This Cowboy Butter Sauce is what happens when garlic herb butter gets a serious upgrade - loaded with fresh herbs, lemon zest, Dijon, shallots, and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Whisk it together in about 15 minutes and serve it as a warm dipping sauce for steak, drizzle it over lobster tails or grilled veggies, or, honestly, just put it on everything. We've been making this for years, and it never gets old. 🤤
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This Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce Goes on Everything 🤤
We originally made this to go with steak, and it does go ridiculously well with a juicy bavette steak or a cast iron ribeye, but it didn't take long for us to start putting it on everything. Chicken, shrimp, garlic baked crab legs, butter poached lobster tails, grilled veggies, potatoes, crusty bread... basically, if it's edible, this sauce makes it better.
What makes this different from regular compound butter or garlic butter is the combination of Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, fresh shallots, and a squeeze of lemon that cuts right through all that richness. It's tangy, herby, a little smoky, a little spicy, and completely irresistible warm. You can also let it cool and use it as a compound butter - roll it into a log, chill it, and slice rounds to melt over a hot steak right off the grill.
The whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes with ingredients you probably already have, and it keeps in the fridge for a week. Make a batch and thank us later. 😉
🧈 Ingredients for Cowboy Butter Sauce
This recipe comes together with simple pantry staples and a handful of fresh herbs - nothing fancy, nothing hard to find!
How to Make Cowboy Butter ✨
Don't let the ingredient list fool you - this comes together fast and easy. A few minutes of mincing, one bowl, and a whisk. That's it!
- Step 1: Melt the butter and pour it into a mixing bowl.
🧈 Salted or unsalted? Either works here! If you use salted butter, go easy on the added salt - taste as you go. If you use unsalted, you'll have more control over the seasoning and can add salt to your preference. We like to start with about ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and adjust from there.
- Step 2: Add the minced parsley, cilantro, green onions, and thyme to the melted butter and stir to combine.
🌿 Fresh herbs make a real difference here. The color, the flavor, the little flecks throughout - dried herbs just can't replicate that. If dried is all you have access to, though, use about one-third of the amount called for (so 1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh) and know it'll still be delicious.
- Step 3: Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
🍋 Don't skip the lemon. The zest and juice are what keep this sauce from being just another garlic butter. That brightness cuts right through the richness and makes the whole bite really come together. Use a fresh lemon if possible; bottled juice won't give you the same punch.
- Step 4: Add the minced garlic, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.
🔪 Mince everything finely. You want garlic, shallots, and herbs in small, even pieces so every bite has a little bit of everything. Nobody wants a giant chunk of raw garlic in their dipping sauce!
- Step 5: Whisk it all together until everything is evenly distributed. Taste and adjust - more salt, more lemon, more heat, whatever you like. This sauce is very forgiving, so make it yours!
🤤 It gets even better as it sits. The flavors meld together over time, so if you can make it 30 minutes to an hour before serving, you'll notice a difference. That said, it's also incredible right away - we rarely have the patience to wait. 😂
Serve it warm alongside steak, drizzle it over grilled chicken, or set it out with skirt steak pinwheels for a showstopper dinner spread. This sauce plays well with just about everything on the table.
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If you make this Easy Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and rate the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
Cowboy Butter Sauce Recipe (Easy, Flavorful Dipping Sauce!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted (2 sticks / 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely minced
- 1 tablespoon green onions finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest zest of 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons shallot finely minced, about 1 medium
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
Make the sauce
- Melt the butter and pour into a medium mixing bowl.1 cup butter
- Add the minced parsley, cilantro, green onions, and thyme. Stir to combine.2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Add the minced garlic, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk everything together until evenly combined.5 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons shallot, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust lemon, heat, and seasonings to your preference.¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Serve
- Serve warm alongside steak, chicken, shrimp, lobster, crab legs, grilled vegetables, potatoes, or bread.
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Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat gently in the microwave in 15-second intervals, or in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. This sauce can also be frozen for up to six months - thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Compound butter method: Use softened (not melted) butter instead. Mix all ingredients together with a spoon or spatula, then scoop the mixture onto plastic wrap. Roll into a log shape, twist the ends, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. Slice into rounds and place on top of hot steaks, chicken, or seafood to melt.
- Make-ahead: The flavors develop and improve over time, so this is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted - if using salted, reduce or skip the added kosher salt. If using unsalted, season to taste.
- Fresh vs. dried herbs: Fresh herbs are strongly recommended for the best flavor and color. If using dried, reduce the amount to one-third (1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh).
- Pairs beautifully with: bavette steak, baked crab legs, and butter poached lobster tails.
Patty says
Made this after getting bored with ketchup and steak sauce. YUM!!!
Briana says
So great to hear you enjoyed this Patty. Thanks so much for the review!! 😀
Elisha says
This recipe made my meal taste like it was from a steak house. This is going in the recipe book!
Briana says
That is such high praise, Elisha! Thanks so much for the awesome comment. 🙂
Carrie says
Freeze in an ice cube tray and store in freezer bag for easy portions 👌🏻
Briana says
That's a great idea!
Jeanine says
Absolutely delicious!
Briana says
So great to hear! Thanks so much for trying it, Jeanine!
LaShae says
Made this for dinner! So good!!! Going to add on top of all the things!!!
Briana says
So awesome to hear! Thanks for trying it LaShae! 😀
Victoria says
For my taste, the butter was a bit too acidic to work with steak (which I originally intended it for). However, it was amazing atop salmon and whitefish. Love this recipe!
Briana says
Thank you Victoria for this feedback!! We're glad you found other ways to enjoy it. In our opinion there's no wrong way, and it works with so many things!
Stephany says
I’m not joking this is the best thing I’ve ever made. I put it on top of skirt steak & potatoes OMG amazing! Will be making again!
Briana says
This is the best comment ever. We're so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for trying it and for the sweet comment Stephany! 🙂
MJB says
I am planning to try this, and I have a feeling it will be fantastic on corn on the cob!!
Briana says
That would be absolutely delicious!!
Doris says
This stuff is great ! Totally transformed my boring dinner into something fancy. It packs tons of flavor, and I didn’t even need to make a grocery run to pull it all together. I really appreciate the simple list of ingredients. Thank you thank you
Briana says
We are so thrilled!! Thank you for trying it, we hope it becomes a staple for transforming dinner. 😉
Shea says
Cannot wait to try this!!! Definitely going to be a staple this summer 😍
Briana says
Hope you love it, Shea!! 😀