Easy Compound Butter

How to make compound butters: an easy way to add rich, bold flavor to your dishes! Use on bread, steak, seafood and more.

You want something to eat from meh too spectacular? Try homemade Compound Butter! This French technique for adding a rich, savory herbal flavor to dishes is best known for garnishing steaks. But you can use it for a number of things! Try it as a spread on crusty bread, slather it on salmon, or even melt it into pasta as a makeshift sauce. It’s easy to progress and will delight everyone, especially if you’re entertaining! The savory note of compounded butter on a piece of crusty bread is out of this world perfection.

How to make compound butter

Compound butter is softened butter that is mixed with flavorings such as herbs, spices, and salt. Traditionally part of French cuisine, it can be eaten as a sauce or spread for bread, crackers, vegetables, steaks, seafood, etc. Compound butter is easy to make at home: it only takes a few minutes and is foolproof to prepare ahead of time. Here are the basic steps:

• Soften the butter. Halve the butter lengthwise, then cut into about 12 pieces total. Let it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes until it softens.
• Mix with spices. Put butter in a bowl. Add the herbs and spices, mash and stir in the butter until well combined.

How to shape compound butter into a log

Compound butter is traditionally rolled into a stick shape, similar to a butter stick, for storage. Although you can keep it in a bowl, it’s easier to shape it into a log so you can cut pieces out of it to use in recipes. Here’s what to do:

• Use plastic wrap to shape. Place the butter on a piece of cling film or parchment paper, then use the foil to roll into a stick shape. You may have to do this multiple times to get the perfect shape. There is no right or wrong way to shape it, so shape it however you wish.
• Twist and save the ends. Twist ends and refrigerate compound butter until firm enough to cut (or until ready to serve). To speed up the cooling process, place in the freezer for a few minutes until firm.

flavor variations

The following compound butter recipe is our favorite classic: Fresh chives, thyme, and garlic powder make an herbaceous, salty, and flavorful spread! But if you’re looking for a few more flavors, we’ve got them! Here are some fun ideas for making different types of compound butter:

• Lemon butter: Mix together 1 tablespoon of grated fresh lemon zest and some ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• Parmesan Basil Butter: Combine ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped basil, and a little ½ tsp kosher salt
• Smoked Paprika Butter: Mix together 1 tsp smoked paprika powder, 2 tbsp chopped chives and some ½ tsp kosher salt
• Lemon Thyme Butter: Mix together 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest, 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, and a little ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• rosemary butter: Mix together 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary and some ½ tsp kosher salt
• honey butter: Add 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp chopped thyme and just ½ tsp kosher salt

storage information

How to store homemade compound butter? Although you can usually store the butter at room temperature with the flavors added, it’s best to opt for the refrigerator.

• Store the compound butter in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• Store compound butter in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before use.

Ways to use compound butter

There are countless ways to use compound butter, but our favorite is simple. Use it as a tasty appetizer with crusty bread. It definitely impresses everyone and feels a lot classier than it is! Try adding it to a cheese or charcuterie platter for maximum wow factor. Here are some ways to use compound butter:

More like butter

Everything goes better with butter, right? Here are some tastier recipes where butter is the star:

This compound butter recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.