Cowboy butter is one of those magical additions to a meal that can turn everything into a special occasion. Especially steak. It’s bold, garlicky, zesty, and has just the right balance of heat, acid, and herbs.
This one’s been a long time coming, and I’m a little embarrassed that it took me this long to write it up! We’ve been making our version of cowboy butter for ages, and it’s the absolute perfect thing to pair with a steak fresh off the grill or baked potatoes or salmon, to brush over grilled corn or asparagus, or even to stir up with pan drippings for an instant sauce!
We especially like it with beef that my husband has used this coffee-based rub on! All the spices, all the flavors, all the deliciousness.
But I honestly had no idea how I wanted to photograph it for the post. It’s a spread.
So let’s start with a look at the ingredients.
This was pretty much how we came up with the recipe anyway. Scott found a picture online of the ingredients for cowboy butter and asked if I would help him reverse engineer it so he could pair it with a new way he was experimenting with grilling steak. After a few trial runs, we came up with this version and we’ve been pretty much making it the same way ever since.
Butter, chives, parsley, garlic, dijon mustard, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, all whisked together with the juice and zest of a lemon for an absolutely delicious spread that goes with so many things so very well.
You can vary the ratio for your tastes, and if you want a little more kick, throw in a dash of your favorite hot sauce. I like it a little spicier and I add a little olive oil to thin it into a dipping sauce for chicken, shrimp, or veggies!
Here’s how you make it!
Cowboy Butter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 ea lemon juice and a little zest
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whip together the softened butter and garlic until smooth.
- Stir in the Dijon, lemon juice and zest, herbs, and spices until fully combined.
- Taste and adjust as needed, with a little extra lemon for brightness, a little more salt if the spice is too strong.
- Serve as a spread, thin with olive oil to make a dipping sauce, or chill into a log for slicing and melting on your favorite meats and veggies!