Herb Butter: A quick and easy flavor boost

Whipping up a quick herb butter is an easy and tasty way to add some flavor to your cooking. I outline the specifics in the recipe that follows, but essentially you are just mixing chopped herbs into a softened cube (or two) of butter! Pretty simple, right?

Flavoring Meat with Herb Butter

One of my favorite ways to use herb butter is coating a turkey or chicken before cooking it – smoking, roasting, you name it. For a couple recipes I’ve posted using this flavor method, check these out:

• Smoked Turkey Breast
• Whole Smoked Turkey or Chicken

If you are going to smother your bird in this tasty butter before cooking, the best way I’ve found is to separate the skin from the meat (it should pull apart pretty easily), and tuck the butter in between. You can then spread the butter around by massaging the skin to move the butter around into all the nooks and crannies. The skin will hold it in and ensure those flavors get absorbed!

You can also use this tasty butter to finish a piece of grilled meat – just place a dollop (a teaspoon or so) on top of the meat after you have removed it from the grill, and let it melt as the meat rests. This is really tasty on steak, with just a simple rosemary herb butter.

Other ways to use it

A couple other tasty ways to use herb butter are:

1. On bread (before toasting or broiling). Add in some garlic as well if you like a delicious garlic bread!
2. On vegetables – sauteed or roasted.
3. On potatoes, roasted or baked!

What are other ways that you like to use a fresh herb butter? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

Herb Butter

This butter is packed full of tasty herbs, and will add a nice punch of flavor to anything you cook with it!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Course: Seasoning

Cuisine: American, BBQ

Equipment

• Medium mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp of fine table salt)
• 10 tbsp assorted fresh herbs, see notes (chopped small)
• ½ lemon (juiced, optional)

Instructions

• Soften the butter to room temperature. You don't want it too melty as you will be transferring it to top your meat and want to be able to work with it still.
• Chop the herbs.
• Transfer all ingredients to a medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine. A wooden spoon or stiff spatula works well for this. You do have to work the butter to get all the herbs evenly incorporated. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer for this step – see notes.
• If you are using the lemon, squeeze the juice from one lemon half into the butter and work it into the mixture as best you can.
• Once incorporated, transfer to your meat, or other "vehicle" you are cooking with the herb butter, spread evenly, and cook. See our whole smoked turkey or smoked turkey breast recipe for ideas.

Notes

For the herbs – you can use any combination you have on hand. I like to choose three, usually a combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, parsley, and sometimes lavender.

If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can also use a dried herb mix like Herbs De Provence or even Italian Seasoning. Use about half the amount (ie 5 tbsp) if substituting dried herbs.

To mix the herb butter with an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment and whisk just until combined. You don’t want to overwork the butter, or it will be melty when you go to use it. This is particularly important if you are spreading it under the skin of a turkey or chicken before cooking. If it gets too soft however, you can always put it in the fridge to firm up a bit before using it.

Tried this recipe?Let’s see it! Mention @cookcraftcultivate or tag #cookcraftcultivate!