Compound butter is such an easy, delicious way to boost the flavor of meats, seafood, pasta, veggies, bread, and more, and these 5 easy compound butter recipes are flavor workhorses.
In This Post
I’m a self-professed condiment queen. From homemade quick pickled onions to chimichurri sauce and teriyaki sauce, I’m a big proponent of low-effort, high-reward flavor workhorses that you can keep on hand, in your pantry or fridge. Compound butter is yet another awesome example of something I like to keep on hand to effortlessly boost the flavor of meats, chicken, and burgers, or slither into pasta with a little cheese, or mix into scrambled eggs and omelets. And of course, it’s absolutely the best slathered on sweet summer corn. And because these buttery flavor bursts freeze well, it’s simple to pull them out on a whim and use them to suit the tastes of everyone at the table.
Why You’ll Love These
- These compound butter recipes for steak, bread, fish, chicken, and more are SO simple to make
- A flavorful compound butter is such an easy way to elevate any dish
- Compound butter will keep for up to two months in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer, making it super convenient to have on hand
Compound Butter Tips
- Use unsalted butter so you can control your salty flavor.
- Softened butter makes it easy to fold your flavoring ingredients into the butter. To make the butter logs, simply spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of a piece of plastic wrap, then shape into rolls. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap as you roll.
- Chill each log for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20-30 minutes for the logs to take shape.
- Create your own seasoning blends by using complementary ingredients from your favorite ethnic profiles, or choose combinations from some of your favorite recipe blends.
How to Make Compound Butter
Making compound butter is surprisingly simple.
- Mix. Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.
- Shape. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log.
- Chill. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
How to Use Compound Butters
- Spread on bread and crostini
- Jazz up grilled cheese sandwiches
- Amp up your burger
- Slather on fresh corn on the cob
- Mix into pasta or mashed potatoes
- Top various proteins, like steaks, filet mignon, lobster, chicken, or fish
5 Recipes for Homemade Compound Butters
For melt-in-your-mouth savory goodness, here are five easy compound butter recipes that will make your grilled veggies, proteins, and bread sing!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Thai Basil and Lime Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter , (1 stick), at room temperature
- ½ lime , zested
- 1 tablespoon minced Thai basil
- ½ teaspoon 5-spice
- pinch of red chili flakes
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
Nutrition
Cinnamon and Chipotle Chile Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter , (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
Nutrition
Lemon Dill Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter , (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1 lemon , zested, plus juice of half of the lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
Spicy Buffalo Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter , (1 stick), at room temperature
- 2 ounces blue cheese , crumbled
- 1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce or other vinegar based hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
Nutrition
Parmesan and Smoked Paprika Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter , (1 stick), at room temperature
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll it into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.
Nutrition
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Carol
Can you use margarine instead of butter?
Hi Carol, yes you could use margarine if you prefer.
rance massey
OMG This was fabulous. The salmon with the lemon dill compound butter was outstanding. The pasta was awesome as well, although I added quite a bit of powdered garlic, which gave it a bit more flavor, topped with ptarmigan and fresh ground pepper. A glass of Pinot Grigio to accompany the meal made it a wonderful dining experience. Thank you for sharing.
Jean Colson
I wanted to print out the recipes with maybe one photo showing the rolled tubes – but, on my phones, it showed it would be 26 PAGES to print!! Egads.
Guess I’ll have to do without…
remote desktop windows 10 pc
The post you have shared is really nice as I have gone through some of the points was really helpful and beneficial to all users while preparing yummy food.
Billy
Okay I definitely have to make that lemon and dill one! It looks so good! The other ones look great too. Can’t wait to try making these at home, thank you for sharing!
ronda
I just had the best lavender and honey butter that was so good. Now I have even more to try. Oh you just made my summer butter better.
Rachael @ Rachael's Foodie Life
Compound butters are a must have in our house! my current favourite is maple bourbon, it’s so good on pancakes or steaks. I will be making some of your combos this week to keep on hand in the freezer
Chris
I love making white miso butter. It’s incredibly versatile and the umami hit from the miso is fantastic.
Katya
This got me excited! There’s something about compound butters that make them better taste enhancers than sauces (no offense meant to Chileheads :D ). Your recipes, OMG! I’d love them on my steak, thanks so much for sharing!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
Flavored butter is the best! I know I’d use the lemon dill butter all the time, and the Thai basil lime butter sounds fab!
Becky Winkler
This is so cool! I love herbed compound butters, but your post made me realize there are so many more options I need to get into!!
Ah Becky, I love a good garlic and herb butter too, and you’re right, there are so many more out there! Next time I want to try a sweet version, too. Thank you for the comment!