This garlic herb butter takes regular butter up a notch. It’s packed with fresh herbs and is the perfect base for a medley of dishes. There’s so much flavor — you’ll eagerly use it in every dish!

Sliced up butter in a pan with a knife.

What is Garlic Herb Butter?

Garlic herb butter is a type of compound (mixed-flavor) butter. It is made with softened butter that is creamed together with a mixture of herbs and spices. This herb butter is the perfect base for all savory dishes that use butter, but it is also easily adjusted to fit the flavor profile of any dish perfectly.

How to Make Seasoned Butter

It only takes five minutes to transform regular butter into this homemade garlic butter. Make it even better by doubling the batch and freezing to have it ready to go in a blink of an eye.

  • Mince the herbs: Mince the herbs and garlic cloves into tiny pieces. The smaller the pieces are, the better.
  • Combine all the ingredients: In a medium size bowl, combine softened butter, herbs, and garlic. Stir well to combine.
  • Spoon the mixture: Place spoonfuls of the seasoned butter onto the center of a piece of plastic wrap.
  • Roll the butter: Roll the wrapped butter into a log. Seal the edges and place in the refrigerator or freezer to store.

Variations of Garlic Herb Butter

Basic garlic herb butter is best with steak, chicken, or fish entrees, but here are a few other seasoned butter versions that are great, too.

  • Chipotle: Use canned chipotles in adobo sauce, lime juice, and garlic to make spicy crispy baked chicken thighs.
  • Mixed-herb: Combine your favorite herbs and spices (basil, thyme, oregano, pepper) to make this butter even better for spatchcock chicken or fish.
  • Jalapeño-lime: Mix finely diced jalapeños with a teaspoon of lime or lemon juice and cilantro for a spicy and tangy flavor that pairs great with steak, chicken, or fish. Or, spread it on grilled corn on the cob.
  • Rosemary: Add rosemary to the garlic herb butter and use it to make lamb loin chops, grilled ribeye steak or oven baked ribeye.
Butter sliced in a pan.

Tips for the Best Result

It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe, but here are a few tips to make the process go as smooth as butter.

  • Use fresh herbs: Fresh herbs have the most fragrant taste. In a pinch, use dried herbs but reduce the amount as they are more potent than fresh herbs.
  • Soften the butter: To mix the compound butter well, the unsalted butter base needs to be very soft. Avoid melting the butter as it will not return to the right consistency.
  • Substitute with salted butter: If you only have salted butter, omit the extra salt from the recipe. No problems with that here!
  • Double the recipe: Make an extra batch of garlic herb butter to have ready whenever the need arises.

Serving Suggestions

Garlic herb butter is a great way to add exceptional flavor to a variety of dishes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use it.

  • Protein: Add a few slivers of the butter to cast iron ribeye, classic chicken kiev, butter scallops, or buttered cod while cooking.
  • Veggies: Sauté any combination of your favorite vegetables in a pan using this butter for an easy flavor boost. Or, toss the veggies in the butter and roast in the oven.
  • Carb: Spread the butter on a slice of toasted country bread or mix it with a side of creamed potatoes. For pasta lovers, mix the butter with freshly cooked and warm pasta for extra seasoning.
  • Sauce: Serve it as a garlic butter sauce by slowly melting and stirring it. Then, dip your meat, veggies, bread, or even mushroom pizza slices! Yum!

Storing the Butter

This butter is not only easy to make, but it also requires almost no effort to store. Store it tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to two weeks, or keep it in the freezer for up to six months.

FAQ

Can I buy garlic herb butter in the store?

The butter is available in many stores as garlic herb butter or other seasoned compound varieties. However, you can make your own in half the time it takes to go to the grocery store.

Is Garlic Herb Butter Keto-friendly?

Yes, all of the ingredients in garlic butter are keto-friendly!

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About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.