Recipe: How to Make Homemade Flavored Butter

Here’s a key reason you want to learn how to make homemade flavoredbutter. Walking in a fancy upscale supermarket recently, I ran across a 3 oz tub of herb-infused butter was $5.99.

That means you’re paying $31 for butter with some herbs in it.

Save money and do it yourself. If you can let butter sit on a counter, spend two minutes chopping and stir, you can make your own. I have faith in you.

Known in French as beurre composé, finishing butter has been around since at least the 1700s. They’re simply unsalted butter that has been blended with herbs and seasonings with endless variations. Auguste Escoffier published three dozen combinations in 1903, among them his famed anchovy butter and beurre à la maître d’hotel (lemon parsley butter).

Flavored butters are like a small superpower in the kitchen. Make a few and keep in your freezer to dress up weeknight dinners. I often make compound butter from leftovers — the herb I didnt need in a dish, leftover chopped garlic, that last bit of ginger. Just a dab transforms any dish, from meats, fish or chicken, to steamed vegetables and simple pastas.

Beurre à la Maître d’Hotel 

A classic on steaks, roast chops, seafood, poultry and all kinds of vegetables. Escoffier’s original version did not contain garlic, but it is a common addition today. If using on steak, you can add in a bit of Worcestershire sauce.  

4 tablespoons good unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)

Let the butter sit at room temperatures until softened. Remove the leaves from the herbs and chop fine. Chop the garlic. Add to the butter and lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper and stir or “chop into” the butter until well-incorporated. You can use a stand mixer for this, but it’s unnecessary and will be a pain to wash. Place the butter on parchment, plastic wrap or wax paper and roll into a long oblong shape, like a sushi roll.

Place in the freezer for about an hour or until firm. Then slice into pieces and serve with desired dish. To keep in the freezer, put the slices into a silicon or plastic bag and then wrap the bag in foil. It will remain fresher tasting.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Butter

t tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Few grinds black pepper

“Hot Butter” with Red Calabrian Peppers & Garlic

This works especially well to spark up roasted and steamed vegetables. 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon Calabrian peppers, or red chili flakes or dry-roasted chili peppers crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grinds black pepper

Lemon and Dill Butter

A terrific topper to grilled or pan-fried fish.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried (adjust to taste)

Caramelized Shallot Butter

This one is especially nice on roasted vegetables. 

1 stick unsalted butter
2 large shallots, finely diced (1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat until melted. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme. Cool completely. In a small bowl, combine the shallot mixture with the remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons of butter and the lemon zest. Stir to blend well. Lightly season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape into a log as above.

Cognac-Sage Butter

This one is best made with a mixer to emulsify the liquid with the butter

1 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cognac
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Grinds of black pepper

Bleu Cheese and Garlic Butter

This one is the bomb on grilled steaks. 

1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup blue cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Grinds of black pepper

Orange Dijon Butter

This version is terrific on grilled or baked chicken

1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Grinds of black pepper

More on CookFearless

• A Quick Primer on Herbs & Spices
• Cooking in Parchment (video lesson)
• How to Roast a Chicken (video lesson)
• How to Make No-Knead Artisan bread (video lesson)

More from Fearless Cooks

• Brown-eyed Baker: Sweet versions with honey and cinnamon
• Cooking Canuck: Great variations including kalamata-mint and curry butter
• Food 52: Tea with Honey and Lemon, plus a great slide show of how to make it

This post was originally published in 2011. It has been updated. It may contain affiliate links.