This Garlic and Herb Compound Butter is a chef’s secret weapon in transforming simple dishes into something extraordinary.
During my 10+ years as a personal chef, I always kept a roll in my freezer and pulled it out frequently to add flavor to everything from steak to turkey to grilled vegetables. My favorite version is packed with herbs and garlic, so it is super fresh and elegant.
Jump to:
Why Make This Recipe
- Fresh herb flavor: A mix of basil, chives, parsley, and thyme keep this light and flavorful.
- So versatile: Use it on grilled meats, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, pasta, or even corn on the cob.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch, and keep it in the freezer. It’s a great way to give a flavor boost to whatever you’re cooking.
- Easy to make: Takes just minutes to put together!
🥗 Key Ingredients for Garlic Compound Butter
- Salted Butter: If you can find super high-quality French or European butter, that will take this recipe over the top. Feel free to use unsalted butter—just adjust the amount of salt by adding a little more than what is listed in the recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds great flavor to this butter. If you like a more mild version, try adding in roasted garlic instead. You can also add dried garlic powder.
- Fresh Herbs: I use basil, chives, parsley, and thyme for this recipe, but use what’s fresh and seasonally available around you. Fresh tarragon or fresh dill would also be lovely.
🥣 How to Make Compound Butter
Start by letting 1 stick of butter come to room temperature—it should be soft but not melted.
Place the softened butter in a medium bowl, then grate in 2 cloves of garlic using a microplane or fine grater. Stir until the garlic is well distributed.
Chop fresh herbs until you have: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives, ½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, and ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves.
Fold fresh herbs into garlic butter mixture, along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
When everything is well-incorporated, scrape butter onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and form into a log shape.
Roll up and twist the ends to secure. Store in the freezer until firm enough to slice (about 20 minutes). Then, move to the refrigerator or keep in the freezer for longer storage.
When you're ready to serve, use a bread knife or other serrated knife to cut into thick slices.
Storage Tips
This Garlic and Herb Compound Butter will last for a week in the refrigerator. Wrap your compound butter well for storage either in plastic wrap or in the parchment paper tube—you can also scrape it into a small ramekin if you prefer.
If you’d like to store it for longer, move the wrapped roll into the freezer. (Put a parchment roll into a freezer-safe ziplock bag.) It will last there for up to 3 months. Label with date and flavor so it doesn’t get lost in your freezer.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for this Garlic Herb Compound Butter
Yes, but reduce the quantities by about two-thirds. Dry herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs and can overpower the butter if used in the same amount.
Try using a plant-based butter alternative that holds up well to mixing and freezing.
No—feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Just aim for about 3–4 tablespoons total of chopped fresh herbs.
Absolutely. This scales up easily and is great for gifting or keeping a few logs on hand for easy meals. In that case, you might want to combine the herbs and softened butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Raw garlic adds bold flavor to this butter. Grating the garlic helps it melt into the butter so you still get great flavor but aren’t left with biting into a chunk of raw garlic. If you really aren’t a raw garlic fan, you can mellow the flavor by briefly sautéing it first.
Make sure your butter is just softened but not melted before starting this recipe. Melted butter can separate, and it is also impossible to scrape it into a roll for storage.
Don’t want to do all that chopping? Throw the herbs in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can either add in the butter in the food processor or just fold in the herbs by hand.
Want to play around with flavors? Use your favorite fresh herbs and change them up according to what’s in season. Fresh sage and rosemary would be lovely for a holiday dinner. Lemon zest or black pepper would also make nice additions.
How to Use Compound Butter
One of my favorite ways to use this butter is to spread it onto a baguette, dinner rolls, or a country loaf. Try it with this Garlic Baguette recipe. Make sure to let the butter rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it becomes more spreadable.
This savory butter lends great flavor to all roasted and steamed vegetables—I love to toss into a pan of gently steamed green beans before serving.
But one of my absolute favorite uses for this butter is to use it with steak. Heat a cast-iron skillet, then add a slice of butter to it. Put in your steak, then use more of the butter to baste the steak as you are cooking it. You can also add a slice on top of the steak when serving. The perfect date night dinner!
For another homemade compound butter recipe, check out my Black Garlic Butter. It’s also fantastic with pasta and steamed vegetables.
Recipes to Make Compound Butter Shine
Folding in a slice of this herb-packed compound butter would be really delicious in these recipes:
If you try this Compound Butter recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Vanilla Bean Cuisine.
Garlic and Herb Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place softened butter in a medium bowl.
- Using a microplane or fine grater, grate the garlic cloves into the bowl. Stir the garlic and butter together.
- Add in chopped herbs and salt, and stir into the butter mixture.
- Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Roll up and twist the ends to secure.
- Store in the freezer until firm enough to slice, about 20 minutes.
- Use a large serrated knife or bread knife to slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this garlic compound butter recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Leave a Reply