Description
This homemade Cowboy Butter is a bold, flavorful dipping sauce—rich, garlicky, and packed with herbs, citrus, and spice. Perfect warm with steak, seafood, veggies, or crusty bread. It’s quick to make and turns any dish into something special.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and red chili flakes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in the chopped parsley and chives.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add more red chili flakes.
- Add other fresh herbs like thyme, or rosemary.
- For cheesiness, stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese off the heat.
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated over low heat.
- Storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
- Compound Cowboy Butter: To make compound Cowboy Butter, grab a medium bowl and mix all the ingredients into softened butter (or room temperature butter) until well combined. Spoon the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper, then shape it into a log. Roll it up tightly in a long piece of plastic wrap, twisting the ends to seal. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. When ready to use, slice off rounds and place them on hot grilled meats or seafood to melt over the top.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
