Herb Butter (aka compound butter) is easy and great on vegetables, hot pasta, sizzling steak, warm baguettes, or spread on dinner rolls.
Once you make Herb Butter, you will use it in so many ways it will change your cooking.
Flavored butter is an easy condiment to create in your kitchen and will keep for weeks. And it is a great way to use up extra herbs you have on hand or pick from your garden...
Compound Herb Butter Top Tips
It’s very easy to make fresh herb butter or compound butter at home.
- Pro Tip: Use a clean sharp pair of kitchen scissors to cut the herbs in a jar or cup instead of with a knife and a cutting board. (see below for more).
- Pick a high-quality brand of fresh butter, I recommend salted butter but unsalted works fine.
- Let the butter soften to room temperature for a couple of hours. PRO TIP: The butter should be very soft and easy to mix, cut into small cubes to soften faster.
- Fresh herbs work best, you can clean them underwater and allow them to air dry for several hours prior to chopping.
- Both dried and fresh herbs may be used to season the butter, but I think fresh herbs make it extra flavorful and beautiful!
Here Is All You Need...
The "Easy Way" To Finely Cut Herbs
My Mom taught me how to make Homemade Herb Butter, and I always think of her when I am making a batch.
She also taught me to snip the herbs in the jar or coffee cup. Of course, you can always chop on a cutting board, I just do it the way she showed me all those years ago...it is fast, easy, and effective.
Fresh basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, and thyme from my garden...🌿🍃🪴
Yes, place soft compound butter on parchment paper in a log shape, roll, and twist ends closed. Place in a zip-top bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Compound butter is made by mixing soft butter with other ingredients like fresh herbs, citrus, and spices. They are created and used to build flavor in recipes such as melting on meats, vegetables, seafood, or spread on fresh-baked bread.
Once the compound butter is made, it can be stored in a small covered container, wrapped in plastic wrap, or in parchment paper, and chilled until it is firm enough to be sliced.
Herb Butter For Turkey
Rub this butter under the skin of your turkey or chicken before roasting. The herb butter flavors the poultry and keeps it moist while helping to crisp the skin of the roast chicken or turkey.
This is the butter I also use on my super-duper easy Herb Roasted Turkey Breast, just what you want if you like leftover for Thanksgiving...🦃
Herb Butter Uses
- Spread on any warm loaf of bread or Hot Dinner Rolls
- Add to sizzling grilled steaks
- Melt slices on grilled, roasted, or baked potatoes
- Try on shrimp or Grilled Salmon
- Incredible on Mashed Potatoes
- Great on Grilled Corn
More Compound Butter Recipes
Herb Butter (Compound Butter)
Ingredients
Ingredients
Herb Butter Ingredients
- ½ cup butter soften at room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh herbs minced rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt optional if using salted butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- other herbs to try! sage, dill, chives, tarragon, oregano, or green onions
Instructions
Prep
- Leave the butter out at room temperature for a few hours to soften.
- PRO TIP: cut the cube into little cubes and it will soften faster.
Mix Herb Butter
- Snip fresh herbs in a small mug or glass jar with clean kitchen scissors until the herbs are finely minced.
- Mix soft butter, ¼ cup finely chopped herbs, ½ teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper in a small bowl with a spatula.
- Place your herb butter in a small sealed container with a lid, it will keep in the fridge for a week. Or place on parchment paper in a log shape, roll and twist ends closed-keep in fridge or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
storage options
Place on parchment paper in a log shape, roll, and twist ends closed. Place in a ziptop bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. OR Place your herb butter in a small sealed container with a lid, it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.herb butter uses
- Try it on toasted bread, steak, fish, or vegetables.
- Great to slice off on a sizzling hot steak!
- Rub under the skin of your turkey or chicken before roasting. The herb butter flavors the poultry and keeps it moist while helping to crisp the skin of the chicken or turkey.
We made this herb butter and served it over a Whiskey marinated steak! This was beyond easy to make and so good over steak!
This is a naughty recipe for me because once I make it I want to slather it on warm bread, pasta, potatoes ... you name it. I love that I can play with the herbs and see what combos I like best on what.