This cowboy butter dipping sauce is rich, zesty, savory and packed with flavor and deliciousness.
Crafted with fresh herbs and a rich garlic butter, butter sauce is the perfect teammate for your grilled meats, veggies and so much more.
It is incredibly easy to make, and is a super versatile sauce that you can batch make too!
The combination of melted butter, minced garlic, herbs and that hint of umami from the Worcestershire sauce makes this cowboy butter sauce an irresistible condiment to have in your kitchen.
Think of it as a compound butter of sorts- but better.
You can use it as a spread if you want to, or enjoy it as a dipping sauce for steak and any other protein.
Jump to:
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Ingredients For the Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe
- How to Make Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
- Substitutions & Variations
- Equipment
- How to Store the Leftover Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve the Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
- FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Food Safety
What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about this recipe is the fact that it is so much more than just another steak sauce recipe.
The sauce is a combination of some delicious herbs, spices and other ingredients that make it perfect to use in so many different ways.
I’ve recently been experimenting and trying out lots of dips and sauces, and while my sundried tomato aioli was a bit hit, I was really inclined towards creating something more robust, to go with meats and proteins.
And that’s when I tried this one out. Trust me, you’re going to love this recipe.
Ingredients For the Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe
To make this rich butter sauce, here’s what you’ll need.
Butter: I started off with a generous amount of unsalted butter.
Lemon juice: Lemon juice brightens up the butter sauce and lends it some nice acidity and lemony flavor. You can use it fresh or settle for the bottled variety if you want to.
Lemon zest: You’ll also need a bit of lemon zest to make the butter more flavorful, with its hint of citrusy and tangy flavor.
Garlic: You’ll need lots of garlic, ideally fresh garlic to add some chunky bits of pungent flavor to the cowboy butter sauce.
Cilantro: I also added a generous amount of freshly chopped cilantro to add some freshness to the sauce.
Mustard: Most cowboy butter recipes call for the use of Dijon mustard, but I just used regular American mustard, and it turned out just as great!
Worcestershire sauce: A dash of Worcestershire sauce added some extra deliciousness to the butter mixture.
Green onions: I used very finely chopped green onions to lend some freshness and a pop of color to the compound butter.
Red pepper flakes: Crushed red pepper flakes add a nice bit of texture to the butter sauce.
Smoked paprika: I also added some smoked paprika for that subtle smoky flavor. You can just use a pinch of cayenne instead if you don’t have this.
Thyme: I used fresh thyme, but you could totally make do with some dried thyme too.
Salt and pepper: And of course, to season the sauce, I used some salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
Ready to try this cowboy butter sauce recipe? Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and transfer to a small bowl.
Add all the remaining ingredients to a bowl, and add the mix in the melted butter.
Whisk well to combine and serve immediately or store for later.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have the cilantro that the recipe calls for, you can just use some flat leaf parsley instead.
- Don’t have Worcestershire sauce? A dash of your favorite hot sauce can work well too.
- If you don’t have green onions, you can use some chopped chives to add that freshness to the sauce.
Equipment
How to Store the Leftover Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
The best way to store your leftover cowboy butter is to refrigerate it in an airtight container. It can stay good for up to a week, if not more.
This sauce can also be used as a compound if you want to. Let it refrigerate until it turns into a thicker butter sauce, transfer it to a plastic wrap and roll it up.
You can then freeze this butter for months, and cut out nice little slices or pats of the compound butter to serve with your breads, crackers and other snacks.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- I would recommend starting off with salted butter, and then adjusting the other ingredients and the salt as per your taste.
- You can also use sea salt instead of regular salt for some extra depth of flavor.
- Planning on using this sauce on raw meat like a butter rub? Let the butter sit out at room temperature for a while, and then use the softened butter instead for maximum flavor.
How to Serve the Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
Ready to put this buttery dipping sauce to use? Here are some good ideas for your inspiration.
As a Marinade
This compound butter can actually work wonderfully as a marinade for your favorite steak and lots of other meats.
You can rub it on raw meat or even raw steak, let it refrigerate for a few hours for the meat to soak up all the delicious flavors, and then cook it as you would.
As a Spread
This cowboy butter dipping sauce can actually double up as a delicious spread too. Just let this sauce thicken in the fridge until it gets to a spreadable consistency, and you can then spread it on toast or your sandwiches, or practically anything else that needs a little extra flavor.
As a Dipping Sauce
And of course, you can enjoy this cowboy butter as a dipping sauce for your chicken bites, chicken wings, steak and any other fried foods of your choice.
I love toning down the other ingredients, and serving this garlic dipping sauce with some fries, crusty bread or even using it as a base for my stir fried dishes.
FAQs
To make a vegan cowboy butter dipping sauce, use vegan butter as the base, and choose a vegan Worcestershire sauce as a substitute.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon mustard
- 2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon green onions minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme minced
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Ready to try this cowboy butter sauce recipe? Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and transfer to a small bowl.
- Add all the remaining ingredients to a bowl, and add the mix in the melted butter.
- Whisk well to combine and serve immediately or store for later.
Food Safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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