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A great homemade Compound Butter is a recipe you should always have in your back pocket! You can easily elevate any vegetable, meat, fish, or even a simple slice of bread with this Garlic Herb Compound Butter – and it’s SO easy to make! Pair this with some crispy crostini or freshly baked Milk Bread rolls!
Watch the Garlic Herb Compound Butter Recipe Video!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- softened unsalted butter – Use a high quality butter, like my favorite Kerrygold, and make sure it is unsalted, so you can control for the amount of salt.
- Fresh herbs – My favorite fresh herbs to use for a great compound butter are rosemary, thyme, and chives. Use what you like and have on hand! (Parsley and dill work well, too.) The key is that they are finely chopped.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is a must; it adds a subtle, nuanced flavor to the butter (vs. garlic powder, which is stronger and more concentrated).
This recipe is very simple, so using the highest quality ingredients is key.
Recipe Instructions
1. Mince Herbs and Grate Garlic
Remove the rosemary and thyme leaves from their branches – my favorite ‘kitchen hack’ is to run rosemary and thyme stems through a cheese grate to remove the leaves quickly. Finely chop the herbs and set them aside.
Grate garlic and set aside.
2. Mix Compound Butter
Add softened butter to a bowl. Add in minced herbs, followed by grated garlic, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well until the seasonings and herbs are incorporated. You’re done making your compound butter – see note below on how to store and slice it.
PRO TIPS
How to Store and Slice
Once you have made your Compound Butter, you can serve or use it immediately in its softened state. You can also place it in the refrigerator in an airtight container until solid and portion out as needed.
You can store Garlic Herb Compound Butter in your fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Slice Compound Butter into Discs
If you want to slice Compound Butter into discs to serve, like shown in the photos, follow these instructions:
- Take a rectangular sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and lay it on a flat surface.
- Place the softened butter in the center of the plastic wrap or parchment paper.
- Fold one half of the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the butter – use the plastic wrap or parchment paper to it to form a log of butter with your hands.
- Roll the plastic or parchment paper and keep rolling until it is tube-like.
- Twist and tighten the ends in opposite directions to form a tight log.
- Place the log in the refrigerator for an hour to harden before slicing into discs to serve. Refer to images below.
How to Use Compound Butter
I love using compound butters to elevate meals – it goes amazingly with simple main dishes like Grilled Steak, Grilled Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Chicken Thighs. I love it on top of roasted vegetables like Honey Roasted Carrots, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Brussels Sprouts (or Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts) and Roasted Green Beans with Bacon. Sometimes I’ll even add a disc on top of my Mashed Potatoes!
You can’t beat having Compound Butter as a spread for crostini or bread – it’s a simple and delicious appetizer before meals like Meatloaf, Braised Short Ribs, or Steak with Peppercorn Sauce! Sometimes I’ll spread it on Air Fryer Chicken Skewers or Air Fryer Chicken Wings – yum!!
If you tried this Garlic Herb Compound Butter or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Garlic Herb Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter, about 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest, optional
Instructions
- Bring butter to room temperature to soften. Add butter to a bowl.
- Mince the fresh thyme, rosemary, and chives and add to the butter. Grate in garlic, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Mix until the herbs and seasonings are thoroughly incorporated into the butter.
- Take a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and add the butter into the center of the sheet. Fold over one end of the plastic and form a log. Roll and tighten the opposite sides of the plastic around the butter to form a cylinder.
- Place in the refrigerator until solid and use within 1 week or store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Take a rectangular sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and lay it on a flat surface.
- Place the softened butter in the center of the plastic wrap or parchment paper.
- Fold one half of the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the butter – use the plastic wrap or parchment paper to it to form a log of butter with your hands.
- Roll the plastic or parchment paper and keep rolling until it is tube-like.
- Twist and tighten the ends in opposite directions to form a tight log.
- Place the Garlic Herb Compound Butter log in the refrigerator for an hour to harden before slicing into discs to serve. Refer to images below.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Perfect for steak!