The Best Homemade Garlic Butter You'll Ever Make
This Homemade Garlic Butter is for serious garlic lovers! Made with FOUR different forms of garlic, two Italian cheeses and fresh herbs, it's deeply garlicky without being overpowering, with a decidedly Italian twist. Slather it on bread, melt it over steak, seafood, chicken, potatoes or vegetables—or keep a batch in the freezer for an instant flavor boost whenever you need it.
Servings: 4 cups (approximately)
Equipment
- Garlic Press (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Garlic Confit cloves smashed with a fork (See Notes.)
- ½ cup Garlic Oil from making the Garlic Confit (See Notes.)
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese about 2 ounces
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese about 2 ounces
- 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 4 tsp finely minced fresh garlic or use a garlic press
- 4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp salt omit if using salted butter
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Make Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil if you don’t already have them on hand. (See Notes.)(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)1 cup Garlic Confit cloves, ½ cup Garlic Oil
- Make sure the butter is very soft and easily spreadable before beginning. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or as long as needed to soften completely.1 pound unsalted butter
- Combine the softened butter, smashed garlic confit, garlic oil, grated cheeses, fresh herbs, minced garlic, granulated garlic, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl.1 pound unsalted butter, 1 cup Garlic Confit cloves, ½ cup Garlic Oil, ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, 4 tsp finely minced fresh garlic, 4 tsp granulated garlic, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Use a fork to mash all the ingredients together and then mix with a spoon or spatula until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter. NOTE: At this point, you can use the garlic butter immediately or refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to one week. Bring it to room temperature before using.
Notes
Recipe Time: Recipe times assume the Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil are already prepared and do not include time for softening the butter.
Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of Garlic Butter. I intentionally make a large batch because this compound butter is a little more involved ingredient-wise and has so many different uses. Refrigerate any extra for up to one week or freeze it for up to three months. If you don't want as much extra, simply halve the recipe.
Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil:
- If you’re making these specifically for this recipe, place 1¼ cups peeled garlic cloves and ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil in a very small saucepan.
- Heat mixture over medium heat. Bring oil to the lightest simmer, then reduce heat to as low as possible.
- Continue to cook mixture over very low heat until garlic is very tender, but not falling apart. It should be only lightly browned. To test the garlic, pierce one clove with the tip of a sharp knife—it should meet with little to no resistance and be easily smashable. This could take about 30 to 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- My recommendation: Make a large batch and keep it on hand in the fridge. It has so many great uses!
- Grana Padano can be used in place of the Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Also, in a pinch, you can use just one cheese rather than two.
- In a pinch, you can use just fresh basil or parsley rather than both.
- If necessary, substitute about 2 teaspoons dried basil for the fresh basil and/or 2 teaspoons dried parsley for the fresh parsley. But keep in mind that dried parsley is noticeably less flavorful than fresh, so fresh is preferable.
- I’d advise against using the old container that's been in your pantry forever–buy a new one! Freshness does matter with spices and dried herbs.
- Homemade Garlic Butter can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Because this garlic butter contains garlic oil, it stays softer than a traditional compound butter. I find it easiest to store in an airtight container rather than shape it into a log.
- If refrigerated, let the garlic butter sit at room temperature until softened and easily spreadable before using.
