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Take everything from holiday whole roasted turkeys to everyday steaks and pork chops to the next level with my Compound Butter Recipe! I’ll show you how to make Turkey Butter Rub using 6 simple ingredients in only 5 minutes. Elevate any dish – especially turkey! – from good to unforgettable!
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Turkey Butter Rub Recipe
My garlic butter sauce has been one of my most popular recipes for years. It’s easy, straightforward, and a key way to elevate every dish you can think of. Now, I’m taking even that amazing recipe to the next level with my recipe for compound butter!
It’s easy to make compound butter: you just need a small handful of spices and herbs, garlic, butter, and – my favorite part – lemon zest. This zesty, herby combination makes this the perfect compound butter recipe for serving with everything.
You’ll undoubtedly love this compound butter for turkey, chicken, steak, pork chops, roast beef, and even seafood like crab legs and shrimp. It’s a fantastic way to add flavor to your holiday meal or any weeknight dinner recipe. Give it a try!
Compound Butter for Turkey Ingredients
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter for your turkey butter rub, as it is easier to season when adding salt separately. But, if you only have salted butter, just adjust the amount of salt you add and use with my turkey seasoning.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic or smashed garlic. You can also use garlic paste.
- Sea Salt Flakes: My preferred sea salt is Maldon sea salt flakes!
- Sage Leaves: Adds the perfect herbal flavor to your turkey butter rub. You can try other herbs like rosemary, if you’d like.
- Thyme: In addition to sage, this is a great herb for pairing with turkey.
- Lemon Zest: Fresh grated lemon zest balances out the flavors of the turkey butter.
Isabel’s Top Tip
Sage and thyme is my favorite combination of savory herbs for this butter rub, especially as an herb butter for turkey, but don’t feel limited! You can also use other fresh herbs, like rosemary or parsley, depending on what dish you’re serving it with. You can even pair it with your favorite seasoning, like my chicken rub.
Butter Recipe for Turkey
- In a bowl, crush garlic with a pinch of salt, sage, thyme, and lemon zest. Combine well.
- Add the softened butter and combine until fully mixed.
- If you’re using the butter right away, don’t refrigerate. If you’re using the butter later, roll the compound butter in plastic wrap to create a log, and refrigerate.
Other Uses for Butter Rub for Turkey
- Turkey butter rub: Spread it over your turkey for Thanksgiving underneath and over the skin for a tender, juicy flavor, and a crisp finish.
- Butter for steak: Top your favorite steak recipe with compound butter – it can make any cut restaurant quality! Try it with my chuck steak on the grill.
- Prime rib butter rub: Use it as a butter rub for prime rib, like my slow rib roast.
- Butter for crab legs: Melt it and use it as the most amazing crab butter sauce for crab legs on the stove or crab legs on the grill.
- Butter for chicken: Use this as a delicious compound butter for chicken, like my buttermilk baked chicken.
- Butter for corn on the cob: Smear evenly over warm, freshly steamed or corn on the grill.
- Sandwich butter: Melt compound butter and smear over top of the buns on sliders or your favorite hot sandwiches.
- Butter for vegetables: Use compound butter as a base for vegetables, like green beans!
There are endless ways to use compound butter – and I recommend trying it with everything to find your favorite combinations!
Turkey Compound Butter FAQ
Compound butter can be used on any meat, like turkey, steak, chicken, or pork. Or you could even use compound butter for roasting veggies or melting over mashed potatoes. The ideas are endless – it works for everything!
You can use compound butter under the skin of your turkey, and rubbed on top of the skin. Not only does this keep the turkey moist, it adds incredible flavor to both the meat and skin!
It’s best to let the butter soften naturally at room temperature, rather than melt it. However, you can do this more quickly by boiling water, adding it to a bowl, then pouring the water out and placing the empty bowl upside-down over the stick of butter. The residual heat will soften the butter quickly.
Turkey Cooking Guides
If you’re using this as a butter rub for turkey, follow our other turkey cooking guides for even more tips and tricks to make the most amazing holiday meal:
- Turkey Dry Brine
- Thawing Turkey before Thanksgiving
- Injection for Turkey
- Times and Temps for Turkey
- Turkey Brown Gravy
Try my Turkey with Cajun Seasoning!
Love compound butter? Try my Garlic Butter Recipe and Lemon Butter Sauce!
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Recipe
Turkey Butter Rub
Equipment
- 1 Small bowl for mixing
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch Maldon sea salt flakes
- 6 sage leaves chopped
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 sticks salted butter softened, room temperature
Instructions
- In a bowl, crush garlic with a pinch of salt, sage, thyme, and lemon zest. Combine well.1 clove garlic, 1 pinch Maldon sea salt flakes, 6 sage leaves, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- Add the softened butter and combine.2 sticks salted butter
- If you're using the butter right away, don't refrigerate. If you're using the butter later, roll the compound butter in plastic wrap creating a log, and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use softened, room temperature butter for best results.
- Store butter in an airtight container stored in the fridge or freezer for a few weeks.
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