Elevate your everyday meals with this Easy Garlic Butter Recipe.

Easy garlic butter in a bowl with a spoon, alongside toasted bread slices.

We have a fancy steakhouse in our city that requires reservations to be made months in advance, along with consulting a financial advisor to figure out how to save for such an expensive meal. We’ve gone exactly one time, and that was because some generous friends gave us a gift certificate. We don’t make outings like this a frequent occurrence, but I can see why people organize their special events around a meal here. All of the food was delicious, but the steak was truly out of this world.

A few months after we ate at said fancy place, a local food critic wrote an article with secret tips behind some of the region’s best foods. For this particular place, she named a simple trick: garlic butter. Instantly, I knew I wanted to try it at home. And now I’m a true believer. Adding a pat of garlic butter to a steak enhances the flavor and creates its own delicious sauce. I’ve tried it with other dishes too and can confirm that this garlic butter can transform any dish, from chicken to shrimp to pork. Now, I always have a little jar of garlic butter in my refrigerator so I can add a dab of sophistication to any meal—even if I’m eating in my PJs in front of the TV.

Ingredients for Easy Garlic Butter Recipe: butter sticks, fresh parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

Butter quality matters

Since the butter is the star of the show, you want to use a good-quality one. The garlic and herbs only do so much of the lifting; if the butter is flat-tasting or greasy, it’s going to give you a lesser result.

Good butter has a subtle sweetness and a clean finish. It’s a full, balanced flavor that goes above and beyond just adding richness or fattiness. That doesn’t mean you need to buy the most expensive butter at the store. Instead, simply look for butter made with minimal ingredients, like just cream and salt (or no salt, if you prefer to control the seasoning yourself).

European butters, which have a higher butterfat content, usually have a nice, rich flavor and smooth texture. They’re my favorite to use for this recipe.

Spreading easy garlic butter, flecked with parsley, onto a piece of toasted bread.

How do I store leftovers?

Store the garlic butter in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, scoop out what you need (or slice it, if it’s frozen) and let it chill on the counter until it’s spreadable.

Easy garlic butter in a rustic bowl with a wooden spatula, served with toast.

Serving suggestions

There are so many uses for garlic butter. As I said earlier, you can’t go wrong slathering it on a Pan-Seared Steak. I also love to spread it over some Garlic Bread for a double whammy of flavor. It’s great over top of a Baked Potato, some Loaded Mashed Potatoes, or some simple Baked Rice. The sky is the limit.