Cowboy Butter
Cowboy Butter recipe with garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and a hint of spice! This easy compound butter is perfect for grilled steaks or chicken, seafood, bread, sautéed or roasted veggies, and more!
Summer has become my favorite season, and not just because of the weather. Somehow, the food of summer just tastes better. Maybe it’s because we’re eating outside, or maybe it’s the fresh flavors, but whatever the reason, it’s just good!
This garlic butter is full of flavor and complements the flavors of summer perfectly. Of course, it comes from the great Ree Drummond, also know as The Pioneer Woman, so you know it’s gotta be good!
What is in Cowboy Butter?
You only need a few simple ingredients:
- Salted Butter – Since I most often have salted butter on hand, this is what I prefer to use when making garlic steak butter. To control the amount of salt in this flavorful butter, use unsalted butter and season to taste with kosher salt.
- Fresh Parsley – Fresh herbs add great flavor to this butter. You can substitute different herbs for the parsley, for example, fresh chives or basil. If you only have dried herbs, you’ll only need about two tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup of fresh.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Adds a little hint of heat. You can also add a pinch of cayenne for more heat.
- Black Pepper – I use freshly cracked ground black pepper.
- Fresh Garlic (or roasted garlic) – If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves on hand, you can use garlic powder as an alternative, but it doesn’t have the same freshness and flavor. For dried garlic, reduce the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Fresh Lemon – This recipe uses both lemon juice and lemon zest to add freshness and acid to the butter.
Make this cowboy butter recipe your own:
You can customize this recipe any way you like. Mince a small shallot, sprinkle in a bit of paprika, or add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to tweak the flavor.
Ang’s Recipe Tips
- To incorporate the seasonings better, start with room temperature butter. If you cut the butter into individual tablespoons, it will soften more quickly.
- Use a microplane to grate the garlic instead of mincing it so it is super fine throughout the butter mixture.
- Use double the quantity and make a roll of butter to use now. Then, place the second one into a freezer bag, label it, and store it for up to 3-4 months.
How to Use Cowboy Butter
This flavored butter is SO good on everything! Serve pats of the butter on top of grilled steak or even chicken at your next cookout, and you’ll really wow your guests! Here are some other ways to use it:
- Sauté shrimp in the melted garlic herb butter.
- Slather onto dinner rolls.
- Spread onto Italian bread and broil for the most amazing garlic bread.
- Brush the melted butter over biscuits.
- Add to baked potatoes.
- Sauté vegetables in the butter to add flavor and richness.
- Present as a log or spread with crackers on charcuterie boards.
- Mix into pasta or rice.
- Slather onto grilled corn on the cob.
You can also use cowboy butter to make the famous TikTok butter board. You’ll love this for dinner parties and holiday get-togethers!
Storage
Transfer leftover cowboy butter to an airtight container and store in the fridge. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Yes, and you can freeze it, too! I like to make a big batch and then place it into an airtight container. It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Can I Freeze Cowboy Butter?
You can freeze any compound butter for 3-4 months. I recommend rolling the butter into a log using parchment paper or wax paper and then placing it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to use it.
See how easy it is to make:
Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
If you love our cowboy herb butter, then you have to also try our delicious cowboy butter dipping sauce recipe.
This versatile sauce is the perfect accompaniment for shrimp and lobster, and just as good on steak.
You’ll adore it drizzled over roasted veggies, too.
Related: Learn how to make Butter Rosettes
Our Favorite Recipes with Cowboy Butter
Not ready to make our Cowboy Butter Recipe yet?
I hope you love this easy, delicious recipe as much as we do! 💛 Don’t forget to Pin it for later and if it’s a hit at your house, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a 5-star rating and a quick comment—it really helps more home cooks find it!
Cowboy Butter
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Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely minced
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic finely minced
- juice and zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Allow the butter to come to room temperature before starting.1 cup salted butter
- Into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the room temperature butter.
- Beat the butter until creamy, then add in the parsley, red pepper flakes, black pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest.1/4 cup fresh parsley, A pinch of red pepper flakes, coarsely ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, juice and zest of ½ lemon
- Mix until well combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixture out onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Using the back of a spatula, spread out the mixture into a log shape.
- Roll the parchment paper up and twist the ends like a piece of candy.
- Refrigerate the log of butter for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to come together.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer with paddle attachment OR
Video
Nutrition
Similar Recipes
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- No brunch spread is complete without this Maple Bacon Butter!
