Chimichurri Compound Butter

This chimichurri compound butter pays homage to traditional chimichurri sauce with a flavorful blend of parsley, lemon, cilantro, mint, and red pepper flakes.

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About Chimichurri Compound Butter

Fans of traditional chimichurri sauce will know the bright and refreshing flavor it brings to a dish, and this chimichurri compound butter is just a new way to experience a delicious favorite.

Chimichurri butter can be used in almost all the same dishes as chimichurri sauce, only this time around you get the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth (and over hot, sizzling food) effect of homemade butter.

What is compound butter?

To keep it short and sweet, compound butter is butter that’s been mixed or infused with other flavors. In most cases, compound butter is used as an easy way to enhance the flavors of other dishes, just like any other sauce or spice – only this way, you get butter as an added bonus, too.

What’s in chimichurri compound butter?

This flavored butter is designed to pay homage to classic chimichurri, which includes a delicious mix of:

• Fresh parsley leaves
• Lemon zest
• Fresh mint leaves
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Red pepper flakes

Can you use dried herbs instead?

Dried herbs are a convenient alternative to keeping fresh herbs in your kitchen, but dried herbs tend to be more potent. Because of this, you need to do some measurement conversions to use dried herbs in place of fresh ones.

In general, one tablespoon of fresh herbs = one teaspoon of dried herbs. This means dried herbs are is roughly three times as potent as their fresh counterparts.

For this particular recipe, that means you would substitute:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley for 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced mint for 1/2 teaspoons dried mint

How many lemons do you need?

This recipe calls for half a teaspoon of lemon zest. You should be able to get everything you need from a small lemon and still have some left over for other dishes.

What can you serve with chimichurri butter?

In most cases, you can serve chimichurri butter with the same types of dishes that classic chimichurri is good with, such as:

• Grilled meats, especially steak and chorizo sausage.
• Any type of chicken or pork dishes.
• Mild vegetables, like potatoes or corn.

What tools do you need to make compound butter?

• Stand mixer or a hand mixer – This recipe creates butter by whipping heavy cream until the solid fats and cream separate, and this is much easier to do with a mixer of some kind. I remember making butter when I was younger by putting heavy cream and a marble in a plastic jar, but that required shaking the jar for 30 minutes – and it was exhausting. You can still use the shaking method, of course, but be prepared for an upper-body workout.
• Mesh strainer – For removing excess liquid and rinsing the butter.
• Lint-free cloth or a cheesecloth – For squeezing out any extra moisture from the butter.
• Storage container, parchment paper, or wax paper – Depending on how you’d like to store the butter, you can either put it in a sealed container or roll the butter into a log and wrap it with parchment paper or wax paper.

How long is compound butter good for?

Once prepared and stored, compound butter should remain good for one to two weeks, depending on the herbs.

Can you freeze compound butter?

Yes, you totally can!

Once stored in a sealed container or freezer bag, compound butter can be frozen for up to four months.

How much does this recipe yield?

If making the butter from scratch, this recipe will yield the following:

• One cup homemade butter (the solid fats from the heavy whipping cream) which will be flavored to create the chimichurri compound butter.
• A bonus one cup of buttermilk (the cream that separates) that can be used for other baking, cooking, or dressing recipes.

Notes & tips for chimichurri butter

• For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be nearly impossible to make by hand with a whisk.

Other delicious spreads and sauces

How to make chimichurri compound butter

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), whip the heavy whipping cream until the solid fats separate from the cream. Be patient with this; it may take a while.

Step 2 – Pour the contents of the mixer through a mesh strainer, getting out all of the excess cream (the cream is buttermilk – feel free to save it for other recipes!) Once done, keep the butter in the strainer and run cold water over it.

Step 3 – Place the butter on a piece of lint-free cloth or cheesecloth, then wrap it up tight. Squeeze the wrapped butter to get out any remaining moisture.

Step 4 – Return the butter to a clean mixer bowl, then add salt. Blend the salt into the butter, then do a taste test. Make any adjustments you feel are necessary.

Step 5 – Add the following ingredients to the mixer: parsley, lemon zest, mint, and red pepper flakes. Blend them into the butter until incorporated. And like with the salt, do a quick taste test and adjust any of the ingredients as desired.

Step 6 – For best results, store the butter in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours so that the flavors can marinate together.

Step 7 – Serve and enjoy!