Roasted garlic and herb compound butter is a blend of butter with roasted garlic and fresh herbs. Compound butter is great for topping steaks, baked potatoes, spreading onto dinner rolls, and more.
What exactly is compound butter? Compound butter is a combination of butter with other added flavors like herbs and spices. It is used to enhance the flavors of a prepared dish, just like how you'd use a sauce or condiment.
This compound butter is enhanced with roasted garlic cloves and fresh herbs, like parsley, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Customize your compound butter with any fresh herbs you have on hand for a unique flavor.
This roasted garlic and herb compound butter is perfect for topping a steak just before serving. You can also spread compound butter onto dinner rolls or bread, mashed or baked potatoes, or steamed veggies.
Ingredients and substitutions
Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter. You can also omit the salt entirely if you do not want to add additional salt to your prepared dishes.
Any fresh herbs you have on hand can be used in this recipe. I used a combination of parsley, thyme, and rosemary in my compound butter. Oregano, chives, or basil would also be great choices. I suggest choosing two or three for a well rounded flavor.
One head of garlic will be needed for this recipe. This may seem like a lot, but roasting garlic mellows the flavor, making it a lot less harsh than raw garlic. It's also much easier to digest and has a lovely caramelized flavor.
Roasting garlic
If you've never roasted a head of garlic before, it's surprisingly simple to do. First, you'll want to peel off any excess layers of paper from the outside of the garlic.
Next, slice about ¼ inch of the top off (the wide, root side), to expose the individual garlic cloves.
Make a little bowl of foil to set the head of garlic in, which will help hold the garlic cloves together and upright. Drizzle the top with olive oil, then cover completely with foil.
Your garlic is done roasting when it is soft throughout (test by piercing through with a fork) and has a browned, caramelized color. This usually takes about 40 to 50 minutes in a 400 degree oven, but you can roast your garlic for even longer for a more caramelized flavor.
Ways to use compound butter
There are many ways to use your roasted garlic butter. Simply add to the top of a prepared dish to instantly add flavor. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Pasta
- Mashed potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- Corn on the cob
- Bread or dinner rolls
- Steamed vegetables
- Scrambled eggs
This roasted garlic butter is also excellent for making a homemade garlic bread. Spread onto thick sliced Italian bread and toast until golden.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, rosemary, thyme, or chives
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
Instructions
- Remove butter from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature on counter top. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove excess papers from outside of garlic head. Slice off ¼" from the top of the head of garlic (the wide/root end) to expose cloves. Discard top portion. Make a little bowl of foil to set the head of garlic in, which will help hold the garlic cloves together and upright. Drizzle the top with olive oil, then cover completely with foil. Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until garlic is soft throughout and lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool before handling.
- In a food processor, add butter, fresh herbs, salt, and roasted garlic cloves (discarding any papers). Blend until ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Spoon butter onto a sheet of wax paper, parchment, or plastic wrap, form into a log, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate until chilled. Slice and serve as needed, storing leftovers in the refrigerator.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Compound butter will keep for 1-2 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter. Salt can be omitted entirely if desired.
- Any fresh herbs can be used in this recipe. Parsley and thyme pair well with just about any savory dish. Rosemary - pairs well with pork. Basil - pairs well with fish and chicken. Chives - pairs well with potatoes, chicken, and beef.
Do you need 2 tablespoons of each herb or in total? I think I’ve made this recipe before but can’t remember what I did there.
Two tablespoons total.
Hi Heather, Am I reading this right when you say 1/2 c butter with a head of garlic? That’s one stick. It seams like a lot of garlic for one stick. I just want to be sure before I make it.
Thanks!
Wendy
Hi Wendy, yes the recipe is correct. From the post above "One head of garlic will be needed for this recipe. This may seem like a lot, but roasting garlic mellows the flavor, making it a lot less harsh than raw garlic. It's also much easier to digest and has a lovely caramelized flavor."
Are you sure you mean chop the top of the root/wide end?
Wouldn't that make the bulb fall apart?
Yes, this is correct. You do this to expose all of the garlic cloves to be roasted in the oven. You'll want to use the foil to make a little 'bowl' to hold the garlic upright and together.
I haven’t made this yet, but it appears to be exactly what I was looking for. One question: Since I don’t have a food processor, would a whisk or blender work? (I’m not used to making things myself).
Thank you
Hi Ruth, a blender would work. Or to make without any equipment, finely mince your roasted garlic (once it has cooled) as well as your herbs, then stir into the softened butter with a spoon.