A yummy compound butter is a great way to add flavor to steak or salmon with little effort! I keep several flavors of compound butter ready to go in my freezer so I have a simple way to finish off my dinner. These butters are great on side dishes, too!
I love compound butter! They’re always delicious, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months so you’ve always got one on hand, and they’re a cinch to make.
I use compound butter whenever I make sous vide tri tip or sous vide salmon, and it’s great on sous vide pork chops, too.
What is a compound butter?
A compound butter is simply butter mixed with things like spices, herbs, citrus, or cheese, then stored by wrapping in parchment or adding to a jar and often frozen.
More importantly, they’re a simple way to add a ton of flavor to your dishes!
How to Use Compound Butters
Usually, I keep it simple and just pull a compound butter from the freezer, cut off a piece, and place it on top of hot protein like steak. Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- As a topping for grilled or sous vide meat, like:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Pork chops
- Pork tenderloin
- As a topping for grilled or sous vide seafood, like:
- As a topping for veggies, like:
- Asparagus
- Corn on the cob
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Brussels sprouts
- Stirred into things like:
- Mashed potatoes
- Risotto
- Pasta
- Pasta salad
Another favorite? Cut a baguette in half and generously spread the butter over it. Broil to melt and toast the bread!
How to Pair these Compound Butter Recipes
Frankly, most of these butters will taste great on just about anything, but here’s how I recommend pairing them. In fact, I recommend making all of them at once and having them ready to go for whatever you might be serving!
Get the Recipe:
7 Compound Butter Recipes
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tsp finely chopped chives
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Chipotle Maple Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Curry Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, (optional)
Habanero Lime Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 habanero pepper, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, (about 1 lime)
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
Sun Dried Tomato Anchovy Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 anchovies packed in oil, drained and minced
- 1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and minced
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Rosemary Black Pepper Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, about 1 sprig
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Sesame Sriracha Butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mash them together with a fork until well-combined.
- Spoon mixture onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, form it into a log, and wrap. Twist the ends to secure them. Alternatively, you can add to a small, freezer safe canning jar. Freeze for at least 1 hour before using.
- Remove from freezer and set on counter a half hour before serving to soften enough to slice.
- Slice a pat of the butter and place on hot food of your choice (it's great on sous vide salmon or sous vide steak) to melt.