Cowboy Butter – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Loaded with strong garlic, tangy lemon and a kick of red pepper flakes, cowboy butter is absolutely worthy of steak, vegetables or fresh bread.

What is cow butter?

My brother Carl first told me about this spread. I’ve never even heard of cow butter. He assured me that this spicy butter with garlic herbs was indeed the real thing.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I visited my friend Sandra and she mentioned making cowboy butter for our steaks that night. It was love at first taste! Juicy, grilled meat topped with slow-melting beefsteak butter balls is pure heaven.

Cowboy butter

This is not your average butter. It is a concoction of whipped cream, garlic, a kiss of citrus and a spice roll with an irresistible taste. I found myself begging her for the recipe.

Luckily, it’s about as easy as you can make. You can mix this complex butter together in barely 5 minutes. The hardest part is waiting while it cools and solidifies again in the fridge.

If you serve it on meat, it’s worth the wait. You want the butter to slowly melt over your steak instead of melting right away. Still delicious after it melts, just better when served chilled over hot steaks.

How to make cowboy butter

One of my favorite things about compound butter recipes is that anyone can adjust the ingredients to their taste. You can make it spicier with the inclusion of cayenne pepper or by adding more pepper flakes.

Alternatively, you can increase the lemon juice or even use lime to give it a more pronounced citrus flavor. I have seen variations with mustard and horseradish and others that include a host of fresh herbs.

This recipe is how to make cowboy butter the way I fell in love with it, the one my kids go crazy for. But, if you use other ingredients, I’d love to hear how you like it in your home.

Cowboy butter recipe

• butter
• lemon
• minced garlic
• Italian parsley
• Red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Start by placing the softened butter, parsley, garlic, finely ground lemon zest, red pepper flakes and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Beat in an electric mixer until fluffy.

After that, squeeze half a lemon into the bowl (about 2 tablespoons). Beat again until a uniform mixture is obtained.

Transfer the butter to an airtight container and refrigerate until set, at least two hours. When ready to use, scoop the solid butter over hot steaks. If you have any butter left, toss it with hot vegetables or serve it at room temperature and spread it on the bread.

For a heavier garlic butter, feel free to double or triple the amount of garlic in this recipe. I almost always use a little more than the recipe card says.

How long does complex butter last?

Complex butter feels like a luxurious treat every time I make it. The extra flavor it brings to the table is worth the minutes spent whipping up a dish. And, you don’t have to worry about how it will stay fresh in the fridge.

Cow’s butter is good for several weeks if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in wax paper. So even if I make a double batch, there is no way it will go bad. And, you can even freeze it for several months.

Garlic Butter Herbs

For those of you who love this cowboy butter recipe, let me share with you three of my favorite words: jalapeno honey butter. This is a sweet and spicy slice of heaven.

I was introduced to everything butter during a trip to New York. It’s exactly what it sounds like. I also love this grilled salmon with peppered dill butter.

If you need a great steak recipe to try with cow’s butter, try reverse seared New York strip steak. I’m a big fan of the reverse sear method because it consistently delivers an evenly cooked result.

I have my eye on these Dinner rolls Will try soon with this wonderful spread. And, green beans in the pan would be an excellent candidate for using up the last of a batch.