Top 40 Recipes - Simply the Best

10 Easy Butter Sauce Recipes and Cooking Tips

Homemade butter sauce comes in a variety of manifestations to suit various tastes and to pair with the flavors of various dishes. To make butter sauce you simply melt some butter, lightly cook some minced garlic, leek or onions in the bubbling butter, as well as various herbs and spices. You finish the sauce with a dash of acid such as white wine, brandy, rum or various liqueurs, or various acidic citrus juices. You can add zing to your butter with a squeeze of lemon, orange or lime juice. This offsets the strong taste of the melted butter.

These sauces can be thin, or thick and creamy, delicate and bland or hot and fiery, with added spices and chilies. Butter sauce can be poured over meat, fish, pasta, mushrooms or vegetables. A good homemade butter sauce literally makes anything you eat taste better. Below is a collection of the 10 best ever butter sauce recipes for you to try and adapt for your needs and taste. See the tips for making perfect homemade butter sauce.

The heart of a great Indian Butter Chicken dish is the sauce. Learn how to made perfect butter chicken with these best ever recipes.  By Ewan Munro [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

French Style Butter Sauce Recipe with Wine Herbs and Spices

Ingredients

• Salt to tatste
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup good quality dry white wine
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 green shallots, chopped into short lengths
• 125 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, chilled, cubed

Method

Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, vinegar, white wine and shallots to a small heavy saucepan. Simmer gentling for 5-7 minutes and then use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaf, shallots and peppercorns. Gradually add the cubes of butter, one at a time, whisking to incorporate and combine the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately by pouring over your hot dish.

Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe with Garlic and Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 125 g (2 oz) butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Gradually melt the butter in a moderate size saucepan while whisking over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for about 3 minutes. Then, add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and parsley. Bring the sauce to the boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook while stirring frequently for about 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

Simple Browned Butter Sauce Recipe with Mixed Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs such as fresh thyme leaves, chives, Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, oregano, sage and fresh basil

Method

Melt the butter in a medium size, heavy saucepan. Add the garlic and cook while stirring over medium heat. Keep cooking the butter and garlic for 6-8 minutes, while stirring, until the butter becomes lightly browned. Skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Add the herbs, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat after 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Thin Spicy Butter Sauce Recipe for Seafood

The spiciness of the pepper, chili and hot sauce, the acidity of lemon or lime juice, offsets the strong rich and creamy flavor of the butter to create a perfect dressing for all types of seafood.

Ingredients

3/4 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of coriander, finely chopped
Large squeeze of of fresh lime or lemon
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of fresh red chili, finely chopped

Method

Gently melt the butter in a pan. Add the garlic and chili and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper, lemon or lime juice and one tablespoon of hot sauce, stirring gently to combine well. Just before serving add the chopped parsley and coriander.

Mixed Herb Butter Sauce Recipe with White Wine and Cream

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chervil leaves

Method

Add the shallots to the wine in a heavy medium size saucepan. Cook over moderate-high heat until the wine volume has halved. Add the cream and cook slowly for 1-2 minutes. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, while whisking constantly. Then, add the herbs, stir through and cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cajun Style Butter Sauce Recipe

This is a great butter sauce for vegetables and barbecued beef and chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika,
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme,
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano,
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup of homemade chicken broth, cooled

Method

Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan. Add the garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder and the spices, and cook for 1-3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the broth until smooth and well combined. Gradually whisk the cornstarch mixture into the melted butter and bring the sauce to the boil. Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Serve hot.

Coconut Butter Sauce Recipe with Green Onions

This is a great sauce for corn on the cob and grilled ot barbecued chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablesppon of butter
• 1 teaspoon of cornflour
• 1 cup coconut cream or milk
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut or desiccated coconut

Method

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk through the coconut cream or milk, cornflour and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over moderate heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes while whisking continuously, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir through the chopped spring onions and coconut. Serve immediately.

Green Butter Sauce Recipe with Mixed Herbs and Vegetables

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 1 sage leaf, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped sorrel or dill
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup fresh fish or chicken stock
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 4 large green onions or shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic chives or regular chives
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped spinach, amaranth or lamb’s quarters

Method

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over moderate to high heat. Add the shallots and cook while stirring, until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook while boiling until the sauce reduces to two-thirds of the original volume. Lower the heat to very low, add the herbs and stir through. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

Truffle Butter Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• Pinch salt
• 250 g (8 oz) butter
• 40 g (1.5 oz) fresh winter black truffle, finely sliced

Method

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the finely sliced truffle and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly. Serve immediately over fish, meats, seafood and egg dishes.

Creamy Mushroom Butter Sauce Recipe for Steaks

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fresh cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley or coriander
• 150 g (6 oz) mushrooms,cut and thinly sliced

Method

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate to high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the sliced mushrooms and fry until they are lightly browned. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the cream and combine well. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly, to reduce the sauce volume and allow the sauce to thicken. Remove from heat and serve over barbecued or grilled beef steaks and chicken.

Best Ever Butter Sauce for Indian Chicken Dishes

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 small can whole tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 moderately hot chili peppers
• 2 heaping spoonfuls garum masala
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of crushed garlic
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon or a lime
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro or mint

Method

Puree the salt, cilantro, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, lemon juice, lemon zest, garum masala, cream and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Melt the butter over moderate heat in a medium size heavy saucepan. Cook the bubbling butter until it browns a little. Stir in the pureed mixture and heat it through while stirring frequently. Serve over Tandoori, grilled or barbecued chicken.

Lime Juice and Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

Method

Purée the lime juice, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until just smooth. While the motor is running, add melted butter and blend until the sauce is emulsified (generally about 30 seconds).

Ginger and Soy Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 lb (250 g) butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic,finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
• Juice of one orange and 1/2 of the zest

Method

Combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, honey and soy sauce together in a medium size heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer briskly for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce has darkened and the volume is reduced by half. Add the butter in cubes, whisking to combine. Add the orange juice and mix well. Strain the sauce through a fine metal sieve or a chinoise. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

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Images for Recipes - Enjoy!

A perfect light lemon butter sauce is very versatile - It works on chicken, fish, prawns and steak. It even works on all beets and turnips and pasta. Learn to make it here.  Luca Nebuloni [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Creamy lemon butter sauce with fresh herbs is ideal for all types of fish and seafood. See the best ever recipe here  Dinner at English Wikibooks [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A light and delicate butter sauce pairs well with the delicate taste and fish and seafood.  By H. Alexander Talbot [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGinger_Pork_Pot_Stickers_(14140720076).jpg  By HarshLight [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons