Rich, buttery, and bursting with roasted garlic, fresh herbs, tangy mustard, and smoky spices, this Cowboy Butter Recipe is a flavorful compound butter that adds savory, spicy goodness to any food.
This flavored butter is an easy way to add bold flavor to grilled meats, seafood, vegetables and pasta.
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Homemade Cowboy Butter
Cowboy Butter will quickly become your go-to flavored butter recipe.
This seasoned butter is an easy and flavorful topping on grilled meats and vegetables at your backyard barbecue and will give your weeknight meals extra pizazz and flavor.
I just love using cowboy butter for steaks, especially when grilling my steaks. Let a dollop melt over your cooked meat and enjoy all that flavor.
Use it melted as a cowboy butter sauce and you'll be dipping everything into it! I especially love dipping a slice of rustic bread or a biscuit into it.
Trust me when I tell you that this easy recipe is the perfect topping and will quickly become a staple in your kitchen!
With bold flavor and simple ingredients, this homemade herb butter adds a gourmet touch to just about everything.
So go ahead, make a batch and brush it on steak, melt it over grilled corn, or serve it alongside crusty bread.
Any way you use it, this flavorful butter is sure to impress and sure is a delicious way to make your tastebuds dance!
And don’t forget to stop by the Swirls of Flavor Amazon Storefront for GG's personal kitchen recommendations!
How to make cowboy butter
This is a quick overview of how to make this easy butter recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Stir until all of the ingredients are blended together. Shape into a log and refrigerate until ready to use.
Hint: It is important for your butter to be softened and at room temperature for easy mixing!
Expert recipe tips
- Butter – Be sure to let the butter soften to room temperature for easy mixing.
- Roast the garlic – I recommend roasting the garlic ahead. You can do this in the ovenby wrapping a whole bulb in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and baking at 400°F for about 40 minutes until soft and golden. A faster way is to make air fryer roasted garlic!
- Roast the garlic – I recommend roasting the garlic ahead. You can do this in the ovenby wrapping a whole bulb in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and baking at 400°F for about 40 minutes until soft and golden. A faster way is to make air fryer roasted garlic!
- Use fresh herbs - Fresh chives will give you a better flavor and texture than dried chive.
- Adjust the flavor – Feel free to personalize your butter and add more salt, spice, or mustard to suit your taste.
- Lemon - Add lemon juice and lemon zest for a bright citrus note.
- Fresh Parsley - Add a Tablespoon of minced fresh parsley for more herbal notes
- Worcestershire Sauce - Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce to the butter for added depth of flavor
Substitutions
- Chives – Scallions, also called green onion, can be used instead of chives.
- Kosher Salt – Sea salt can substitute for the kosher salt. Just be sure to use a bit less because it’s a finer salt.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Ground cayenne can be used instead of red pepper flakes. Just be mindful that cayenne is very spicy so use it sparingly!
- Roasted Garlic – Roasted garlic lends a sweet and savory flavor to the butter, however, if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor, you can replace the roasted garlic with 1 Tablespoon of finely minced fresh garlic.
- Smoked Paprika – Regular paprika can replace smoked paprika although your butter will have a less smoky flavor.
- Spicy Brown Mustard – For a milder mustard flavor, and a smoother tang, you can use Dijon mustard in place of spicy brown mustard.
Variations
- Herb Cowboy Butter - Add finely chopped parsley, thyme, or rosemary for a more herbaceous twist.
- Lemon Cowboy Butter - Stir in fresh lemon juice and zest for brightness especially when using the butter on seafood.
- Parmesan Cowboy Butter – Stir in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. This will add a rich umami boost of flavor.
- Hot Honey Cowboy Butter - Add a Tablespoon of hot honey for sweet heat!
- Sweet Maple Cowboy Butter – Add a Tablespoon of pure maple syrup or honey. This will add sweet notes to the butter.
Storage
- Refrigerator – Cowboy butter stores well in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in parchment or plastic wrap for about 1 week.
- Freezer - You can freeze the butter for up to up to 3 months when rolled as a log and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Slice off what you need and return the rest to the freezer.
Uses for Cowboy Butter
- Steak Cowboy Butter – Use it as a cowboy butter for steaks and grill your steak then top it with a dollop of the butter. You can also brush some melted butter on the meat before grilling too.
- Cowboy Butter Burgers – You can add a bit of melted cowboy butter to your ground beef before shaping into burgers and also brush over the burgers as they cook. Spread some of the butter on your burger rolls too!
- Cowboy Corn on the Cob – Cook your corn on the cob either on the stovetop or on the grill and then brush the hot corn with cowboy butter. Yes please!
- Vegetables – Toss a Tablespoon or two of the seasoned butter with hot cooked vegetables
- Cowboy Bread – Serve the seasoned butter with your favorite crusty bread
- Cowboy Garlic Bread – Use this butter recipe in place of garlic butter when making homemade garlic bread
- Cowboy Pasta – Instead of plain buttered pasta, toss cowboy butter with your hot cooked pasta for a fun and flavorful twist
- Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce - Serve melted as a warm dipping suace for breads and vegetables
- Cowboy Sliders - Spread the butter on the inside of slider rolls and on top of cooked sliders too!
- Cowboy Baked Potatoes - Give your baked potatoes a punch of flavor and top them with cowboy butter instead of plain butter
Ingredients
Ingredients for homemade cowboy butter
- Butter – Butter is the creamy base of cowboy butter. I used salted butter but you can easily use unsalted butter and just adjust the amount of kosher salt that you add.
- Roasted Garlic - Roasting garlic softens its sharpness and brings out a caramelized sweetness of the garlic. It adds a rich, savory depth to the butter.
- Chives - Fresh chives add a mild onion flavor, a pop of color and a hint of brightness.
- Spicy Brown Mustard - This bold, tangy mustard adds a slight heat and vinegar tang that balances out the richness of the butter.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Red pepper flakes add a kick of heat. Feel free to use as much or as little as you like to adjust the spice level to your preference.
- Smoked Paprika – Smoked paprika adds a warm, smoky flavor and gives the butter a beautiful reddish tint.
- Kosher Salt - Kosher salt boosts all the other flavors and makes each ingredient pop.
Easy Flavored Butter Recipes
What to serve with cowboy butter
This flavored butter is delicious when served with these recipes:
Cowboy Butter Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter , at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons roasted garlic
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
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Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, roasted garlic, chives, mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and kosher salt, stirring until blended. For a smooth butter you can proces it in a small food processor until smooth.
- Store the butter mixture in the refrigerator in an airtight container or roll into the shape of a log and wrap the butter in parchment paper or plastic wrap.
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