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Melt it, drizzle it, slather it on. Bourbon Herb Compound Butter is the sweet, smoky, and herbaceous finishing touch that will take your favorite dishes to the next level with minimal effort.

Butter already makes everything better but throw in the smoky and sweet kiss of bourbon and fresh note of herbs, and you will find yourself wondering what you can add this to next. Whether you’re looking to butter up your favorite steak or caress your split lobster tails with extra flavor, this easy and delicious garlicky compound butter is a great way to add a ton of flavor.

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What is Compound Butter?

Compound butter, or beurre composé, is simply a combination of butter mixed with either sweet or savory ingredients. It’s an easy way to enhance the flavors of dishes and acts similar to a sauce.

Truffle butter, honey butter, garlic butter, garlic and parsley butter, and beurre maître d’hôtel are some of the most popular flavors. Compound butter can be as simple as mixing together softened butter with honey, or as complex as roasting garlic and combining it with Gorgonzola and room temperature butter. The better is your canvas to layer and create.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Nothing bad ever started with bourbon and butter.

Accessible Ingredients – With the exception of the bourbon, this herb compound butter is filled with common fresh ingredients.
Easy Process – This garlic compound butter is easy enough for the novice cook to create. There are no special skills required.
Meal Prep – Compound butter is a great ingredient to make ahead. Simply store it in your refrigerator or freezer and pull it out when you’re ready to use it.
Versatility – The combination of flavors in this compound makes it suited to just about anything you would add butter to. Use it on your resting steaks or melted over grilled asparagus.
Balance of Flavors – Savory, herbaceous, and a little sweet, this rich butter hits all of the marks.

Ingredients Needed for Compound Butter

Pop open the bottle of bourbon and pour yourself a glass. This deeply aromatic bourbon compound butter is bursting with the flavors of fresh herbs and savory aromatics.

Bourbon – Pick a bourbon that you enjoy as the flavors will get concentrated as it’s reduced down.
Shallot – This slightly sweet and mellow aromatic enhances the natural sweetness of the butter and the bourbon.
Garlic – Aromatic and savory, this brings a little bold and bright flavor to the Bourbon Herb Compound Butter.
Thyme – Lemony and a little woodsy, it brings a bright savory note to the bourbon and shallots and they reduce.
Parsley – Grassy and fresh, parsley brightens up the flavors while balancing the richness of the butter.
Chives – This mild herb echoes the onion flavor of the shallots while adding herbaceous freshness.
Lemon Zest – The oils in the lemon zest give you a sunny pop of lemon without watering down the butter by adding juice. I recommend using organic lemons when zesting as there isn’t any waxing coating on the skin.
Butter – The star of the show and the canvas for the rest of the flavors. I recommend using unsalted butter for this compound butter and all compound butters. This will allow you to add it to whatever you like without worry of your final dish becoming too salty. Also pick a high-quality butter when making your compound butter. European butters have higher milk fat which will result in a richer, more flavorful compound butter.

How to Make Bourbon Herb Compound Butter

Making compound butters is one of the easiest ways to add bold flavor with just a little effort. It is as east as mixing. Plus, you get to pour some bourbon. Make a double batch because it keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator and a month in the freezer.

Simmer – Add your bourbon, shallots, and thyme sprigs to a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Cool Down – Remove your thyme sprigs. Let the bourbon shallots cool completely before continuing on to the next step. If you steal a few bites, no judgement. They will smell amazing!

Mix it Up – Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl, along with the bourbon shallots. Mix until they are just combined, and the butter is creamy.
Roll It – Transfer your compound butter to plastic wrap. Tightly roll it up to create a log.
Just Chilling – Either transfer your compound butter to the freezer or the refrigerator.
Slice – When ready to use your compound butter, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Slice off your desired amount, or melt it for basting.

How to Use Bourbon Herb Compound Butter

Compound butters act as both butter, but also a sauce. The flavor profiles in this garlic herb compound butter pair well with beef, seafood, and vegetables and potatoes. Have fun discovering your favorite thing to add it to!

Steak – When resting your steak, add a few slices of room temperature compound butter. This will allow it to easily melt and cascade over the steak and won’t lower the steaks temperature too quickly by being cold.
Lobster – Gently melt your Bourbon Herb Compound Butter in a saucepan and use it to baste your lobster while grilling. This works especially well with split lobster tails.
Shrimp – Add a couple of slices of the compound butter to sautéed shrimp at the end. You can also use this to baste your shrimp while grilling.
Fish – The sweetness of the bourbon and shallots make this an ideal boost of flavor for salmon. It would also work well with any firm white, mild fish such as halibut, grouper, cod, or mahi-mahi.
Vegetables – Vegetable and butter just belong together. Add this to your sautéed asparagus, melt it over your roasted green beans, or top off your grilled broccolini.

Tips From the Beach

While bourbon brings all of the mystery and drama to this compound butter, the butter itself is the star. Always pick a high-quality butter. In addition to picking butter that is richer in flavor, avoid salted butters. When adding slices of this herbed compound butter to food such as a steak that may have been dry brined and seasoned, you don’t want to risk adding another layer of salt.

Always keep your butter tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or a zip lock bag. It can keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and up to a month in the freezer. Allow it to sit out and come to room temperature before using it.