This garlic herb compound butter is packed full of fresh flavor and so simple to make you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making it for years. Perfect on top of steaks, chicken, and even vegetables!

garlic herb compound butter sitting on parchment paper

You know what I love?

A perfectly cooked cast iron seared strip steak topped with compound butter. Specifically this compound butter.

It’s the ultimate mix of delicious butter mixed with minced garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme and just a touch of black pepper and kosher salt.

And yeah, it goes perfect on steak.

It even works REALLY well on grilled chicken. AND vegetables.

Honestly, compound butter is so good and easy to make you’ll wonder why you don’t make it all the time.

garlic herb compound butter ingredients in a bowl

Table of Contents

What is compound butter?

Compound butter is just fancy term for butter mixed with other ingredients.

You commonly find it used for topping steaks, vegetables, breads.

Aka: a fancy flavored butter that bring a big burst of flavor.

What type of butter should I use for this garlic herb compound butter?

I always recommend using unsalted butter for almost all my recipes.

It’s not because I hate salt. It’s because the amount of salt used in salted butter can vary from brand to brand.

So, I like to start with just plain butter and then season with my desired amount of kosher salt.

This way I don’t accidentally over season and make my compound butter a little too salty.

If you want something extra you can try using European butter for a little more fat and creaminess.

Do I have to use fresh herbs?

Nope – but I do recommend it.

I also know dried herbs are super convenient and sometimes it’s all we have on hand.

So, if this is the case you’ll want to make sure you use a smaller amount that whats called for in the recipe.

Dried herbs tend to be more potent in flavor than fresh herbs.

Can I make changes to this recipe?

This recipe can easily be modified to match whatever flavor profile you’re in the mood for.

Don’t like fresh rosemary? Use only thyme.

Want more onion flavor? Add in some shallot or fresh chives.

Not a fan of garlic? Leave it out or replace with shallot.

Looking for kick? A dash or two of crushed red pepper would be fantastic!

Want to go smokey? Chop up some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and stir it in!

What if I don’t like raw garlic?

There is always the option of leaving it out completely.

However, that will cut down on the burst of flavor you get from this recipe.

Another great option is roasting the fresh garlic and then adding that to the butter. This will bring in a less raw garlic flavor and instead give you a slightly sweet and caramelized flavor profile.

garlic herb compound butter sitting on paper

Love this garlic herb compound butter?

Why not try a few of my herb and garlic packed recipes!