Cowboy Butter

This cowboy butter is a garlicky herb butter that melts over a hot steak into a rich, savory, slightly spicy sauce. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together, and I especially love serving it with my pan-seared sirloin steak. It’s also delicious with chicken, seafood, potatoes, vegetables, or anything that could use a flavorful compound butter.

Why This Cowboy Butter Recipe Works

I’d seen cowboy butter all over social media and had heard about it for a while now, but honestly wrote it off. I figured it was just another compound butter, which had never really impressed me. But after finally making it to see what all the hype was about, I understood after one bite why it has become so popular.

As soon as the butter hits a hot steak, it melts across the surface and carries the garlic, herbs, and spices into every slice. It basically creates an instant pan sauce without requiring any extra cooking or another dirty pan.

What impressed me most was how bold the flavor is without covering up the steak. You get plenty of garlic, freshness from the herbs, a little tang, and a slow heat that builds after each bite. I also found that letting the butter rest before serving gives the flavors time to blend, so it tastes noticeably more balanced than it does immediately after mixing.

It’s also useful beyond the first meal. I keep the leftovers in the refrigerator and use them on chicken, shrimp, potatoes, vegetables, and toasted bread (it's delicious on this Raising Cane's bread), throughout the week. It takes only a few minutes to make, but it can completely change an otherwise simple dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, very soft
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Ingredient Notes

• Butter: Use very soft butter, not melted butter. It should give easily when pressed and be soft enough to stir without resistance. I prefer unsalted butter because Dijon and Worcestershire already add salt, and you can season the finished mixture more accurately.
• Garlic and shallot: Mince both as finely as possible so you don’t get large pieces of raw garlic or onion in one bite. Six garlic cloves create a strong garlic flavor, so use four if you prefer something more balanced.
• Fresh parsley and scallions: Fresh herbs give the butter a brighter flavor than dried herbs. Chop them finely and make sure they’re completely dry after washing, since excess water can keep the butter from blending smoothly.
• Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce: These keep the butter from tasting overly rich and add tangy, savory depth. Add them directly to the softened butter and mix thoroughly so there aren’t any concentrated streaks.
• Red pepper flakes and cayenne: Together, they give the butter a noticeable but gradual heat. Reduce the cayenne for a milder version, or add more red pepper flakes if you want the spice to stand out.
• Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika gives the butter a subtle grilled flavor that works especially well with steak. Regular paprika will still add color and mild flavor, but it won’t have the same smoky finish.

How to Make Cowboy Butter

Step 1: Soften the butter

Make sure the butter is very soft before you start. If it's not soft enough to stir easily, let it sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes. 

Step 2: Prep the fresh ingredients

Mince the garlic and shallot as finely as possible. Finely chop the fresh parsley and scallions. The finer everything is chopped the more evenly it distributes through the butter and the better every bite tastes.

Step 3: Combine everything

Add the soft butter to a medium bowl. Add the minced garlic, shallot, fresh parsley, scallions, dry thyme, red pepper flakes, cayenne, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Mix everything together with a fork or spatula until completely combined and the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter.

Step 4: Set aside or shape

Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature until ready to use, or roll the butter into a log shape using plastic wrap for easy slicing later. Refrigerate the log for at least 30 minutes before slicing if you want clean, even portions.

Step 5: Serve on steak

Cook your steak of choice to your preferred temperature and let it rest for 5 minutes. Place about a 2 tablespoon scoop of the cowboy butter directly on top of the hot rested steak and let it melt into the meat before serving.

How to Turn It Into Cowboy Butter Sauce

To make cowboy butter sauce, add the prepared butter to a small saucepan and warm it over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted. Don’t let it simmer or boil, since high heat can brown the garlic, dull the fresh herbs, and cause the butter to separate.

Once melted, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra brightness or a splash of warm water if you want a slightly thinner consistency for dipping. Stir it occasionally while serving so the herbs, garlic, and spices stay evenly distributed.

My Tips for the Best Cowboy Butter

• Let the flavors rest before serving. The butter tastes good immediately, but I found it becomes noticeably more balanced after sitting for at least 30 minutes. This gives the garlic, shallot, herbs, and spices time to blend.
• Taste it at room temperature. Cold butter can mute the salt, spice, and tang. Make your final seasoning adjustments while the mixture is still soft, then refrigerate it.
• Shape it into a log for easy portions. Spoon the butter onto plastic wrap, roll it into a tight log, and twist the ends closed. Once chilled, you can slice off individual rounds whenever you need them.
• Add it after the steak has rested. Let the cooked steak rest first, then place a slice or spoonful of cowboy butter on top. Adding it too early can cause most of the butter to run onto the plate instead of melting into the sliced meat.
• Use less than you think you need. Cowboy butter has a bold flavor, so start with about 1 tablespoon per steak and add more after tasting. Too much can overpower the meat.
• Divide the batch before storing it. Keep part of the butter soft for the meal you’re serving, then refrigerate or freeze the rest. This prevents the entire batch from repeatedly warming and chilling.

