This Cowboy Butter recipe is a creamy, savoury butter sauce that’s packed with herbs and spices! Serve it as a topping or dip for steak, chicken, seafood, or grilled vegetables.
In our opinion, the only thing better than a juicy steak is juicy steak slathered in our favourite buttery steak sauce: Cowboy Butter! It’s really the best sauce for so many of your favourite foods, and it requires just a few simple ingredients. Trust us – you need this Cowboy Butter recipe in your life!!
This Cowboy Butter recipe is a delicious and savoury dip or topping for grilled meats, fish and seafood, grilled, steamed or roasted veggies, corn on the cob, or even potatoes. It’s made with butter, herbs and spices and made extra creamy with the addition of lemon and mustard. We make this Cowboy Butter for steak, but you can use it for dipping whatever you like!
- The mixture is separating: If your cowboy butter is separating, it may be because the butter and other ingredients were not mixed together well enough. Try mixing the butter and other ingredients together again using a hand-held whisk and place the bowl inside another bowl of ice water. This will cool down the mixture slightly and cause the mixture to come together again.
- The mixture is too salty: If your cowboy butter is too salty it could be because you used salted butter instead of unsalted butter. We recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe in order to control the flavour. If it’s too salty, try adding more unsalted butter to the mixture.
- The mixture is too hard: If your cowboy butter is too hard or difficult to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or soften it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.
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To make this recipe you’ll need (affiliate links):
To make this recipe you’ll need these ingredients:
- unsalted butter
- shallots
- fresh garlic
- lemon
- dijon mustard
- honey
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
- chili flakes
- fresh parsley
- fresh cilantro
- fresh thyme
- Honey Butter: Add 1-2 extra tablespoons of honey to our basic cowboy butter recipe for a sweeter twist on the original.
- Blue Cheese: Mix in some crumbled blue cheese for a tangy, cheesy flavour.
- Bacon and Cheddar: Add a tablespoon or two each of crumbled bacon and finely shredded cheddar cheese to our basic recipe for dip bacon-lovers will enjoy.
- Lemon Dill: Add chopped fresh dill and the zest of another lemon for bright, spring-inspired flavour.
- Parmesan Ranch: Add some grated parmesan cheese and a packet of ranch dressing mix to our basic cowboy butter recipe.
- Smoky Chipotle: Add some chipotle pepper or chipotle seasoning for an extra smoky and spicy flavour.
- Curry: Add a pinch or two each of curry powder and turmeric for an Indian-inspired flavour.
- Jalapeno: Add finely chopped fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers for an extra spicy kick.
Time needed: 15 minutes
Follow these steps for the perfect Cowboy Butter!
- Start with melted but cooled, unsalted butter.
We suggest starting with butter that’s been melted and cooled so it’s not liquid but not really solid either. This will help the mixture to become super creamy as it emulsifies with the mustard and lemon juice.
- Don’t forget the lemon and mustard.
The lemon juice and mustard aren’t just for flavour, they help the fat and water come together (a process called emulsification) to create an ultra creamy and smooth sauce.
- Finely chop the herbs.
Chop the herbs super finely to keep the sauce smooth and uniform.
- Whip by hand.
We suggest using a whisk to combine all the ingredients for a creamy result.
- Serve immediately.
Serve the Cowboy Butter right away for best results. If you have to store it in the fridge to serve it later, soften it on the counter for a few hours before serving or soften it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, stirring well. We suggest serving this recipe with our delicious Steak Bites!
What is Cowboy Butter sauce?
Cowboy Butter is a delicious and creamy butter-based sauce made with herbs and spices.
What is Cowboy Butter made of?
Cowboy Butter is made from unsalted butter, herbs, spices, mustard and other basic ingredients.
Which butter is best for steak?
Cowboy Butter is the best for steak because it adds a lot of flavour.
Is Cowboy Butter spicy?
Cowboy Butter can be spicy or mild – feel free to add as much or as little spice as you prefer, or leave out the chili flakes altogether.
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite dipping sauce for steak? We’d love to know!
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Cowboy Butter
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 small shallots very finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or very finely minced
- zest and juice of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
Recipe: Instructions
- Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, just until barely melted. If the butter becomes warm, cool it to room temperature before continuing..
- Finely mince your shallots and add them in. Zest and juice the lemon in. Press or finely mince your garlic and add it in too.
- Add all the other ingredients and whisk very well to combine.
- As you add all the ingredients and mix the butter will harden slightly, which is normal.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up 3-5 days.
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
Store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.Serving Instructions
If you’ve refrigerated the sauce, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before whisking and serving. Or, soften it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, whisk, and serve. This sauce is also great for dipping french fries and potato wedges, or topping grilled, roasted or steamed vegetables.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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