Herb Butter

5 from 7

Including garlic and either fresh or dried herbs, this Herb Butter recipe is so easy to make and takes foods like baked potatoes, dinner rolls, steak, and turkey up five notches!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: herb butter, homemade herb butter, whipped herb butter

Servings: (1/2 cup total)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh chives , finely chopped
1 & 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme , finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary , finely chopped
2 cloves garlic , finely minced
1/2 cup salted butter , softened to room temperature

Instructions

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add in the other ingredients and blend until combined and smooth.
Wipe down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beat again until everything is well incorporated.
Spoon mixture into a ramekin or butter dish. Use as desired or cover and store for later.

Notes

Salted vs. Unsalted butter. Both salted and unsalted butter can be used. If using unsalted butter, add in 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt a little at a time.

Fresh vs. Dried herbs. I personally prefer fresh herbs for herb butter, but you can use either. Dried herbs are generally more potent than fresh herbs, though, so you’ll need less – typically three times the amount of fresh herbs as dry. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, you need only 1 teaspoon of dried.

Try different herbs. I love the trio of chives, thyme, and oregano, but any and all types of herbs work. Thyme, basil, chives, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and tarragon are personal favorites. Use only one kind or a combination equal to a 1/4 cup, depending on your taste.

Control the garlic flavor. We like the garlic in our herb butter to really come through, but if you want the flavor to be more subtle, just cut back on the amount, or just omit it entirely.

Whipped butter vs. Compound butter. This whipped butter is not the same thing as compound butter (where you place the mixture on parchment paper, roll into a log, chill, and then slice.) This is merely a few ingredients blended together in a mixing bowl and then spooned into a dish to enjoy. You could, of course, convert this into compound butter, though!

Proper Storage. Make sure you're following the correct way to store any leftovers, included in the article.

Nutrition