Easy to Make Cowboy Butter Recipe - Best on Steak

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This simple to make 11 ingredient homemade cowboy butter recipe is the most delicious way to add a burst of flavor to any juicy steak. This delicious compound butter is the perfect topping for a cowboy butter steak to add while the steak is resting. Making this recipe requires just one pan and is packed with fresh ingredients to help add a kick of heat to your favorite recipes.

This flavorful butter recipe is especially popular during the summer months when surf and turf recipes are alive and well. This homemade butter is a perfect addition to a steak dinner. It can also be used as a dipping sauce to add flavor to prime rib at Christmas time or can be fun to dip your Thanksgiving turkey in. You can also add some heavy cream and turn it into a pasta sauce or toss lobster in it before adding it to a lobster roll. The flavorful ingredients shine in this cowboy butter sauce recipe.

This was inspired by my Horseradish Sauce on this site, and pairs well with this Reverse Sear Steak.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
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💬 Comments

Ingredients

Using unsalted butter is vital in this recipe because it is easier to control the level of salt by adding it in at the end. Country style dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic cloves, fresh chives, fresh parsley, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper are added to add all of the flavor to the melted butter. Let the butter harden to room temperature to have a flavorful, spreadable type of compound butter result.

unsalted butter
dijon mustard
lemon juice
garlic cloves
fresh chives
fresh parsley
paprika
red pepper flakes
cayenne pepper
salt
black pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Measure out paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Step 2: Chop chives and parsley. Grate fresh garlic.

Step 3: Melt butter on medium heat. Add in dijon mustard once melted. Add lemon juice and garlic. Cook about 3 mins.

Step 4: Add spices and fresh herbs. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove butter mixture from heat. Allow to cool and save in the refrigerator or use immediately as a dipping sauce.

Hint: make sure the ingredients are constantly being mixed so that the butter does not brown too quickly and so the garlic does not burn.

Substitutions

Chives - instead of chives use diced scallions for a similar flavor
Butter - use ghee or clarified butter as a substitute
Garlic - use garlic powder if necessary, fresh garlic is best to assure the most robust garlic flavor
Lemon Juice - lemon zest can also be used in addition to the lemon juice for extra flavor

Variations

Spicy - add hot sauce or cayenne pepper for extra spice
Compound Butter - let the butter harden in the fridge and use it to rest on steak
Pasta Sauce - toss pasta in the butter sauce as is or add heavy whipping cream to create a creamy sauce
Garlic Bread - spread the softened butter on fresh bread and top with cheese for a cowboy butter garlic bread recipe

Equipment

To create this recipe you will need a sauce pan, whisk and measuring spoons. If grating the garlic a microplane is suggested. Additionally, a sharp knife and cutting board are needed to chop the herbs.

Storage

Store the leftover butter in the refrigerator. It can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container or small bowl. The butter will harden in the fridge. Good for 2-3 moths.

Top tip

Serve this sauce alongside sliced medium rare grilled ribeye steak. To cook a steak to medium rare, cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. This can be done either on the grill or in a cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet on the stove. You can cook the steak using a reverse sear method explained in this Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak recipe.

FAQ

What can I do to avoid the butter from burning?

Add a little olive oil right after adding the butter. This will help keep the butter from burning too quickly. Cooking on a lower temperature will also help slow the process and allow the flavors to marry slowly without the butter burning and assure best results.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with homemade cowboy butter:

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