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Elevate dinner with this zesty and rich cowboy butter recipe that’s packed with bold and bright flavors! It’s the perfect finishing touch for steak, seafood, or vegetables.
Try my Garlic and Herb Spreadable Butter or Easy Yum Yum Sauce next.
Why you’ll love it
Giddy up and make this irresistible cowboy butter! If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a type of compound butter, meaning butter that’s mixed with other ingredients. In this case we’ve got fresh thyme and parsley, lemon, garlic, and other amazing savory components.
This easy cowboy butter is the perfect pairing with a good steak like my Best Ribeye Steak. Top your favorite grilled or pan-fried protein with a pop of freshness, smoky-warm flavor, and buttery indulgence. It does double duty as a fantastic dip or spread as well.
What you’ll need
- Butter – we’re using unsalted butter
- Lemon – using both lemon juice and zest gives the best acidic, citrusy punch
- Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard – two of my fave ways to add depth of flavor
- Herbs – we’ve got chopped fresh parsley and thyme
- Garlic – raw garlic gives it that satisfying kick
- Onion powder and smoked paprika – pantry seasonings for more savory deliciousness
- Red pepper flakes – these don’t make it spicy, more of a gentle heat
Pro tip
Cowboy butter is versatile. It’s great as a dip (serve it warm and melted or at room temperature), spooned on top of steak/chicken/etc., or it can even be served cold out of the fridge since it’ll melt and spread easily onto bread.
How to make cowboy butter
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut up the butter, and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients, and combine. Serve hot, cooled, or cold depending on preference.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here’s the whisk I like to use for this.
- Mince the garlic quickly with a garlic press, one of my most used kitchen tools.
- Chop up the herbs with a good knife, and store any extra herbs in this herb saver to keep them fresh.
Substitutions and variations
- If you want some more heat, use additional crushed red pepper flakes and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- This recipe is fairly flexible, so if you don’t have an ingredient or are not a fan of a certain ingredient, feel free to omit it!
What to serve with cowboy butter
- It’s wonderful with steak like my Ribeye or Simple Filet Mignon recipes, Easy Baked Chicken Breast, these Baked Pork Chops, and grilled veggies or seafood (try Seared Scallops for surf and turf).
- A few side dishes it makes even better are my Easy Baked Potato, popular Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and this Stovetop Asparagus.
- It’s super versatile, so you can even use it in place of regular butter for a kick of flavor, e.g. on a sandwich.
Leftovers and storage
- It’ll keep in the fridge for about a week in an airtight container.
- You can freeze cowboy butter for up to 6 months. You can either shape it into a log after it hardens and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it all, or scoop it into individual portions in a divided tray.
If you made this cowboy butter for steak, please let me know below! It might just become your new favorite steak sauce. Leave me a review below, or tag me on Instagram.
Cowboy Butter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt see note
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the butter into pats and add it to a small bowl. Microwave in intervals (I use half power so it doesn't splatter everywhere) until melted.
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk/stir until fully combined. Taste & adjust as needed. I like to let it cool a bit and serve it at room temperature so it thickens up slightly, but you can serve it when it's still warm or even cold straight out of the fridge.
Notes
- If using regular table salt, you may want to add half the amount. Sea salt and kosher salt are less potent.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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