I stumbled on an Easy Homemade Garlic Butter made with just three ingredients, and I’m sharing the tiny twist that turns it into a go-to for pasta, steak, chicken, fish, and veggies.

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I made this Garlic Butter Sauce because sometimes a dish just needs a tiny miracle. It’s basically Easy Homemade Garlic Butter that’s dangerously simple.

I use room temp unsalted butter and garlic cloves, and often finish with fresh flat leaf parsley for a little brightness. It melts into sauces, pools on the plate, and makes ordinary meals suddenly worth bragging about.

I still mess it up when I rush, but when it hits right you lick the plate and ask for more. If you want bold flavor with zero fuss this will get you there.

Ingredients

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Unsalted butter gives a rich, silky mouthfeel, mostly fat and vitamin A.
Butter is high in saturated fats, calorie dense so use in moderation but tasty.
Garlic adds pungent, savory bite and aromatic depth, not sweet or sour.
Garlic offers allicin and potential immune benefits, small protein and fiber amounts.
Parsley brightens flavors with fresh herbaceous notes, gives color and aroma.
Parsley brings vitamin K, C and some fiber, so it’s actually kinda healthy.
And together they make a buttery, garlicky sauce that’s rich, savory and simple.
Great on bread, pasta, seafood, doesn’t add sweetness, mostly savory comfort.

Ingredient Quantities

1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temp and cut into pieces

4 to 6 garlic cloves minced or grated (about 2 to 3 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

How to Make this

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1. Prep everything: cut 1/2 cup unsalted butter into pieces, mince or grate 4 to 6 garlic cloves (about 2 to 3 teaspoons), and finely chop 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. If you grate the garlic on a microplane you get a silkier, almost paste like garlic, but minced is fine too.

2. Set a small saucepan over very low heat. Add the butter pieces and let them melt slowly, stirring now and then so it heats evenly and doesnt brown.

3. As soon as the butter is mostly melted and just starting to foam at the edges, add the garlic and stir. Cook gently for about 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, dont let it turn brown or it will taste bitter.

4. Remove the pan from heat right away to stop the garlic from overcooking, the residual heat is enough to finish it.

5. Stir in the chopped parsley until everything is evenly combined and green flecks are distributed through the butter.

6. Taste and adjust if you want more garlic or parsley, but remember the recipe uses unsalted butter so add a tiny pinch of salt only if you need it.

7. Use immediately: spoon over hot pasta and toss, drizzle over steak, chicken, fish or steamed veggies. For pasta toss with a splash of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce cling and become silky.

8. To store cool the sauce to room temperature, transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to a week. To reuse let it come to room temp or warm gently in a small saucepan or short microwave bursts until softened.

Equipment Needed

1. Small saucepan (1 to 2 qt), you’ll melt the butter here, keep heat very low
2. Sharp chef knife for chopping parsley and mincing garlic, or just a paring knife if thats what you got
3. Cutting board, dont skip this or your counter will hate you
4. Microplane or garlic press, or a knife to mince if you prefer a chunkier garlic texture
5. Measuring spoons/cup to portion the 1/2 cup butter and teaspoons of garlic
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula for stirring, metal spoons can get too hot sometimes
7. Jar or small airtight container for storing the sauce in the fridge
8. Pasta fork or tongs for tossing the sauce with hot pasta, or a large spoon if thats easier

FAQ

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted? A: Yes, you can, just taste as you go and skip adding any extra salt since salted butter varies a lot in saltiness.

How do I stop the garlic from burning and turning bitter? A: Keep the heat low, gently sweat the garlic in the butter for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, don't let it brown, or stir it in off the heat if you prefer a raw, punchy garlic flavor.

Can I make this ahead and store it? A: Sure. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days. Reheat gently so it doesn't separate, or microwave in short bursts and stir.

Can I freeze the sauce? A: Yes, freeze in ice cube trays, then transfer cubes to a bag for up to 3 months. Pop a cube on hot pasta or veggies to melt.