- Garlic Basil Compound Butter makes the most amazing garlic bread you’ve ever tried!
If you like making your own condiments, you might also like to try our avocado ranch dressing, burger sauce, and cherry BBQ sauce.
This is such a great idea! I never thought of doing anything with butter, but how fun! This would be great at a party. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks:)
Yum – I love compound butters, and this one sounds like it might go with several things we frequently make!
I don’t think I understand about the 2 sticks of butter being 1/2 cup. Two sticks = 1 cup. Do you mean the short sticks?
So sorry, that’s a typo. It’s 1 cup of butter (2 sticks). We’ve corrected the recipe. Thanks for your note!!
The video says half cup and I didn’t watch til later and my lemon juice did not mix in… Was not using a beater and I used 1 cup butter as per your recipe
Hi Karen, a mixing bowl or hand mixer is best when making this recipe. I see that the video and recipe card don’t match – great catch! I’ll fix that 🙂
One other quick tip for you:
If the butter is very cold, it is harder to incorporate the lemon juice.
This sounds awesome! Do you think if dried herbs instead of fresh herbs were used, it would last longer in the refrigerator?
Possibly, but I think the fresh herbs give it a better flavor. If you try it either way let me know what you think 🙂
Do I need to add sugar when creaming the butter?
Nope, there’s no sugar in this recipe. You’re just whipping the butter so it’s creamy and smooth 🙂
can’t wait to make these with a loaf of homemade French bread for Christmas gifts!
I’m always looking for tho ha that seem really fancy – but are actually super easy. I’ve taken to the cowboy butter – I usually make it look fancy (sometimes making ahead and piping into florets or such) but at usually only takes me a few minutes to do. Thanks for good ideas!
Can I put this in the freezer for longer storage?
Hi Brittany! Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Compound butter is a great little addition for holidays and parties that you can make ahead of time.
It really adds a nice touch to so many dishes. Thanks for stopping by!
This looks so tasty and delicious! I have featured it in a recipe roundup on my website. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
Thanks so much for including my recipe Bobbie!
I don’t like lemon at all & being a super taster, I can’t handle the red pepper flakes even though there is only a pinch. I know that’s how cowboy’s like their food, spicy, but not me. Could I leave out the lemon & maybe add a little more black pepper for the red pepper flakes or maybe rosemary? I’d like to try this one! I like a lot of your recipes & I can’t wait to try some of them.
Hi Gail, thanks for your note. I’m so glad you like our recipes 🙂
I think that this recipe might not be the right one for you. Type COMPOUND BUTTER in the search bar and check out our many other recipes. You might really enjoy the Garlic Basil Butter.
Happy cooking!
Yum, this sounds and looks amazing! My family would love this on some toasted french bread! Perfect dinner idea to add to the menu, thanks!
YES! It is SO good for garlic bread, Natalie!
Thanks so much for your note 🙂
We love compound butters. So many great ways to use them.
They really add something special!
Thanks for visiting Ellen 🙂
I’m always looking for new compound butter recipes, thanks so much!!
I hope you get a chance to try this soon 🙂
Thanks so much for visiting Melissa!
I tried the recipe yesterday and used it on the reverse seared steak method and it was awesome, the BEST tasting steak I have had anywhere in a very long time. Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know you loved the recipe, too 🙂
Do you put this on the steak while your grilling it, or after when its done?
Hi Pamela! Put the butter onto the steak after it’s done grilling.
I don’t know how I ever enjoyed steak before this – cowboy butter is the BOMB!
Thank you for this recipe!!
I made this and love it. I’m making it again today. My only other comment is that I kept it for at least 6 weeks in the refrigerator. It was just about as good as freshly made at the end. I suppose you erred on the cautious side because of the fresh ingredients, but I think the salt in the butter kept it fine.
EXCELLENT! I made this last night for our steaks. So delicious.
I literally cannot get enough of this! I made a huge batch and I put it on everything – steak, chicken, garlic bread, baked potatoes – it is SO good! Thank you!!
It was delicious on our steaks!
Hi Ruby! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
This was absolutely perfect with dinner last night!!
I made this without the red pepper flakes and added a little bit of Dijon mustard. I served it at my family reunion and people were eating it with everything – chicken, grilled potatoes, corn on the cob. I got so many compliments. THANK YOU!!
Love the quick and easy and tasty recipes you share!!
Thank you so much! I hope you love making this cowboy butter!
I made this but added a little hot sauce and put it on grilled ribeye steak and it was amazing! I want to try your cowboy butter sauce recipe next.