Our homemade Cowboy Butter recipe is made using simple ingredients. Made with fresh herbs, fresh garlic, tangy lemon juice, lemon zest, and Dijon mustard, it’s guaranteed to take your next steak dinner to a whole new level of deliciousness.
The fresh ingredients in our cowboy butter add a depth of flavor and just the right amount of spice and heat to liven up your dish.
Cowboy butter makes an excellent topping for steak (like our London broil) or chicken, but this delicious herb butter is a delicious spread for warm, fresh bread.
You can also mix it with pasta or rice for a quick and easy side dish for a busy weeknight dinner or date night.
Cowboy Butter can easily be rolled into the shape of a log to make a compound butter that can be sliced or shaped into a ball to be used on veggie and cracker boards. Use plastic wrap to create the log or ball, then refrigerate it for 2 – 4 hours (or overnight).
This will allow it time to hold its shape and give the seasonings time to marinate and become incredibly flavorful.
However you prepare or present our Cowboy Butter, we know you’ll be making it many times for years to come!
What is Cowboy Butter?
Basically, it’s a compound butter. Compound butter is softened butter that’s been mixed with other ingredients to alter and enhance the flavor of dishes.
The earthy, warm flavors of the fresh herbs and garlic combined with the spiciness of Dijon mustard, black pepper, paprika, and the sharp, acidic flavors of lemon and lemon zest create a flavored butter your friends and family will love!
For a full list of ingredients, as well as detailed instructions on how to make your own, see the recipe card below.
Ingredients to make Cowboy Butter
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our homemade cowboy butter recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*Our recipe calls for red pepper flakes, but for a milder version, you can leave them out; for a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
How to Make Cowboy Butter
- Add the softened salted butter. Dijon mustard, chopped garlic, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, and fresh chives to a large bowl.
- Mix to combine.
- Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, kosher salt, and sweet paprika to the herb butter mixture.
*Add cayenne pepper for a spicier version. - Mix to combine thoroughly. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed (allow at least 2 hours for the flavors to combine).
Trust us when we say that our cowboy butter will become the perfect addition to many of your favorite dishes. When melted, it also makes a delicious dipping sauce or garlic butter for your favorite crusty bread.
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container or well-covered with plastic wrap for up to 7 days. It can be frozen for up to two months.
If you’re looking to use up your Cowboy Butter in a new and interesting way, try it on potatoes: we suggest mashed potatoes, French fries, or roasted potato wedges! Or, drizzle it on another favorite recipe for a burst of flavor- I recommend deep-fried cauliflower bites.
Recipe FAQ’s
The exact origins of the name aren’t clear, but it may have started in a restaurant in New York City that served Southern-style food. The rustic flavors go well with grilled meats and fish, vegetables, cornbread, and, of course, as a spread for your favorite sandwiches.
Absolutely! Compound butter is a fun way to experiment in the kitchen to get the exact flavors and warmth you’re looking for. You may wish to add a multitude of spices or sauces to Cowboy Butter to seek the flavor you desire. Here are some popular add-ins:
-Worcestershire sauce
-Hot sauce
-Chili powder
-Horseradish
-Shallot
-Hot mustard
Room-temperature softened butter, not melted butter, is the key to a perfect compound butter.
When making compound butter, the goal is to maintain a consistency that holds the added ingredients in place.
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Cowboy Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz salted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice with zest
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Add the softened salted butter. Dijon mustard, chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, and chives to a large bowl.
- Mix to combine.
- Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, kosher salt, and sweet paprika to the herb butter mixture. *Add cayenne pepper for a spicier version.
- Mix together to combine thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed (allow at least 2 hours for the flavors to combine).
- Cowboy butter can be used as a great condiment for steaks and meats, as well as a dipping sauce
Notes
IT can also be used as a base for your favorite meals *To soften the butter leave for an hour prior to use
*To serve melted as a dipping sauce heat the cowboy butter in a sauce pan over low heat until the ingredients are liquified
*You can also mix this with heavy cream and use it as a great pasta sauce
Pat says
Now that my garden is sleeping, instead of using fresh herbs, I have to resort to dried.
Your recipes do not include measurements for dried.
How much do I use for dried vs fresh.
I don’t want to use too much nor too little.
I try to judge it myself but there are times when I miss judge the amount and therefore I am totally disappointed.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Rule of thumb on substituting dry for fresh is to use 1/3 the amount of dried herbs.
Deb says
Hi Dennis – This sounds wonderful. My husband will enjoy his steak even more by adding this condiment . How long will it keep it in the refrigerator?
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container or well-covered with plastic wrap for up to 7 days. It can also be frozen for up to two months.