What if I don't have fresh parsley? A: Fresh is best for color and brightness, but you can use 1 teaspoon dried parsley or swap in basil, chives, or cilantro for a different twist.

How much garlic should I use if I want it milder or stronger? A: The recipe calls for 4 to 6 cloves. For milder, use 2 to 3 cloves or lightly cook the garlic longer. For stronger, add more or grate it finely so it spreads evenly.

Homemade Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter: swap with ghee or clarified butter for a nutty richer flavor, or use extra virgin olive oil for a dairy free lighter sauce, or vegan butter if you need it plant based.
Garlic cloves: use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove if youre out of fresh, or 1 teaspoon roasted garlic paste for a sweeter mellow garlic, or finely grated shallot for a milder allium taste.
Fresh flat leaf parsley: replace with chopped cilantro for a brighter citrusy note, chopped chives for a gentle oniony lift, or torn basil for a sweeter herbal twist.

Pro Tips

– If you want the garlic to melt into the butter so it feels almost creamy, grate it on a microplane. Minced garlic gives little bits, grated gives silkier texture, so pick what you want. dont grate too far ahead though or it can get kinda bitter if left sitting forever.

– Keep the heat super low and use a small pan so the butter heats evenly, not in hot spots. Watch for the very first little foam at the edges, thats your cue to back off or take it off the heat so the garlic never browns.

– For a cleaner, longer-lasting butter use clarified butter if you plan to cook it more or store it longer. Removing the milk solids makes it less likely to brown and it reheats nicer. You can also freeze the sauce in tablespoon scoops for quick portions.

– Brighten it up with a tiny pinch of flaky salt or a bit of lemon zest just before serving, or add red pepper flakes if you want some heat. These small things make the sauce pop, but add them at the end so they stay fresh.

Homemade Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe

Recipe by Toni Baldesera

0.0 from 0 votes

I stumbled on an Easy Homemade Garlic Butter made with just three ingredients, and I'm sharing the tiny twist that turns it into a go-to for pasta, steak, chicken, fish, and veggies.

Servings

servings

Calories

102

kcal

Equipment: 1. Small saucepan (1 to 2 qt), you’ll melt the butter here, keep heat very low
2. Sharp chef knife for chopping parsley and mincing garlic, or just a paring knife if thats what you got
3. Cutting board, dont skip this or your counter will hate you
4. Microplane or garlic press, or a knife to mince if you prefer a chunkier garlic texture
5. Measuring spoons/cup to portion the 1/2 cup butter and teaspoons of garlic
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula for stirring, metal spoons can get too hot sometimes
7. Jar or small airtight container for storing the sauce in the fridge
8. Pasta fork or tongs for tossing the sauce with hot pasta, or a large spoon if thats easier

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temp and cut into pieces
4 to 6 garlic cloves minced or grated (about 2 to 3 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Prep everything: cut 1/2 cup unsalted butter into pieces, mince or grate 4 to 6 garlic cloves (about 2 to 3 teaspoons), and finely chop 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. If you grate the garlic on a microplane you get a silkier, almost paste like garlic, but minced is fine too.
Set a small saucepan over very low heat. Add the butter pieces and let them melt slowly, stirring now and then so it heats evenly and doesnt brown.
As soon as the butter is mostly melted and just starting to foam at the edges, add the garlic and stir. Cook gently for about 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, dont let it turn brown or it will taste bitter.
Remove the pan from heat right away to stop the garlic from overcooking, the residual heat is enough to finish it.
Stir in the chopped parsley until everything is evenly combined and green flecks are distributed through the butter.
Taste and adjust if you want more garlic or parsley, but remember the recipe uses unsalted butter so add a tiny pinch of salt only if you need it.
Use immediately: spoon over hot pasta and toss, drizzle over steak, chicken, fish or steamed veggies. For pasta toss with a splash of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce cling and become silky.
To store cool the sauce to room temperature, transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to a week. To reuse let it come to room temp or warm gently in a small saucepan or short microwave bursts until softened.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.