, you’re really going to want to use fresh herbs if at all possible. They add the best fresh flavor. If you’re really in a pinch, reduce the amount listed for fresh herbs by half and use dried herbs instead. (Other herbs can be used. See suggestions below.)
  • GARLIC – Fresh garlic clove. I also really like Gourmet Garden garlic paste. It will also work in this recipe. For a milder and more mellow flavor use roasted garlic.
  • SALT – Kosher salt packs a punch and is my favorite. You could also use table salt, but you need to reduce the amount called for by half.
  • LEMON – Fresh lemon juice and zest if you want.
Bread with garlic herb butter on top.

How to Make Herb Butter:

Make sure all fresh herbs are washed and completely dried before cutting them and adding them to the recipe.

Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: Room temperature butter is soft enough that when you press it with your finger it will make a small intention. To softened butter set it at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cut butter in smaller cubes to speed the process. Or microwave butter at 10% power for 10 seconds. Continue until it’s room temperature. Watch it closely so it doesn’t get too soft!

STEP 1: Mince garlic, chop (finely dice), or chiffonade (roll up basil leaves and slice) herbs. My husband uses sharp kitchen scissors when he cuts herbs, I like to use a knife.

  • Butter, parsley, and basil in a bowl.
  • Mixed herb butter in a bowl with beaters.

STEP 2: Add herbs, garlic, lemon juice (and zest if desired), and salt to room temperature butter.

STEP 3: Stir. Herbs should be mixed through.

STEP 4: Shape the butter into a log, mold, or add to a dish.

A roll of compound butter.

To make a butter log:

Add a long strip of butter to a piece of wax paper. I like to make mine about the diameter of a quarter. Roll up and twist the ends. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.

I love slicing butter pats off of a log and making individual butter servings for steaks, or serve them on the table in a cute dish.

To make molded butter:

Add butter to molds. Be sure to press it down releasing all the air bubbles. Freeze for about 30 minutes until it’s firm. Turn molds upside down and release butter.

Store butter in a container:

Or, you can take the easy route and store butter in an airtight container, or a cute dish covered with plastic wrap in the fridge!

Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: Cold refrigerated herb butter is perfect for slicing and serving on steaks, potatoes, etc. For spreadable herb butter remove butter from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so. It’s completely safe to leave it out for up to 2 hours.

A bowl of garlic butter with herbs.

FAQs about Herb Butter:

How long will herb butter last in the fridge?

Up to 2 months in the fridge if it’s in an airtight container. You’ll need to remove it from the wax paper so the paper doesn’t get soggy.

Can I freeze herb butter?

Yes! Herb butter will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw herb butter remove it from the freezer and keep in the fridge for overnight.

Cooked steak with butter on top.

How to Use Herb Butter:

There are really a million ways to use herbed butter! Here are a few suggestions for using it.

  1. MEAT – Herbed butter for Steaks is amazing (Filet Mignon Steaks are the best), rub a turkey with herb butter, baste grilled chicken, serve with salmon, herb butter rubbed prime rib, or toss shrimp in it
  2. PASTA – Add seasoned butter to any cooked noodles and toss. It’s an easy side dish or add grilled chicken to make it a main dish.
  3. POTATOES – Serve with baked potatoes, add to mashed potatoes, cook hashbrowns in this butter, or use on sweet potatoes or yams.
  4. RICE – Toss with cooked brown rice, white rice, or any rice to add flavor.
  5. GARLIC BREAD – This garlic herb butter is perfect for using to make garlic bread! Spread over bread and add parmesan cheese to make it extra special!
  6. SANDWICHES – Use this butter on French Dip Sandwich buns, hamburger buns, or any other sandwich buns then toast.
  7. GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES – Spread compound butter on the bread before grilling sandwiches.
  8. SLIDERS – Brush over party sandwiches before baking them. It’s awesome on my Pizza Sliders.
  9. POPCORN – Drizzle melted butter over popped popcorn! Yum!
  10. VEGETABLES – Herb butter vegetables are so flavorful! Try cooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green peas, spinach, green beans, Brussel sprouts, and more! It’s a game-changer with corn on the cob!
  11. SAUTEE – Sautee onions or mushrooms in this butter to infuse them with flavor.
  12. CASSEROLES – Substitute herb butter for regular butter in recipes like my corn casserole, funeral potatoes, etc.
A roll of flavored butter on a wooden plate.

