Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
This citrusy, tangy lemon caper butter sauce is the perfect condiment to spoon over your grilled meat! From seafood to your simple grilled chicken or steak, this wicked sauce can jazz up pretty much anything.
And just like my cowboy butter dipping sauce, it doubles up as a simple salad dressing, pasta sauce and more!
Simple flavors and ingredients, when used correctly, can create magic! I realized this when I made my thick and buttery garlic avocado spread, which was the perfect sandwich spread, and my favorite Cafe de Paris butter, which was the perfect compound butter to always have at hand.
This time, I wanted to try something simple and effortless. Something that I could put together in minutes. And that's when I tried this recipe.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 5 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋Main ingredients: Butter, lemon juice, capers, garlic, parsley, chives.
- ♨️Cooking method: Melt butter with olive oil and add lemon zest, chives and garlic 🡢 cook on low for 2 minutes 🡢 add parsley, capers and lemon juice 🡢 simmer on low until the sauce thickens 🡢 cool down and serve.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Spoon the sauce over your grilled salmon or shrimp, or even just some roasted potatoes- like my Brabant potatoes.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- With its tangy lemon flavor, aromatic garlic, and briny capers, this sauce is a surefire way to impress your family and friends.
- The sauce is perfect for drizzling over your favorite dishes or using as a dipping sauce- just like my jalapeno lime sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
Butter: I used unsalted butter here. You can use salted butter if you want to.
Garlic: Fresh garlic lends that beautiful aroma and savory deliciousness to the sauce. I like to use my air fried roasted garlic sometimes for that smoky deliciousness.
Lemon: You'll need a fresh lemon for its juice and lemon zest. Don't use the bottled variety- it just doesn't compare.
Olive oil: Mixed together with the butter, this forms the base of the sauce. Use extra virgin olive oil for best results or my garlic rosemary infused oil for a bit of extra flavor.
Capers: For their briny, salty deliciousness.
Herbs: I used a mix of fresh parsley and chives, because that's what I had at hand. Feel free to add other herbs of your choice if you want to.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can substitute butter with margarine. Use the same amount for a non-dairy option.
- Don’t like chives? Substitute with finely chopped green onions or even cilantro if you want to.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for some heat. I love adding my homemade dried jalapeno flakes whenever I have them at hand.
How to Make Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
Step 1: Sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chives and lemon zest to the saucepan.
Step 2: Stir them into the garlic mixture, allowing the flavors to meld together for about a minute.
Step 3: Now, it's time to add the fresh lemon juice and drained capers.
Step 4: Bring the sauce to a low simmer and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. This allows the flavors to blend and the sauce to thicken slightly.
💭Top Tip
Always cook butter on low flame or it can burn, resulting in a bitter flavor in the sauce.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- To add a bit of sweetness to the lemon caper butter sauce, you can add some honey or sugar. I like to use my lemon infused honey for that extra bit of citrusy zing.
- Sometimes, I like to go a bit extra with the seasoning and use one of my infused salts for more flavor. My jalapeno salt is perfect if you like a kick of heat and my homemade herb salt is great if you want the sauce to have a beautiful aroma. And of course, you can't go wrong with some good old lemon infused salt.
- You can also batch make and store the sauce for later. I like to do this and freeze some of the sauce in small Souper cubes.
- To use it again, get it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour.
- I like the sauce to have a bit of texture, so I let the capers stay whole. If you want a smoother texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend the sauce and get it to emulsify.
How to Use Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
This citrusy lemon caper sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used in many ways. Toss it into cooked pasta to make a quick and delicious meal. Add some grilled shrimp or chicken to make it more substantial or drizzle the lemon caper sauce over grilled salmon, halibut, or any steamed or grilled white fish.
I also love pairing it with my grilled chicken breasts for a zesty, flavorful finish. Team it up with some mixed herb seasoning or my homemade lemon pepper seasoning to lend the dish a bold lemony and herby flavor.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Allow the sauce to cool down to room temperature before storing i- this will help prevent condensation. Transfer the cooled sauce to a labeled airtight container and refrigerate for 4-6 days.
Reheating the sauce in the microwave can cause it to separate and may also result in uneven heating, so I wouldn't recommend it.
More Wicked Sauces to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this lemon caper butter sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 3-4 garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 100 g salted butter
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chives
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chives and lemon zest to the saucepan.
- Stir them into the garlic mixture, allowing the flavors to meld together for about a minute.
- Now, it's time to add the fresh lemon juice and drained capers.
- Bring the sauce to a low simmer and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. This allows the flavors to blend and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Notes
- Cook the garlic and herbs on low heat at all times. Keep stirring and make sure the butter doesn't burn.
- Blend the caper butter sauce if you want a smoother consistency.
- Add pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for some extra flavor and heat.
