Easy Cowboy Butter Sauce Recipe

A small, white dipping bowl full of zesty Cowboy Butter Sauce with a little spoon inside bowl and spices scattered around.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Cowboy Butter Sauce Recipe

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Sauces and Gravy, Spices and Condiments

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 106kcal

Author: Seanna Borrows

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 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 ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes spicy peppers, chili flakes

Fresh Herbs

2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Finishing Touches

1 teaspoon salt fine ground, kosher
1 tablespoon lemon zest optional

Get Recipe Ingredients

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 ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon 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 fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh chives, 1 teaspoon fresh 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.

How to fix a broken sauce. Fixing a broken sauce is pretty simple. The best thing to do is simply add a little water and whisk vigorously to emulsify it again and it'll be smooth as silk.

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