• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • Mentoring
  • About
  • Portfolio

This Jess

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • Mentoring
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Newsletter
    • Mentoring
    • About
    • Portfolio
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×
    Home » Summer Recipes

    Published: Apr 1, 2021 · Modified: Jun 28, 2023 by Jessica Vogl · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Rosemary Garlic Butter

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Compound butter is wildly underestimated. It's easy to make, incredibly delicious, stores well, and immediately elevates a meal or a plain bread roll. This Rosemary Garlic Butter is one of my favorite compound butters and is something I almost always keep on hand.

    Rosermary Garlic Butter in a bowl on a wooden cutting board.

    This Rosemary Garlic Butter is delicious served on any kind of bread (especially if it's warm!). Try it with these Sourdough Discard Rolls! You can also use compound butter on meats (steak and chicken are delicious!), pasta, with these Smashed Fingerling Potatoes and with this Citrus and Herb Whole Roasted Chicken.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to make Rosemary Garlic Butter
    • Expert Cooking Tips
    • What is compound butter?
    • How to use compound butter
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Recipe FAQ
    • Rosemary Garlic Butter

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Compound butter is a quick and easy way to elevate a dish with additional flavors.
    • This is an easy recipe that comes together in about 15 minutes!
    • This recipe is easy to adapt to use other ingredients or herbs to suit your taste.
    • You can freeze compound butter and use it whenever you need a slice.

    Ingredients

    There are only a few things you'll need to make Rosemary Garlic Butter.

    Ingredients for Rosemary Garlic Butter.
    • Fresh rosemary: I highly recommend using fresh rosemary rather than dried rosemary for this recipe. The fresh herbs give a wonderful flavor that just cannot be replaced!
    • Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter helps control the amount of salt that you're adding to the butter overall.
    • Garlic: I always recommend using fresh, whole garlic rather than pre-diced, or jarred garlic.
    • Lemon juice: A little bit of lemon juice goes a long way in this recipe to keep it feeling light and fresh.

    See full recipe below for detailed directions.

    Substitutions & Variations

    This is a very adaptable recipe and compound butter can be made with almost any ingredient. Below are a few easy variations to try:

    • Lime Jalapeńo Butter: Use lime juice instead of lemon, then add 1 teaspoon lime zest and 1 Tablespoon minced jalapeńo to the butter. This is great to serve with grilled corn or other vegetables!
    • Sundried Tomato Butter: Add minced sundried tomatoes to the butter. Add 2-3 Tablespoons diced sundried tomatoes to the mixture.
    • Dill & Shallot Butter: Instead of rosemary and garlic, use fresh dill and minced shallots. Use 1-2 Tablespoons minced shallots. This combination works with other herbs as well!
    • Herb Butter: This recipe uses rosemary and garlic, but you can use any herbs (I recommend using fresh rather than dried herbs). Parsley, dill, sage and thyme would all be wonderful. You can also make a mix of more than one herb!

    I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!

    How to make Rosemary Garlic Butter

    This Rosemary Garlic Butter Comes together in a few easy steps.

    Chopped rosemary on a wooden cutting board.

    Prep your ingredients by chopping the rosemary and fresh garlic.

    Ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

    Add the softened butter, chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl.

    Mixed compound butter in a small bowl.

    Mix to combine (I find using a fork is best here to crush the butter). You can serve this immediately, or prepare for freezing.

    Garlic butter on a piece of parchment paper.

    To freeze, place the butter in a rough log shape near the bottom of a piece of parchment paper.

    A hand rolling the butter into a parchment paper log.

    Use your hands to roll the butter in the paper. This does not need to be very tight, but you can use the tension of the paper to creat a tighter roll.

    Fingers twisting the ends of the parchment paper roll.

    Pinch and twist the ends of the parchment paper. This will help push the butter together in the center to make a solid log of butter.

    Butter rolled into a parchment paper log.

    Freeze the butter log in the parchment paper overnight (or for at least 6-7 hours).

    Rosemary Garlic Butter in slices on a wooden cutting board.

    Slice the butter log into disks for easy single-serving use (you can slice right through the parchment paper). Transfer the disks to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

    Expert Cooking Tips

    1. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before you combine the ingredients. If the butter is still hard, it will be very hard to mix.
    2. Use a fork to mix the butter and ingredients together - it's easier to crush the butter and thoroughly mix.
    3. Store compound butter in the freezer to make it last longer!

    What is compound butter?

    Compound butter is a mixture of butter and other ingredients that is used to enhance flavors in cooking and baking. You can make compound butter with almost any ingredients.

    Rosermary Garlic Butter in a bowl on a wooden cutting board.

