Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my compound butter recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
How To Make Compound Butter
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card. Soft butter is way easier to mash and helps everything blend together smoothly. You can easily make your own compound butter recipes by mashing in different ingredients! These are some of my favorites:
Summer herbs – Dill and parsley are already pretty summery, but you can also add or replace them with chives or basil. Fall herbs – In the fall, I like to make compound butter with rosemary, thyme, and/or sage. This combo is perfect for spreading under the skin for my roasted turkey or spatchcock chicken. Blue cheese – Mash some crumbled blue cheese into the butter. I love this version on steak, along with some sauteed mushrooms. Lemon – With any herb combo, mix in a teaspoon of lemon zest for a bright flavor. You can also try lime or orange zest. Skip the juice, though—it can make the butter too watery unless you’re using it in a sauce. Pesto – Mix together butter and pesto, for built-in herbs and garlic. I love this melted over zucchini noodles or grilled shrimp skewers. Honey – For a sweet version, skip the garlic and herbs, and beat the butter with 1/4 cup of honey (I make it with my natural sugar-free honey). Sometimes I add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or even pumpkin spice to this one. It’s amazing spread on fall breads! Black garlic – Use black garlic instead of regular for a deeper flavor. Use it just as you would regular garlic butter… on anything.
Compound Butter For Steak:
The #1 reason I make it! Using compound butter for steak is an instant way to add richness and take your steaks to a whole new level. Try it with some of my steak recipes:
For every day – My sirloin steak recipe is my most popular affordable cut. You can also whip up a reasonable sirloin tip steak, grilled steak, or garlic butter steak bites. For special occasions – I have to admin, these are my weakness, and I sometimes make them even when there’s no event. My fave is filet mignon, but you can also use compound butter for ribeye (pictured below), New York strip, London broil, or even surf and turf.
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Flavor Variations: See the details in the post above! I’ve got summer and fall versions, blue cheese, lemon, pesto, honey, and black garlic flavors to choose from. Store: Up to 1 month in the fridge, depending on how fresh your herbs are. Freeze: Up to 3-6 months in the freezer. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, or use an ice cube tray like mine to pop out individual portions easily.
