Cowboy Butter Recipe

This cowboy butter recipe is bold, buttery, and loaded with garlic and heat. We smear it on grilled steak, swipe it on corn, and even dunk bread straight in. It’s that kind of sauce once you make it, your people won’t stop asking for it.

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Course: Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Western

Keyword: compound butter, cowboy butter recipe, easy cowboy butter, flavored butter, garlic butter, spicy butter spread, steak butter

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Softening Time: 1

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: tablespoons

Calories: 110kcal

Cost: $4

Equipment

1 Mixing Bowl To mash and mix the softened butter and ingredients
1 Fork or spoon To mash the butter and combine everything smoothly
1 knife To finely mince garlic and herbs if needed

Ingredients

▢ 1 stick unsalted butter softened (not melted)
▢ 3 garlic cloves minced super fine
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Leave butter out for about an hour until it’s soft enough to smash with a fork easily. Don’t microwave it or you’ll get melted butter soup instead of spreadable goodness.
Mash softened butter with lemon juice and Dijon mustard until smooth. A fork works fine, no fancy tools needed. Add minced garlic and mix until evenly distributed. It should look creamy, not chunky.
Dump in paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix everything until the color looks even throughout. Taste and adjust the heat or salt if needed. Don’t be shy with the garlic if you love it.
Your cowboy butter should spread easily and taste balanced between garlicky, spicy, and rich. If it’s too stiff, let it sit longer at room temp. Too soft means your butter got too warm.

Notes

The real secret is starting with softened butter. Not melted, not rushed just soft enough to mash with a fork. Then you mix in garlic, lemon, Dijon, and spices. That’s when the cowboy magic happens. We love it on steak night, at backyard BBQs, or honestly, anytime bread feels a little lonely.

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