Compound Butter With Roasted Garlic and Herbs is one of my all-time favorite ingredients to keep on hand. It will elevate everything from big juicy steaks to grilled veggies and even your morning scrambled eggs. It's easy to make, can stay good for a long time, and makes so many things taste amazing.
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Compound butter is a underutilized power tool in the kitchen. The world needs more compound butter. Why? Because it makes everything better. It is also so very easy to makes. In just a few minutes, you'll be introduced to an ingredient you never knew you needed.
We put this compound butter on just about everything. And, I mean it. From grilled or roasted meats, to sautéed veggies, and a perfectly fried egg, you'll make this once and find yourself using it again and again!
ingredients
- Good Quality Unsalted Butter
- All-Purpose Seasoning
- Fresh Chives
- Fresh Garlic
- Avocado Oil
- Lemon
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
how to make compound butter
Get ready. All you have to do to make this recipe is mix everything together in a bowl. However, we need to make the roasted garlic first.
making the roasted garlic
To make the roasted garlic for the compound butter, simply trim ¼" off the top of the garlic head. Place the garlic into a small, foil-lined baking dish or ramekin so that the garlic is cut-side up. Drizzle the garlic with avocado oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Wrap the garlic with the foil and roast for around 60 minutes in a 350° oven or until the cloves are a beautiful golden brown and very tender. Remove it from the oven and let it cool just a bit.
finishing the compound butter
Start by adding soft, room temperature butter to a mixing bowl, add your all-purpose seasoning. (I'm partial to my recipe, but use what you love.) Next sprinkle in the chives. You can also use the tops of green onions here. And, if you want to leave the herbs out all together, do that. You cannot mess this up.
Next, squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves and the juice of half of a lemon. The lemon juice acts as the acid here and helps to enhance the flavors. It's really good. Don't skip that. Using a fork, mash and mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
At this point, I like to taste the compound butter. If you feel like it needs some more salt, add a little kosher salt. As I've said before, salt levels are such a personal thing, so add it to your taste. Finish with a healthy dash of fresh ground pepper.
how to use compound butter
"Compound Butter: A Love Story" should be the name of this blog post. When I tell you that this butter goes well on almost anything, I'm not kidding. I mean, you might not want to put it on a chocolate donut, but other than that, slather away!
Let's start with the meat category. First and foremost, I think about compound butter, melted ever so slightly, on top of a grilled steak. That combination is and will forever be one of my all-time favorites. When I want comfort food, that's what I request.
Other protein possibilities would be fish and/or seafood. We are huge fans of roasted and grilled salmon. This compound butter is phenomenal to add to the top of the salmon. Also, if you love a seafood boil like we do, serve this compound butter melted for dipping. Your family will think you're a genius. And, you are!
This compound butter is also fantastic on top of grilled or roasted veggies. Asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, and even mashed cauliflower are perfect vehicles for the butter. A dollop on top of a big, piping hot baked potato is also very, very popular at my house.
Possibly the thing I use my compound butter with the most is for breakfast. We start almost every morning with soft scrambled or fried eggs and I finish them with a little pat of this delicious butter. It's also amazing on toasted bread or whipped into cream cheese for bagels. Like I said, you cannot go wrong!
how to store compound butter
Storing the compound butter is super simple. If you decided to keep it in the fridge, all you need to do it store it in a airtight container. You can also roll it into a log using plastic wrap. I will use the log method if I plan on slicing the butter into coins for use.
If you store the butter in the freezer, you can freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, store them in a zip top bag to prevent any funny flavors from getting into the butter.
frequently asked questions
How long does compound butter stay good?
If using fresh herbs and garlic and storing in the fridge, the butter will stay good for about 5 days. If freezing the butter, it will stay good for up to 3 months.
Do I have to use unsalted butter?
This will be one of the very few times I tell you to use unsalted butter because we are adding salt in the form of an all-purpose seasoning. If you only have salted butter, definitely don't add any extra kosher salt and start adding just a teaspoon or so of the seasoning blend. Add a little at a time, until you reach your desired level of salt. I suggest unsalted butter, but I do also suggest you use a high quality butter for this recipe. European style butters are easy to find now and that's what I prefer for this recipe.
Do I have to use fresh herbs?
Nope! You use what you have on hand and what you like. However, if you do use dried, remember they can be more potent. Start by adding a little at a time. You can always add more, but once its incorporated, you can't take it out. My recommendations would be dried chives, parsley, and/or dill.
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If you guys make this Compound Butter Recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Compound Butter With Roasted Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- avocado oil, for drizzling
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning
- juice of half a lemon
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
The Roasted Garlic
- Trim ¼" off the top of the garlic head. Place into a small, foil-lined baking dish or ramekin so that the garlic is cut-side up. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Wrap the garlic with the foil and roast for around 60 minutes in a preheated 350° oven or until the cloves are golden brown and very tender. Remove it from the oven and let it cool just a bit.
The Compound Butter
- Add soft, room temperature butter to a mixing bowl, along with the all-purpose seasoniong and chives.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and the roasted garlic cloves. Mix and mash to combine. I use a fork to make sure everything is well incorporated.
- At this point, taste the compound butter. If you feel like it needs some more salt, add a little kosher salt. As I've said before, salt levels are such a personal thing, so add it to your taste. Finish with a healthy dash of fresh ground pepper.
- Slather on everything in sight and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Compound Butter recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Jerry Hernandez says
We made this for steaks because I never made it before. Keep in in the fridge for everything. Very tasty.