    How to use compound butter

    There are many ways that you use compound butter; I've included a few of my favorite options below:

    • With bread, rolls or biscuits: Fresh bread and rolls are delicious spread with compound butter, especially when the rolls are still warm and the butter melts!
    • With grilled corn or vegetables: Spread compound butter on grilled corn or other roasted vegetables. This also works great on smashed potatoes.
    • On meats (steak, chicken, pork) or fish: Serve a steak or piece of chicken with a dab of compound butter for additional flavor.
    • For sous vide cooking: Throw a disk of frozen compound butter in a bag of ingredients that you will cook sous vide. The butter will melt and add amazing flavor to whatever you're cooking.

    Equipment

    There is very little needed to bring this recipe together. As long as you have a mixing bowl and a fork or something to mix with, you're well on your way!

    Storage

    Refrigerator Storage: Store the compound butter in an airtight container or covered butter dish in the refrigerator for up to one week.

    Freezer Storage: Roll the butter into a log in parchment paper, then slice into individual disks to make it easier for single-serve usage. Store the slices (or the full parchment butter roll) in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.

    To use the frozen butter, you can either let the butter thaw to room temperature or add a frozen disk of butter to a dish you're making (or a bag for sous vide cooking).

    Recipe FAQ

    Can I use dried herbs for this recipe?

    I highly recommend using fresh rosemary as it will add more flavor to the butter.

    Can you freeze compound butter?

    Yes, you can store compound butter either in the refrigerator (for up to one week) or in the freezer (for up to 6 months).

    Can I use other herbs in this recipe?

    Yes. There are a few great variations listed in the post above, but this is a very adaptable recipe. You can use any herb combination that sounds good to you!

    Rosermary Garlic Butter in a bowl on a wooden cutting board.

    Rosemary Garlic Butter

    Jessica Vogl
    A delicious recipe for Rosemary Garlic Butter, perfect for serving with fresh bread, savory dishes, or freezing to use when you need a flavor boost.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Ingredient
    Cuisine French
    Servings 12 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
    • 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon garlic about 1 large garlic clove, minced
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • pinch salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Combine softened butter, chopped rosemary, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
    • Mix with a fork until well incoporated. At this point, your butter is ready to eat!
    • If you'd like to freeze your butter, roll your butter into a log with parchment paper and freeze overnight. Then slice into disks and use or thaw as needed.
    Keyword butter, compound butter, garlic, rosemary
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @thisjess.cooks on social!

    More Summer Recipes

    • Sourdough Discard Cornbread topped with butter and honey.
      Sourdough Discard Cornbread
    • Sourdough discard hamburger buns on a white tray.
      Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns
    • Aperol Soda in a cocktail glass garnished with an orange slice.
      Aperol Soda
    • Sourdough discard brownies cut into squares on white parchment paper.
      Sourdough Discard Brownies

    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. This week’s garden overflow: Sage – This Jess says:
      August 2, 2021 at 6:11 pm

      […] if you’re really stuck, make some compound butter! For me, this is a better way to preserve the flavor than drying the herb — it’ll be used […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jess! I'm a food photographer, videographer and recipe developer based in Chicago. I focus on keeping the kitchen real, simple, and dairy-free.

    More about Jess →

    As Seen On

    Trending Recipes

    • Sourdough Discard Pull Apart Bread with a few layers pulled out.
      Sourdough Discard Garlic Pull Apart Bread
    • Sourdough discard pretzels on white parchment paper.
      Sourdough Discard Pretzels
    • Sourdough Discard Bagels covered in sesame seeds on a wooden tray.
      Sourdough Discard Bagels
    • Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites on a black and white tray.
      Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites

    Sourdough Guides

    • Sourdough starter in a tall glass jar covered with plastic wrap.
      How to Feed Sourdough Starter
    • Sourdough discard in a glass jar.
      How to Use Sourdough Discard

    Holiday Cookies & Sweets Recipes

    • Closeup of the holiday cookie box.
      The Annual Holiday Cookie Box
    • Closeup of Classic Vanilla Marshmallows in a pile.
      Classic Vanilla Marshmallows
    • Stack of chocolate covered oreos.
      Chocolate Covered OREOs
    • Molasses marshmallow stuffed cookies in a pile on a tray.
      Molasses Marshmallow Stuffed Cookies

    Did you try a recipe? Tag @thisjess.cooks on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok!

    Let's Connect!

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Opt-Out Preferences
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Resources

    Let's Connect

    • Newsletter
    • Mentoring
    • Photography Portfolio

    Contact

    • Contact Page

    At no cost to you, I may earn from qualified purchases made through affiliate links on my website.

    Copyright © 2023 This Jess LLC

    Manage Cookie Consent
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}