Creamy Roasted Garlic Compound Butter is delicious on fish, chicken, meats of all kinds, vegetables, potatoes, noodles, and rice. (So basically almost anything!) Always ready when you need it; all you need to do is slather it on!
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What is Compound Butter?
Compound butter is basically softened regular butter with aromatics like herbs, spices, cheeses or citrus added to it. Not only is it ridiculously easy to make – it’s beautiful on the table as well!
Roasted Garlic Compound Butter makes a delicious condiment for fish, chicken, meats of all kinds, vegetables, noodles, and rice. Mr B and I especially enjoy it on steak, baked potatoes, and vegetables.
If you’ve never made compound butter before, you are in for a treat, because this 2-ingredient compound butter recipe, loaded with savory-sweet roasted garlic, is about as easy as it gets!
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this compound butter recipe is short and simple: garlic and butter.
Roasted Garlic: Oven roasting transforms garlic; mellowing it into a caramelly, butter-soft paste that infuses a delicate savory-sweetness into everything it touches. For easy prep, we buy large bags of prepeeled garlic at Costco.
Butter: We prefer to use salted butter for garlic compound butter, but unsalted butter works well too.
How to Make this Compound Butter Recipe
Roast Garlic Prep
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. We find that we like the outcome better on parchment; however, any practical difference is negligible.
In a small bowl, toss garlic cloves in the olive oil to completely coat, and then spread the oiled garlic cloves evenly across the prepared baking tray. Lightly sprinkle garlic cloves with kosher salt.
Place tray in oven and roast garlic cloves for 45-50 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Cooking times may vary, depending upon the size and variety of your garlic. Start checking after about 35 minutes. Cloves are done when they are caramel in colored and have a soft, creamy texture.
Allow the roasted garlic to cool to room temperature before proceeding.
NOTE: We usually roast garlic a pound at a time, but you only need about 30 cloves for this recipe.
(For more detailed instructions, visit our post about how to roast garlic in the oven.)
Compound Butter
Allow butter to naturally warm to room temperature; about 66-69°F (19-21°C). Avoid microwaving it.
The butter should be soft and easy to work with, but not melting. We recommend setting the butter out the night before.
Combine cooled roasted garlic and butter in a heavy bowl or molcajete (large stone mortar and pestle).
Use a pestle (or the back of a wooden spoon) to mash the ingredients together until they form a cohesive paste.
Compound butter is ready to use right away.
If you want to form the prepared butter into the traditional "compound butter log," you will need to take a few minutes to wrap and refrigerate it.
Variations
There are nearly countless variations of the basic compound butter recipe. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Herbed Compound Butter: Add finely chopped fresh herbs to this roasted garlic butter recipe, or omit the garlic for a straight herb compound butter. Rosemary, basil, chives, parsley, tarragon, cilantro, and sage are all delicious options. Perfect for baked potatoes, vegetables, and steak.
Citrus Compound Butter: Use orange, lemon, or lime zest to brighten the flavor of your compound butter. Delicious on fish and seafood!
Cheesy Compound Butter: Use creamy cheeses like gorgonzola or blue cheese, or finely grated parmesan, romano, cotija, or asiago cheese.
- Try Elotes Mexicanos Compound Butter and make Mexican street corn anytime!
Equipment
You can use a food processor to make compound butter, but I really like what a or molcajete (stone mortar and pestle) a does for it.
In the case of garlic compound butter, the molcajete effectively combines the butter and garlic without completely obliterating the garlic cloves (as a food processor might), even as it releases even more roasted garlic flavor into the butter mixture.
Storage
Refrigerate: Compound butter can be stored covered in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freeze: Store wrapped compound butter rolls in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to three months.
Top Tip
How to Form a Perfect Compound Butter Log
Once the roasted garlic compound butter is thoroughly mixed, place it on a square of plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper. Using the wrap, form the compound butter into a small cylinder.
A cardboard bathroom tissue roll is very helpful here: carefully pull the wrapped butter through the center for a perfect-sized cylinder.
FAQ
This garlic-infused compound butter is delicious with a multitude of foods and recipes.
Try it on all kinds of savory dishes like chicken, fish, steak, potatoes, roast beef, corn, beans, potatoes, noodles, and rice. It's perfect with Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp, too!
More Garlicky Recipes
Do you love garlic? Try our recipes for Roasted Garlic Spinach-Artichoke Dip,Oven-Roasted Garlic Spears (Garlic Scapes), and Spaghetti Squash with Garlic & Almonds!
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Roasted Garlic Compound Butter
Equipment
- 1 molcajete or mortar & pestle, or a large bowl and the back of a wooden spoon
Instructions
Roast Garlic
- Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C.Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. In a small bowl, toss garlic cloves in the olive oil to completely coat, and then spread the oiled garlic cloves evenly across the prepared baking tray. Lightly sprinkle garlic cloves with kosher salt.Place tray in oven and roast garlic cloves for 45-50 minutes, or until they are golden brown.Cooking times may vary, depending upon the size and variety of your garlic. Start checking after about 35 minutes. Cloves are done when they are caramel in colored and have a soft, creamy texture.(For more detailed instructions, visit our post about how to roast garlic in the oven.)
Compound Butter
- Combine butter and roasted garlic in a bowl or molcajete (large stone mortar and pestle).
- Use a pestle (or the back of a wooden spoon) to mash the ingredients together until they form a cohesive paste.
- Place butter mixture on a square of plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper.Using the wrap, form the compound butter into a cylinder. A cardboard bathroom tissue roll is very helpful here: carefully pull the wrapped butter through the center for a perfectly-sized cylinder.
- Refrigerate the compound butter until firm.
- To use, simply slice and slather compound butter onto whatever you want!
Notes
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Dannii says
I just want to smother this on some warm bread. YUM!
Tavo says
That is a super easy and smart recipe! a new favorite in the house!
Jessie says
I have never made compound butter before but I do love it!! You have made this look easy enough I am going to give it a try.
Beth says
What a delicious recipe! Why didn't I think of this! I enjoyed it over some grilled ribeye steaks!