This Cowboy Butter is a zesty garlic-herb butter you can make two ways - melt it into a quick dipping sauce, or mix it into a sliceable compound butter log for steaks, chicken, shrimp, and grilled veggies. Lemon, fresh herbs, smoky paprika, and a little heat make it perfect for the spicy food lover.
Cowboy butter is sweeping the nation! Everywhere I look, I see people making cowboy butter and sharing their photos.
It's totally understandable, considering how delicious it is! If you've never tried it, this is a recipe you'll want to try, perfect for the spicy food lover.
What is Cowboy Butter?
Cowboy butter is a compound butter made with butter, fresh herbs, and spices. Its ingredients are ideal for pairing with steak, though you can use it on chicken, fish, shrimp, vegetables, pretty much anything off the grill.
You can serve it like regular butter, sliced and added to the top of your dish to melt, or softened or melted then served as a dipping sauce.
I've seen it referred to as cowboy butter sauce as well.
It's a very customizable recipe, easily adapted to your favorite flavors. This is how I like to make mine, perfect for those who love it zesty and bold.
Let's talk about how to make cowboy butter, shall we?
Cowboy Butter Ingredients
- Butter. Use your favorite brand of salted butter or unsalted butter. This recipe calls for 1 stick, though you can easily scale it up.
- Garlic. I love lots of fresh minced garlic, though you can use garlic powder.
- Mustard. I prefer a good spicy brown mustard, though it's really good with Dijon mustard.
- Lemon. Both lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Fresh Herbs. I'm using fresh parsley, fresh chives, and fresh thyme from our herb garden.
- Spices. Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I like a lot of black pepper. I also like a few dashes of hot sauce.
How to Make Cowboy Butter (2 Ways)
AS A SERVING SAUCE
- Melt the Butter. Melt the butter slowly in a pan, or soften it gently in the microwave. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) for this recipe.
- Mix the Ingredients. Gently stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.
- Serve. Serve as a dipping sauce or spooned over your dish.
AS A COMPOUND BUTTER
- Mix and Form a Log. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, then transfer to a layer of plastic wrap. Form the softened butter mixture into the shape of a log about 1 inch in diameter, then wrap in the plastic.
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate until hardened, then slice and serve over grilled meats or veggies.
Boom! Done! Your cowboy butter is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? Fire up the grill! Get those steaks or veggies ready!
Recipe Tips & FAQs
Variations
Customize your cowboy butter with other flavorful ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce, pungent horseradish, fresh shallot, rosemary, or your favorite hot sauce.
How to Soften the Butter
Leave your butter out overnight to soften, or use your microwave setting. A good technique is to slice the butter into pieces, then microwave it on the defrost setting a few seconds at a time to soften. Another technique is to fill a bowl or cup with very hot water, dump the water, then use it to cover the butter. This will soften the butter in minutes.
Can You Make Cowboy Butter Ahead?
Yes, you can make it several days ahead of time and either freeze it or keep it in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.
Don’t Love Raw-Garlic Heat?
Sauté the minced garlic in 1 teaspoon butter for 30-60 seconds over medium heat to tame the sharpness, then cool fully before folding into compound butter. This keeps the flavor mellow and the butter texture intact.
How to Serve Cowboy Butter
Cowboy butter for steak is perfection, though it also shines with anything off the grill, like grilled chicken, seafood, or vegetables. Serve it melted, cold, or at room temperature.
Try it over my grilled London boil recipe, this ancho crusted porterhouse steak, or blackened chicken.
- Garlic Bread. Spread on warm baguette slices and broil 1-2 minutes until bubbly. Garlic bread will never be the same.
- Fries & Wedges. Toss hot French fries with 1-2 tablespoons, or serve melted on the side as a dip.
- Roasted/Sautéed/Grilled Veggies. Spoon it over hot green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, or any of your favorite vegetables. Don't forget a squeeze of lemon.
- Rice Upgrade. Stir 2-3 tablespoons into simple steamed rice to make it awesome.
- Seafood. Spoon over seared shrimp or salmon for a dish you'll never forget.
- Baked Potatoes & Corn. Melt over a split potato or brush on grilled corn and you'll never go back to your old recipe. So good!
You'll enjoy it on anything you normally enjoy with flavorful butter, like jalapeno cornbread or a slice of jalapeno cheddar Dutch oven bread.
Storage
Cowboy butter will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will harden up and you can use it like any compound butter.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
How to Freeze Cowboy Butter
Freezing it is super easy. Roll your cowboy butter into a log using plastic wrap and twist the ends together.
For extra protection, pop it into a freezer bag or container. Don't forget to date it!
It will last 3 months or longer this way. When you're ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator for best results, or let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to soften.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this cowboy butter recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Popular "Cowboy" Recipes
Try Some My Other Steak Toppings
Did you make this cowboy butter recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out - please leave a star rating and a quick comment below. Your feedback helps me keep the recipe info and FAQs up to date, tells Google that my readers love it, and helps more spicy food lovers discover Chili Pepper Madness. Thanks! - Mike H.
Cowboy Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons, softened)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or use spicy brown mustard, which I love)
- Juice from ½ a lemon + zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika I love smoked paprika or hot paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or use hot sauce, or both!
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
AS A SERVING SAUCE
- Melt the butter slowly in a pan.
- Gently stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.
- Serve as a dipping sauce or spooned over your dish.
AS A COMPOUND BUTTER
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, then transfer to a layer of plastic wrap. Form the butter mixture into the shape of a log about 1 inch in diameter, then wrap in the plastic.
- Refrigerate until hardened, then slice and serve over grilled meats or veggies.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 63.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/16/26 to include minor clarifications + new serving ideas. Recipe unchanged. It was originally published on 5/23/23.
Kevin says
This is so good. Tried it on steaks first, but we now use it on pan cooked veg and on burgers. The kids don't want shrimp any more without it. Great recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, great to hear, Kevin!! Glad you and the family are enjoying it!