Homemade Garlic Herb Butter

Homemade Garlic Herb Butter is the best rich and flavorful topping for steak or prime rib! This quick and easy recipe is as simple as combining quality butter with minced garlic and fresh herbs. Keep the compound butter in the refrigerator or freezer to always have on hand for spreading on bread, veggies, pasta, chicken, or shrimp.

After learning the best way to cook filet mignon, I knew it was not complete until I had the perfect garlic herb butter to compliment it.

And much like the steak recipe, I was surprised to discover how easy it is to make your own at home. You will only need a few simple-to-find ingredients and less than 10 minutes!

Also, since it freezes and refrigerates wonderfully, you will be able to use a tablespoon or two when you want to add a bit of garlicky goodness to your next steak, shrimp, or vegetable dish!

No need to pull out a press or finely chop a bunch of herbs for added flavor. Nope, you’ll already have your restaurant-quality compound butter ready to rock and roll!

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this homemade Garlic Butter recipe include:

• Butter. Choose a quality type you love the flavor of. Kerrygold or Plugra are excellent options. Earth Balance sticks are great for a dairy-free or vegan compound butter. Salted is recommended; however, if you are watching your sodium intake or prefer a little more control over the level of salt in your foods, you might want to opt for an unsalted kind.
• Garlic. Fresh finely minced cloves give an amazing flavor. Learn how to mince garlic for the best results. You can also try roasting the garlic cloves, if you’d prefer!
• Herbs. A combination of fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme are used in this recipe. Mix things up and try oregano, dill with lemon zest, basil, or cilantro and lime zest. Or, give it a kick with red pepper flakes!

How to Make Garlic Butter

The basic steps for making homemade Herbed Garlic Butter are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

Cream the Butter

Make sure the butter has reached room temperature. The softer texture is ideal for mixing. Microwave it for 20-30 seconds if it isn’t to your desired consistency. However, do be careful that the butter does not completely melt!

Place the butter in a medium-sized bowl. Use a fork to mash the butter into a creamy consistency.

Mix in the Flavor

Add the garlic and herbs and stir until everything is well incorporated.

At this point you can use it immediately, or shape it into a log.

Rolling It Up

Place the mixed butter at the end of a 12-inch long sheet of wax paper.

Form the butter into a log approximately 6-8-inches long.

Fold the wax paper over the log and begin to roll it, keeping the cylinder shape as you go.

Twist the ends of the wax paper so the cylinder is sealed tightly.

Chill in Fridge

For the log of butter to hold its shape, it must be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. You can also pop it in the freezer and speed this part up to 30-45 minutes.

Serving

As mentioned previously, this garlic herb butter was made for steak but has SO much potential to bring tons of flavor to all of your favorite recipes. A few ways you can use up your herb butter include:

• Bread – Slather it on to turn a loaf of bread or dinner rolls into the best garlic bread you’ve ever had!
• Pasta – Add a touch of lemon zest and juice to make an incredibly easy pasta sauce. It’s also delicious on Gnocchi.
• Vegetables – The majority of this recipe was used for making air fryer broccoli and roasted asparagus, but would also be amazing on boiled corn along with some Parmesan cheese.
• Meat – Melt it over the top of prime rib, shrimp, and chicken.

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already vegetarian, low-carb, keto, and gluten-free as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

• Dairy-Free – Select dairy-free butter.
• Vegan – Choose a plant-based butter.
• Whole30 or Paleo – Substitute the butter for ghee.

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Let the butter rest at room temperature, mince the garlic, and chop the herbs.
• To Store: Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Since the herbs are fresh, the flavor will lose a bit of its potency the longer it is stored.
• To Freeze: Keep it tightly wrapped in wax paper and then place in a ziplock bag or plastic, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Choose quality. Picking a butter with amazing flavor will really pay off in the end result.
• Be patient. Let the butter come to room temperature first so it is easier to mix.
• Make extra. Because this freezes well, it is a great make-ahead recipe.
• Mix it up. Try a variety of flavor options each time to keep things interesting!

Recipes to Use Garlic Butter

Use this delicious garlic butter to add amazing flavor to the following recipes:

Filet Mignon

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Loaded Hasselback Potatoes

Pasta Primavera with Lemon Garlic Butter