Bold and tangy, Cowboy Butter Sauce packs a spicy punch with a bright lemon finish. Perfect for grilled meats, roasted veggies or potatoes, french fries, crostini, or dipping.
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This silky smooth dipping sauce, has perfectly balanced flavors of garlic & fresh herbs and a hint of lemon, that will keep you coming back for more. No broken, oily sauce or overly pungent flavors here. Our recipe stands out from the rest.
We'll show you everything you need to know to prepare it as a silky smooth butter sauce or as a style of compound butter that can be made ahead, rolled, and sliced anytime to elevate a dish.
This Cowboy Butter Recipe is a versatile sauce that is great way to elevate a home cooked steak dinner, smoked, or grilled meats, a beautiful piece of fish, or other seafood. It's delicious drizzled over roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes, french fries, or crostini. And is the perfect addition to serve on a charcuterie board as a compliment to all the various little nibbles.
This homemade cowboy butter sauce was inspired by our tender & juicy grilled ribeye steak recipe. Dipping slices of grilled ribeye into this warm, decadent steak sauce is just too delicious. It's also super tasty drizzled over these oven roasted potatoes.
Be sure to check out our other barbecue and grilling recipes and some tasty side dishes to complete your meal.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are a number of recipes out there, but this is the best recipe to try and here's why:
Perfectly Balance Flavors. The rich flavor of this recipe is perfectly balanced by just the right about of lemon juice, giving it a rich, but not overly pungent flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
And we'll show you how to make this flavored butter or beurre composé two ways, cooked, and uncooked:
Silky Smooth Butter Sauce (Cooked). We'll also give you pro tips on how to create a silky smooth sauce and how to fix a broken one.
Compound Butter (Uncooked) - A flavored butter that you can roll into a log and store in the freezer to slice and use anytime to refine a dish.
Love dips and sauces? Be sure to check out our irresistible Chili Cheese Dip and Simple Pan Gravy Recipe.
What Is Cowboy Butter
Cowboy Butter is flavored butter, or what the French call a classic beurre composé, that can be made two ways: as a compound butter or as a butter sauce. We'll show you how to make both.
Compound Butter or Beurre Maître d'Hôtel (Uncooked) - Cowboy Butter is softened butter with a special blend of spices and herbs mixed into it, along with some lemon juice. Once mixed, it is rolled into the shape of a log in parchment paper or some plastic wrap.
In this form, it can be frozen and used anytime to elevate a dish. Just cut off a slice and allow it to come to room temperature. Place the slice on a hot steak or seafood and it will emulsify as it melts into the meat.
Butter Sauce (Cooked) - Cowboy Butter Sauce is a saucy version that is served warm for dipping or room temperature as a spread. It is a rustic version of the classic french butter sauce, Beurre Blanc.
Ingredients
- lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice at the end for brightness and balance of flavors.
- garlic - Use minced, fresh garlic.
- dijon mustard - Smooth or coarse grained. Mustard works as an emulsifier that helps the sauce come together.
- prepared horseradish - Our favorite horseradish is Sandwich King. Prepared horseradish is a form of mayonnaise and works as an emulsifier.
- butter - Salted. May substitute unsalted. Use room temperature to make compound butter. Use ice cold butter to make a sauce.
Dried Spices
- paprika - Good 'ole American paprika. May substitute smoked paprika.
- cayenne pepper - Just a pinch of finely ground red pepper will do.
- ground black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes - Spicy peppers, or chili flakes. Adjust the level of spiciness by adding more or less red pepper flakes.
Fresh Herbs
- fresh herbs - Add fresh herbs at the end of the recipe to preserve the fresh flavor and color. May substitute dried herbs instead and add them in with the others.
- Italian parsley
- thyme - Fresh thyme
- chives - Fresh chives
Finishing Touches
- salt - Kosher salt. Added at the end to adjust the seasoning.
- lemon zest (optional) - Added at the end.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Easy Cowboy Butter Recipe
The easiest way to make this recipe is to make it into a compound butter. Simply combine room temperature butter with all the other ingredients using a small bowl and a wooden spoon, a food processor, or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.
Once combined, roll it out into a log in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in the freezer until you want to use it.
Cowboy Butter Sauce Recipe
Alternatively, you can take this recipe to the next level and make it into a delicious, warm sauce by following the simple step-by-step instructions below.
- Reduce Lemon Juice with Garlic. Place lemon juice and garlic into small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce by half.
- Add Dried Spices, Mustard, and Prepared Horseradish. Whisk in dried spices, mustard, and horseradish.
- Add Cold Butter A Little At A Time. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt butter completely while whisking it over low heat.
Continue to place butter into saucepan and whisk it vigorously with each addition. Then, take it off the heat.
Note: Watch that the heat so that the it doesn't boil or it will break. See note below on how to fix a broken sauce if it does.
- Stir In Fresh Herbs, Salt. Stir in the fresh herbs and lemon zest. Adjust the seasoning with salt.
- Serve. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
How To Make A Silky Smooth Butter Sauce
The key is to add the fat slowly so that the emulsification doesn't break.
- Use Cold Butter. It will melt slower, causing the fat to be incorporated slowly.
- Add Butter In Slowly. Adding fat too fast can break a sauce.
- Watch The Heat. Too much heat can break a sauce. So, just barely heat it. Don't let it come to a boil or too much liquid will evaporate, and it will break.
- Strain It. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain any particles out before you stir in any fresh herbs.
- For best results, bring to room temperature before serving.
