When your steaks, potatoes, or chicken need a bold boost of flavor, turn to Cowboy Butter! It’s the ultimate steakhouse-style butter sauce that’s easy to make in 5 minutes with melted butter, garlic, herbs, lemon, and simple spices.
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Get ready to fall in love with Cowboy Butter, AKA one of the easiest, boldest condiments out there. It’s garlicky, herby, and just a little spicy—basically liquid gold for steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, veggies, potatoes, and more.
The best part? You can customize cowboy butter sauce to your liking, making it a must-have, versatile addition to your dinner menus. Plus, it comes together in less than 5 minutes with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen!
What is cowboy butter?
Cowboy butter is thought to have gotten its start at the now-closed Mr. Donahue’s restaurant in New York City, where it was served as a flavorful garlic herb butter with Southern-inspired dishes.
It’s usually described as a dipping sauce, but it’s essentially an extra zesty, punchy, and totally irresistible spin on classic compound butter. I like mine with a bit of heat and served with steaks and seafood, but there are endless ways to enjoy it and customize its flavors.
Ingredient notes
- Butter – Since butter is the base of this sauce, using a good-quality brand really makes a difference. European-style butter (like Kerrygold) will give you extra richness, but any unsalted butter will do the job. If you only have salted butter, scale back the added salt at the end.
- Garlic cloves – I recommend using a microplane to finely grate the garlic. This not only helps you infuse every drop of butter with its deep, savory flavors but also prevents you from biting into a raw hunk of garlic (no thanks).
- Fresh herbs – A combination of minced parsley and chives brings brightness, freshness, and that classic steakhouse flavor. Feel free to add other soft herbs like basil, tarragon, or dill.
- Lemon – You need both the lemon juice and zest.
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Seasonings – I added a bold blend of smoked paprika, dried thyme, onion powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper for warmth and complexity.
How to make it
- Soften the Butter: Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a medium bowl along with the minced garlic. Microwave in 5-second intervals until the butter is mostly melted.
- Add Flavor: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Season to Taste: Taste the butter and season it with salt and pepper to your taste.
Tips and tricks
- You want the butter to be just melted, not sizzling hot. Too much heat can cook the garlic and dull the brightness of the fresh herbs and lemon juice.
- If you’re worried about the butter being too spicy, start with just a pinch of red pepper flakes and cayenne, then add more until the balance is just right. It should be flavorful and warm, not super spicy (unless that’s your thing).
- To turn this into a compound butter log, mix the ingredients with softened butter (not melted) and dump it onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll it into a log, twist the ends to seal it shut, and refrigerate it until firm. Slice off a round of cowboy butter anytime you need a steak topper or something to melt over your veggies.
Flavor variations
I like to season this butter with ingredients that will pair well with what I’m serving it with. Luckily, there are endless ways to play with it:
- Sweet & spicy – Stir in honey for a hint of sweetness. The spicy-sweet butter is especially good with grilled or air fried shrimp, roasted carrots, or slathered on cornbread.
- Smoky – For a deeper, smoky flavor, add a pinch of chipotle powder or increase the smoked paprika. This version is fantastic with charred corn on the cob.
- Southwestern – Swap the lemon juice and zest for lime and the parsley for cilantro to give it a bold, citrusy edge to pair with Tex-Mex.
- Extra spicy – Add more cayenne or red pepper flakes, a splash of hot sauce, or a finely minced fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper.
- Ranch-style – Add some dill with the chives and parsley for a ranch-inspired version that’s great with baked potatoes in place of plain butter.
- Cheesy – Stir in a spoonful of grated Parmesan or crumbled blue cheese for a rich, umami-packed butter that takes filet mignon over the top.
- Lemon-herb – Bump up the amount of lemon zest and fresh herbs for a brighter, more aromatic version that’s perfect for fish, asparagus, or roasted chicken.
More ways to use it
- Steak Topper – Drizzle the melted cowboy butter over top of any cut of steak you like, such as ribeye, sous vide flank steak, filet mignon, New York strip, etc.
- Seafood Drizzle – Drizzle it over shrimp, scallops, or grilled salmon.
- Vegetable Booster – Drizzle it over roasted vegetables or hasselback potatoes.
- Chicken or Pork Glaze – Brush it over chicken skewers, chicken breasts, chicken thighs or pork chops during the last few minutes of grilling.
- Dipping Sauce – Serve it as a warm dip alongside crispy French fries, potato wedges, or even onion rings.
Storing
Store the cowboy butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The flavors actually deepen over time, so it’s just as good (if not better) the next day.
Keep in mind that the butter will solidify when it’s chilled. You can serve scoops of the solid compound butter over warm foods or reheat it in 15-second intervals in the microwave if you prefer it melted from the start.
More sauce recipes for steak
Did you make cowboy butter?
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Full Recipe
Cowboy Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 3 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
- 1 Tablespoons fresh chives (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice ( + 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on heat preference)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cut butter into pieces and add to a bowl with the garlic. Heat in the microwave for 5 second intervals, until just barely melted.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Store the cowboy butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The flavors actually deepen over time, so it’s just as good (if not better) the next day.
- Keep in mind that the butter will solidify when it’s chilled. You can serve scoops of the solid compound butter over warm foods or reheat it in 15-second intervals in the microwave if you prefer it melted from the start.
- You want the butter to be just melted, not sizzling hot. Too much heat can cook the garlic and dull the brightness of the fresh herbs and lemon juice.
- If you’re worried about the butter being too spicy, start with just a pinch of red pepper flakes and cayenne, then add more until the balance is just right. It should be flavorful and warm, not super spicy (unless that’s your thing).
- To turn this into a compound butter log, mix the ingredients with softened butter (not melted) and dump it onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll it into a log, twist the ends to seal it shut, and refrigerate it until firm. Slice off a round of cowboy butter anytime you need a steak topper or something to melt over your veggies.
- Sweet & spicy – Stir in honey for a hint of sweetness. The spicy-sweet butter is especially good with grilled or air fried shrimp, roasted carrots, or slathered on cornbread.
- Smoky – For a deeper, smoky flavor, add a pinch of chipotle powder or increase the smoked paprika. This version is fantastic with charred corn on the cob.
- Southwestern – Swap the lemon juice and zest for lime and the parsley for cilantro to give it a bold, citrusy edge to pair with Tex-Mex.
- Extra spicy – Add more cayenne or red pepper flakes, a splash of hot sauce, or a finely minced fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper.
- Ranch-style – Add some dill with the chives and parsley for a ranch-inspired version that’s great with baked potatoes in place of plain butter.
- Cheesy – Stir in a spoonful of grated Parmesan or crumbled blue cheese for a rich, umami-packed butter that takes filet mignon over the top.
- Lemon-herb – Bump up the amount of lemon zest and fresh herbs for a brighter, more aromatic version that’s perfect for fish, asparagus, or roasted chicken.
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