Varieties of Herb Butter:

The sky is the limit here! Feel free to experiment with any fresh herbs. To make herb butter without garlic just leave out the garlic.

For a reduced salt herb butter cut the amount of salt in half. Or to make it completely salt-free leave the salt out altogether. It’s a great way to enhance food flavor without adding sodium.

For these options you’ll use 1 cup of butter and 2 total Tablespoons of herbs. Use 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon or lime juice if desired.

  • Cilantro + Garlic + lime juice (Serve with corn on the cob, cooked carrots, grilled chicken, etc.)
  • Chive + Parsley (Fantastic on baked potatoes with sour cream!)
  • Rosemary + Garlic (Great on steak or seasoned potatoes)
  • Sage + Thyme (Rub turkey, with any poultry, or sautee veggies)
Butter with herbs and garlic in a bowl.

Garlic Herb Butter

Herb Butter, or compound butter, is so EASY to make and is a great way to add fresh flavor to so many recipes! Plus, I’ll show you how to use this herb butter recipe in so many fun ways! It’s going to become a standard staple in your fridge!
3.74 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butter for steak, compound butter, garlic butter, garlic herb butter, herb butter, how to make herb butter
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 102kcal
Author: Amy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh basil minced
  • 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed

Instructions

How to make Garlic Herb Butter:

  • Mince garlic, parsley, and basil.
  • Mix all ingredients together until combined. Use a spoon or an electric mixer.

To make Compound Butter Roll:

  • Add a long strip of butter to a piece of wax paper. I like to make mine about the diameter of a quarter. Roll up and twist the ends.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.

To make Butter in a Mold:

  • Add mixed butter to molds. Be sure to press it down releasing all the air bubbles.
  • Freeze for about 30 minutes until it’s firm. Turn molds upside down and release butter.

Notes

This recipe is easy to cut in half. I love making lots and refrigerating it or freezing it for later. 
How to store flavored butter:
Store flavored butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 
How to make herb butter with dried herbs: 
I recommend using fresh herbs if possible. If using dry herbs replace the fresh herbs with dried herbs, using half of the amount listed in the recipe. Dried herbs have more potency in a smaller amount than fresh herbs do. That’s why you’ll need to reduce the amount.
Variations:
This is a basic flavored butter recipe. Feel free to adjust the amounts of herbs and salt to taste. Lemon juice adds brightness and a pop of flavor but can be left out if you want. Garlic packs a lot of punch in this recipe. To make it mellow or milder use less garlic, or use roasted garlic. 
See post for herb substitutions.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 382IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @littledairyontheprairie or tag #littledairyontheprairie!
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about amy

About Amy Engberson

I live on a dairy with my husband and three boys. Although we are in the business of raising cattle, we really are in the business of raising boys. I am passionate about catching up with each other at meal times. My love language is food. And I hope that my men feel the love in every bite. Read more...

Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: butter, Garlic, Garlic Bread, Herbs, pasta, vegetables

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  1. Betty Prewitt says

    November 8, 2014 at 6:54 pm

    Enjoyed reading about you and cant wait to try the pumpkin recipes and garlic herb butter. I love the beautiful photos and the design and colors (Yellow) on your site. I am sure there are some others I will be trying.
    I am a 73 year old grandmother , and still like to cook and try out new recipes. keep up the good work and thanks for sharing all this with us !!
    Betty

    Reply
    • Amy Engberson says

      November 9, 2014 at 10:12 pm

      Thanks for stopping and for the kind words Betty! I hope I’m still making a mess in the kitchen when I’m 73! I bet your grandchildren love to come visit and be in the kitchen with you! Have a great day!

      Reply
  2. Terry Haney says

    July 12, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    5 stars
    Hi! I made your recipe for Garlic Herb Butter. It was perfect. I actually used it to flavor the spaghetti noodles part of a recipe. It’s versatile and can be used in many different dishes.

    Reply
    • Amy Engberson says

      July 13, 2020 at 11:05 pm

      Yes! There are so many fun and delicious ways to use this butter! It’s pretty much good on everything. Pasta is one of my favorite ways to use it!

      Reply
Hi I’m Amy! Welcome to my stinky farm life where my days are filled with chasing kids and cows! It’s all about simply delicious food around here! If you leave my house hungry…it’s your own fault! Read More..

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