Cowboy Butter

It’s hard to trace the origins of every viral recipe, but it seems likely that cowboy butter originated at a tiny, now-closed New York City restaurant called Mr. Donahue’s. There, it sided dishes like gorgeous herb-crusted prime rib, duchess potatoes and lemon-almond asparagus. Soon, riffs on the restaurant’s secret seasoned butter recipe became an internet sensation.

Our cowboy butter recipe is robustly seasoned with garlic, shallots and a wide array of spices, bringing tons of flavor to any dish. You can make the butter in batches and store it in the fridge or freezer so it’s available whenever you want it. Use cowboy butter to spruce up weeknight dinners and wow your party guests.

What is cowboy butter?

In its original iteration, cowboy butter was a sauce of butter that was melted and flavored with herbs, spices and alliums (all the delicious plants related to onions and garlic). Our version is more like compound butter, a fancy name for softened butter mixed with stuff to make it taste even better! Once the flavorful ingredients are blended in, the butter is rolled into a log and chilled. It can then be sliced and placed on top of hot foods to make an instant sauce.

Cowboy Butter Ingredients

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• Butter: Since this is the main ingredient, seek out the best butter for the recipe. If you use unsalted butter, you’ll have total control over the amount of salt in the final product. However, the salt in salted butter is slight, and using it here or in other recipes isn’t a big deal.
• Shallot: A delicious relative of the onion, the shallot has little a less bite than its culinary cousin.
• Lemon juice: You want fresh lemon juice. If you don’t have a juicer, try this cool hack for how to juice a lemon.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard combines spicy mustard seeds, salt, and wine or vinegar. In cowboy butter, the sharpness of Dijon is a perfect complement to the other ingredients; other mustards won’t work quite as well.
• Fresh herbs: Cowboy butter uses abundant fresh herbs, like parsley, chives and thyme, all of which add flavor and color. Look for flat-leaf parsley, which is easier to cut and has a lovely bright bite. Pretty green chives lend a delicate oniony flavor to the butter (if you have extra, try one of our delicious chive recipes). And make sure you know how to cut fresh herbs from your garden.
• Horseradish: Prepared horseradish adds a wallop of flavor to cowboy butter. I like making homemade horseradish from what I grow in my garden, but you can use store-bought prepared horseradish.
• Garlic: For this recipe, use medium-sized cloves, and add an extra one if you’re a serious garlic lover.
• Other seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper add balance and some kick.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cowboy butter

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In a small bowl, whisk together the softened butter, shallot, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, parsley, horseradish, chives, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper.

Step 2: Make a butter log

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Transfer the butter mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll it up into a log. Refrigerate until chilled.

Editor’s Tip: To wrap the butter log, place the butter mixture on the center of the wrap. With your hands, flatten and roll into a cylinder shape. Twist the ends in opposite directions to shape into a roll.

Step 3: Slice and serve

Unwrap the butter log, and cut into slices or place on a butter dish to serve.

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Recipe Variations

• Make it spicier: If you like it hot, turn up the heat by adding more cayenne, additional hot spices such as chipotle powder, or splashes of your favorite hot sauce. You can taste the butter as you go in order to get the heat exactly where you like it. Just remember to use a new spoon each time.
• Make it zesty: Before juicing, zest your lemon, and add the zest to the butter. Orange or lime zest would also be lovely.
• Change the flavor profile: Nearly any spice blend, including chile powder, garam masala, Old Bay seasoning or ras el hanout, can be mixed into softened butter.
• Make it extra herbaceous: Plenty of other herbs would be nice in this compound butter, especially dill, cilantro, basil or oregano.

How to Use Cowboy Butter

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Cowboy butter is a natural complement to grilled meats, especially grilled steak and other cuts of beef. It’s wonderful as a topping on baked potatoes or tossed with potato cubes or wedges before roasting them. Slather cowboy butter over steamed or grilled sweet corn for a perfect summertime treat. Making burgers or sandwiches? Put some room-temperature cowboy butter on the bread or the buns, or use it as the butter spread for garlic bread. Cowboy butter would also be fun to include on a butter board.

How to Store Cowboy Butter

Store wrapped cowboy butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

How to Freeze Cowboy Butter

Compound butter like this freezes really well. Store it wrapped and in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. To use, let it thaw in the refrigerator a bit before slicing.

Cowboy Butter Tips

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Why is my cowboy butter separating?

If the butter is separating, it might be because it’s too warm. You want the butter to be room temperature soft but not liquified. When mixing all the ingredients, be sure to whisk vigorously. You can also put the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then whisk it again. To ensure super-smooth butter with no streaks, put it in a blender or food processor.

How do you serve cowboy butter as a dip?

If you want to serve cowboy butter as a dip, melt the butter first, and then mix in all the remaining ingredients. You can also melt refrigerated or frozen cowboy butter until it’s liquid and warm. Serve it as a dip or drizzle for fresh bread or biscuits, seafood like lobster, and roasted veggies like broccoli and cauliflower.