What to Use Cowboy Butter On

Cowboy butter works as a finishing butter or warm dipping sauce. Some of my favorite ways to use it are:

• Steak: Add a spoonful to ribeye, sirloin, filet mignon, or New York strip after the meat has rested. The butter melts over the warm steak and creates an instant sauce.
• Chicken: Spoon it over grilled or pan-seared chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken tenders.
• Seafood: Serve the melted butter with shrimp, salmon, crab legs, lobster, or scallops. The garlic, herbs, and spice work especially well with sweet seafood.
• Pork chops: Add it to grilled or skillet-cooked pork chops just before serving.
• Potatoes: Toss it with roasted potatoes, spoon it over baked potatoes, or use it as a dip for crispy fries.
• Corn on the cob: Brush it over grilled or boiled corn in place of plain butter.
• Vegetables: Melt it over asparagus, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower.
• Bread: Spread the softened butter over toasted sourdough, French bread, or dinner rolls for a bold garlic herb bread.

How to Store Cowboy Butter

Store cowboy butter in an airtight container or shape it into a log and wrap it tightly. Because it contains fresh garlic, shallot, and herbs, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90°F, refrigerate it within 1 hour.

Keep the butter refrigerated at 40°F or below and use it within 4 days. Let the amount you plan to serve soften briefly at room temperature rather than repeatedly warming and chilling the entire batch.

For longer storage, wrap the butter log tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Slice off individual rounds as needed, then thaw them in the refrigerator or place a frozen round directly onto hot steak, chicken, potatoes, or vegetables.

Cowboy Butter FAQs

What is cowboy butter?

Cowboy butter is a bold compound butter made with garlic, herbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and smoky spices. It can be served softened over steak, chilled and sliced into rounds, or melted into a warm dipping sauce.

Why is it called cowboy butter?

The exact origin of the name isn’t firmly documented. One theory connects it to a former New York City restaurant called Mr. Donahue’s, while another is that the smoky, spicy butter became associated with steaks, grilling, and rustic campfire cooking.

Is cowboy butter a sauce or a compound butter?

It can be both. When the ingredients are mixed into softened butter and chilled, it’s a compound butter that can be sliced or spread. When the same mixture is gently melted, it becomes cowboy butter sauce for dipping or drizzling.

What does cowboy butter taste like?

Cowboy butter tastes rich, garlicky, herby, tangy, smoky, and slightly spicy. The Dijon and Worcestershire balance the richness of the butter, while the paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes give it a warm finish.

Is cowboy butter spicy?

This recipe has a mild to medium heat from the cayenne and red pepper flakes. For a milder butter, reduce or leave out the cayenne. For more heat, add extra red pepper flakes a small amount at a time.

Is cowboy butter the same as garlic butter?

No. Garlic butter is usually made with butter, garlic, and sometimes parsley. Cowboy butter starts with that same idea but adds mustard, Worcestershire sauce, shallot, fresh herbs, paprika, and chile spices for a tangier and more complex flavor.

Can you cook steak in cowboy butter?

You can baste steak with it near the end of cooking, but I wouldn’t use it as the main fat for searing. The garlic, shallot, herbs, and butter can burn over high heat. For the best flavor, cook the steak first, let it rest, then add the cowboy butter while the meat is still hot.

Can I make cowboy butter without Dijon mustard?

Yes, but the finished butter won’t have quite the same tangy balance. Whole-grain mustard is the closest substitute, although it will give the butter more texture. Yellow mustard can work, but its flavor is milder and slightly different.

Can I make cowboy butter without Worcestershire sauce?

Yes. You can leave it out, but the butter will lose some of its savory depth. A small splash of soy sauce or coconut aminos can work as a substitute, but add it gradually and taste before adding any extra salt.

Is cowboy butter vegetarian?

Not always. Traditional Worcestershire sauce commonly contains anchovies, so this recipe isn’t vegetarian unless you use a vegetarian or vegan Worcestershire sauce.

Is cowboy butter gluten-free?

The butter, herbs, garlic, shallot, and spices are naturally gluten-free, but Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce can vary by brand. Check for a gluten-free label on both products if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease or a serious sensitivity.