Garlic Herb Compound Butter - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

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By Chris Joe

5 from 69 votes

Nov 10, 2023, Updated Nov 20, 2023

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A great homemade Compound Butter is a wonderful condiment to have in your kitchen arsenal ready to go. You can easily elevate any vegetable, meat, fish, or even a simple slice of bread with this Garlic Herb Compound Butter – and it’s SO easy to make! There are a million compound butter recipes online but this one is THE BEST! Pair this with some crispy crostini or freshly baked Milk Bread rolls!

I’ll use whatever fresh herbs I have on hand, but for me, fresh garlic is a must! I’m using fresh finely chopped thyme, rosemary, and chives, but you can definitely use what you have available or even use dried herbs in a pinch.

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Watch the Garlic Herb Compound Butter Recipe Video Below!

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Ingredients for my Garlic Herb Compound Butter:

This recipe doesn’t use many ingredients so high quality is KEY!

  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter – Use a high quality butter and you can’t go wrong!
  • Fresh Herbs – My favorite fresh herbs to use for a great compound butter are rosemary, thyme, and chives. But you can also add in whatever you like! Parsley and dill work well too! Make sure they are finely chopped.
    • Fresh Thyme
    • Fresh Rosemary
    • Fresh Chives
  • Garlic
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Lemon zest (optional)

My Garlic Herb Compound Butter: Recipe Instructions

I love compound butter because the butter is truly a canvas to add whatever flavors you like! This recipe for Garlic Herb Compound Butter is pretty straightforward but there are a few key steps to make the best herb compound butter, so let’s get started!

Mince Herbs

First, remove the rosemary and thyme leaves from their branches (using a cheese grater and running them through is a great hack!), then finely chop up the herbs and set them aside. Using chopped fresh herbs will add a lot more flavor than dried herbs in the compound butter.

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Mix Compound Butter

Add softened butter to the bowl. Then add in the minced herbs followed by grated garlic, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well until the seasonings and herbs are incorporated and you’re basically done!

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Roll the Butter into a Log

At this point, the butter will be very soft and you can definitely use it immediately. If you need to store it, simple take a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and add the butter into the center.

Fold one side over and form a log with your hands. Roll the plastic to cover any exposed ends then twist and tighten the ends in opposite directions to form a tight log.

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Storing Compound Butter

To store your Garlic Herb Compound Butter, pop it in the fridge until solid and portion out as need for later! You can store Garlic Herb Compound Butter in your fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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Add the Butter to Compliment Your Favorite Dishes!

I love using compound butters to elevate my vegetables like sweet potatoes, steaks, chicken, fish or simply spread it across a piece of toasted bread! It’s a super flavorful butter that I always like to have on hand, especially around the holidays when I’m doing a lot of cooking! This herb butter will elevate your food to the next level and I hope you enjoy it!

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Recipe Tips for Garlic Herb Compound Butter:

SOFTEN YOUR BUTTER

  • Leave your butter on the counter for a few minutes to let it come to room temperature. Trust me, it will be so much easier to mix together than butter straight out of the fridge!

QUALITY IS KEY!

  • This compound butter only has a few ingredients, so I recommend using the highest quality butter you can find!

If you liked this Garlic Herb Compound Butter recipe, check out some of the most popular holiday recipes on the blog!

  • Honey Glazed Carrots
  • Roasted Green Beans with Bacon
  • My ULTIMATE Mac and Cheese
  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Super Crispy)
  • Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes
  • Creamy Mashed Potatoes

If you tried this Garlic Herb Compound Butter or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

5 from 69 votes

Garlic Herb Compound Butter

By: Chris Joe

Servings: 8

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

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Garlic Herb Compound Butter - CJ Eats Recipes (9)

This garlic herb compound butter will elevate it with so much flavor! Add it to vegetables, meats, fish, and more!

Ingredients

  • 8 oz unsalted butter, about 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon zest, optional

Instructions

  • Bring butter to room temperature to soften. Add butter to a bowl.