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How To Fix A Broken Sauce
What is a broken sauce? An emulsified sauce, like a butter sauce, hollandaise, or mayonnaise, is one in which droplets of fat are suspended in a liquid, and for a time, are combined as one. A broken sauce is one in which the bond or emulsification between the fat and liquid has broken and the particles separate.
A sauce with oil floating on the top is broken and a disappointment visually, texturally, and to the taste.
How to fix a broken sauce. Fixing a broken sauce is pretty simple. The best thing to do is simply add a little water to it and whisk vigorously to emulsify it again and it'll be smooth as silk.
Recipe FAQS
Here are a few reasons a sauce will break:
Fat was added too quickly. Don't add the fat too quickly. Whisk cold butter into a sauce a little at a time to create an emulsification.
Sauce got too hot. Barely heat the sauce so that the butter melts slowly and the liquid doesn't evaporate. Move it on and off the heat as necessary, while it is being incorporated.
Sauce sat for too long. The emulsification of a sauce will only hold together for a limited time before a natural separation will occur. After a while, the emulsification will break, and the fat will separate from the sauce and float on top.
Make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer until needed. Here are some time-saving make ahead tips to consider:
Cowboy Seasoning Blend. Make a mixture of dried herbs and spices to have on hand. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature with your other spices.
Compound Butter. Make it ahead and store in the freezer until needed.
Cowboy Butter Sauce - Allow it to come down to room temperature. Once it congeals, smooth it into a bowl to serve as a spread. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature so it softens enough to spread with a knife.
Serving Suggestions
Cowboy Butter is a great way to elevate a home-cooked steak dinner, smoked or grilled meats and seafood. It's great for butter-basting your favorite steak, or fish. Serve it drizzled over roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes, french fries, or crostini. This delicious steak sauce recipe is the perfect dipping sauce to put on a charcuterie board as a compliment to all the various little nibbles.
Expert Tip
Make Cowboy Butter Seasoning Blend. Make a dry seasoning blend from the ingredients above, to have on hand, to mix with olive oil or to add zesty flavor to recipes.
Swap out dried herbs for fresh, and place all the dried spices to an airtight container, and shake it up to combine. Store at room temperature.
Try Our Other Seasoning Blends
- Italian Seasoning - A simple Homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe made from pantry ingredients. It's a great little back-pocket secret ingredient that'll spice up any dish.
- Dry Rub - Best dry rub for Oven-Baked Ribs, and Perfect Pulled Pork.
How To Use Cowboy Butter Sauce
If you love this steak sauce recipe, you're gonna love it with these dishes.
- Grilled Ribeye Recipe - Tender & juicy, perfectly grilled ribeye steak.
- Tender Filet Mignon - Make steakhouse filet mignon at home.
- Juicy Grilled Chicken - Marinated grilled chicken.
- Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes - Salty and tasty with the perfect combination of crispy outside and pillowy soft potato inside.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Cowboy Butter Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- small bowl used for compound butter
- small saucepan used to make a sauce
- parchment paper or plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon garlic fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish sauce
- 8 tablespoons butter salted, 1 stick
Cowboy Butter Seasoning
Dried Spices
- 1 teaspoon paprika American
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes spicy peppers, chili flakes
Fresh Herbs
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley fresh, minced
- 1 tablespoon chives fresh chives, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh thyme
Finishing Touches
- 1 teaspoon salt fine ground, kosher
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Reduce Lemon Juice with Garlic. Place lemon juice and garlic into small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce by half.2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Add Dried Spices and Condiments. Whisk in dried spices, mustard, and prepared horseradish.1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish sauce
- Add Cold Butter A Little At A Time. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt butter completely while whisking it over low heat. Continue to place butter into saucepan like so, and whisk it vigorously with each addition. Then, take the sauce off the heat.Note: Watch that the heat so that it doesn't boil or the sauce will break. Keep the sauce around 145°F. See note below on how to fix a broken sauce if it separates.8 tablespoons butter
- Stir In Fresh Herbs, Salt. Stir in the fresh herbs, salt, and lemon zest.2 tablespoons Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Serve. Serve this zesty sauce warm.
Video
Notes
Variation
Make Compound Butter. The easiest way to make this recipe is to make it into a compound butter. Simply combine room temperature butter with all the other ingredients using a small bowl and a wooden spoon, a food processor, or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Once combined, roll it out into a log in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in the freezer until you want to use it.Ingredients
- lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for acidic brightness and balance of flavors.
- garlic - Use minced, fresh garlic.
- dijon mustard - Smooth or coarse grained. Works as an emulsifier.
- prepared horseradish - Our favorite horseradish is Sandwich King. Works as an emulsifier.
- butter - Use salted. May substitute unsalted.
- paprika - Good 'ole American paprika. May substitute smoked paprika.
- cayenne pepper - Just a pinch of finely ground red pepper will do.
- crushed red pepper flakes - Spicy peppers, or chili flakes. Adjust the level of spiciness by adding more or less red pepper flakes.
- fresh herbs - Add fresh herbs at the end of the recipe to preserve the fresh flavor and color. May substitute dried herbs instead and add them in with the others.
- salt - Kosher salt.
- lemon zest (optional) - Added at the end to finish.
Pro Tips
The key to a silky smooth sauce is to add the fat slowly so that the emulsification doesn't break.- Use Cold Butter. It will melt slower, causing the fat to be incorporated more slowly.
- Add Butter In Slowly. Adding fat too fast can break a sauce.
- Watch The Heat. Heat can break a sauce. So, just barely heat it. Don't let it come to a boil or too much liquid will evaporate, and it will break.
- Strain It. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain any particles out of it before you stir in any fresh herbs.
Will says
Very nice!
Seanna Borrows says
Thanks Bud! So good on ribeye!