If you are looking for a dynamite steak dipping sauce, then you need to try my cowboy butter recipe. This garlic infused butter is loaded with shallots, lots of fresh herbs, lemon juice, dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
It's insanely flavorful and so easy to make.
This steak dipping sauce makes everything taste so much better. This butter based sauce is packed with incredible garlic flavor, fresh chives, parsley and thyme. I add a little dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice to help cut back on some of the heaviness from the butter.
The best part about this sauce is there is no cooking involved. Just melt some butter, whisk in the ingredients and you are set to go!
Love the flavor of garlic, make sure to try my Easy Garlic Chili Oil Noodles and Pan Seared Chimichurri Shrimp.
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What Is Cowboy Butter
Cowboy butter is a mash-up of flavors that can be served as a dipping sauce or as a spread, also known as compound butter. The butter, which is the base for the sauce, is infused with garlic, shallots, fresh herbs, dijon mustard, lemon juice and spices. It goes perfect with a grilled piece of steak, chicken or even seafood.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No cooking required- All you need to do is melt the butter in the microwave, add the ingredients and whisk away. It's that simple.
- Make ahead- You can prep all the ingredients and make this recipe hours ahead or even a day or two before you plan to use it. This will allow all the flavors to meld together.
- Versatile- This sauce tastes good on EVERYTHING! Meat, poultry, seafood and even veggies.
- Packed with flavor- This infused butter couldn't get anymore flavorful. It has garlic, shallots, a bunch of fresh herbs, dijon, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter- I use unsalted butter in this recipe to help control the amount of salt. However, if you decide to use salted butter, adjust the salt once you finish mixing in the ingredients.
- Worcestershire sauce- Really adds an extra depth of flavor. Don't skip this ingredient.
- Lemon juice- Fresh is best. I do not suggest using bottled lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard- You can substitute ground mustard powder if you do not have dijon mustard on hand. I do not recommend yellow mustard for this recipe.
- Garlic- Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor and skip the jarred stuff.
- Herbs- I use fresh Italian parsley, chives and thyme.
- Shallot- Make sure to finely mince the shallot so you do not have big chunks inside the sauce.
- Seasonings- I used crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Step By Step Ingredients
STEP 1: Melt butter. In a medium bowl, add butter. Place the butter inside the microwave and heat in 30 second increments until completely melted.
STEP 2: Add aromatics. Finely mince garlic and shallots. Add to melted butter. Then, stir to combine. I add this first to infuse the flavors into the warm butter.
STEP 3: Stir in liquids. Whisk in dijon mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
STEP 4: Add fresh herbs and seasonings. Finely chop the herbs. Add to the butter mixture, followed by the smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Then whisk the sauce together until combined.
STEP 5: Serve with your favorite steak. Pour the sauce into ramekins and serve alongside grilled steak. Or, spoon the sauce directly over your meat.
Expert Tips
Use fresh ingredients. Since this sauce isn't cooked, the ingredients really need to be fresh for the best tasting flavor.
Since butter is the main ingredient, as it sits it will solidify. To fix this, just pop it back inside the microwave for a few seconds until it becomes liquid again.
Don't like beef? No problem! This sauce tastes good with fish, chicken, shrimp, roasted potatoes or even veggies.
FAQ
You absolutely can! You can prepare this seasoned sauce hours or even days in advance. Just reheat inside the microwave when you're ready to serve.
Yes, you can. This sauce is super versatile and you can easily swap out ingredients to your preference. You can use other fresh herbs like cilantro or rosemary. Add some hot sauce for a little heat or add a small amount of horseradish to really jazz up your sauce.
I used boneless Ribeye steaks for my recipe but feel free to use others cuts of beef. New York strip, filet or beef tenderloin, and flank steak are all great options.
Storing and Freezing
Store this steak dipping sauce inside an airtight container or glass mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place the sauce inside a heat proof bowl and microwave until the butter is melted and warmed through. The sauce may separate but just keep whisking until it comes together.
Freezing
You can pour the cooled sauce into a silicone ice cube tray. Once frozen, wrap the tray in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. This way you can pop it out whenever you need it and have the perfect amount of sauce.
More Recipes To Try
If you decide to try this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR RATING on the recipe card and leave a comment below. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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📖 Recipe
Steak Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted butter melted
- 4 Garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 Shallot, small finely minced
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh chives finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add butter. Place the butter inside the microwave and heat in 30 second increments until completely melted.
- Finely mince garlic and shallots. Add to melted butter. Stir to combine. I add this first to infuse the flavors into the warm butter.
- Whisk in dijon mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
- Finely chop the herbs. Add to the butter mixture, followed by the smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Whisk the sauce together until combined.
- Pour the sauce into ramekins and serve alongside grilled steak. Or, spoon the sauce directly over your meat.
Liz
Just tried this this weekend and it was fantastic!! It’s rich yet bright at the same time, Elevated our steaks and all of our guests loved it. Thank you!!
Kristen Espino
YAY! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