  • Mince the fresh thyme, rosemary, and chives and add to the butter. Grate in garlic, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

  • Mix until the herbs and seasonings are thoroughly incorporated into the butter.

  • Take a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and add the butter into the center of the sheet. Fold over one end of the plastic and form a log. Roll and tighten the opposite sides of the plastic around the butter to form a cylinder.

  • Place in the refrigerator until solid and use within 1 week or store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 440mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 777IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

Garlic Herb Compound Butter - CJ Eats Recipes (10)

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

Read more about me

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Garlic Herb Compound Butter - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is garlic herb butter made of? ›

Bring butter to room temperature to soften. Add butter to a bowl. Mince the fresh thyme, rosemary, and chives and add to the butter. Grate in garlic, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Why do chefs use compound butter? ›

Compound butter or “beurre composse” in French is simply unsalted butter mixed with other ingredients that add sweet or savory flavor, like honey, herbs, or garlic. This creamy spread can be easily added to meats, and sauces sides to add extra flavor.

How long does garlic compound butter last? ›

How to Store Garlic Butter. Transfer the butter to a ramekin and cover tightly, or form it into logs using parchment paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The compound butter can be kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to two weeks.

Should I refrigerate compound butter? ›

Compound butter can be kept refrigerated for several days. They can also be frozen for several months by being wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in plastic freezer bags.

Should you melt butter for compound butter? ›

Bring your butter to room temperature.

Cold butter won't blend with your mix-ins, and melted butter won't keep its consistency to hold them in place. Room temperature is like Goldilocks and the Three Bears: not too cold and not too hot.

Is garlic butter good or bad for you? ›

Garlic butter is a very good source of vitamins A, E and K. It is even known to destroy harmful bacterias in our system. Even if it has saturated fats that has no harmful effects on our heart and body, it is a very good replacement for refined oil.

What is butter compound vs butter? ›

So, compound butter is butter combined with at least one additional ingredient. However, most compound butter recipes will include several ingredients. Depending on the ingredients you add, you can make your compound sweet or savory.

Why does restaurant butter taste so much better? ›

It's brimming with butterfat

“I think restaurant butter often tastes better because it has a higher butterfat percentage,” says Luke Ilardo, head baker and owner of Doppio Pasticceria in Baltimore. “Most grocery stores offer 80% butterfat, but through our distributors, we can pretty easily find up to 86% butterfat.

What is another name for compound butter? ›

Cooking with compound butter

It can also be used to finish a dish—like our Black Truffle Flavored Butter on top of a steak—which is why the term 'finishing butter' is commonly used to describe compound butter, too.

Do you baste with compound butter? ›

Every cooked meat, every protein, benefits from a good compound butter because it allows the fat to baste and add additional flavor. It's typically incorporated with fresh or fragrant aromatic herbs. As it heats up, the oils and fat heat up, releasing the oils and aromatics for an additional depth of flavor.”

Why did my garlic butter turn green? ›

Garlic is originally a creamy white colour, but it can turn blue or green in the prolonged presence of any acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or the contents of a lacto-fermentation.

Does homemade garlic butter go bad? ›

Garlic butter can be shaped into a cylinder and wrapped up tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for a few months. Thaw before using, and cut off what you need from one end before rewrapping.

Can you freeze garlic compound butter? ›

It can also be flavored with vegetables such as shallots or garlic. Some variations around the world include ingredients such as anchovies, caviar or nuts. Compound butter can also be called 'herb butter' or in French, 'beurre compose'. It is a great butter to keep in the fridge or freezer.

What is the difference between compound butter and butter? ›

So, compound butter is butter combined with at least one additional ingredient. However, most compound butter recipes will include several ingredients. Depending on the ingredients you add, you can make your compound sweet or savory.

What do you use butter powder for? ›

Sauces and Gravies - Powdered butter can be used to add richness and flavor to sauces and gravies. Simply whisk the powder into a liquid, such as milk or broth, until it forms a smooth sauce. Seasoning - Powdered butter can be used as a seasoning for vegetables, meats, popcorn and other dishes.

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