Garlic & Herb Butter
A compound butter of butter, garlic, and usually parsley and salt. It is the spread for garlic bread and the finishing butter for snails, steak, and shrimp.
| Category | Butter & Spreads |
|---|---|
| Maker / Origin | France |
| Storage | Keep in a sealed tub or rolled log in the fridge, wrapped tightly. |
| Shelf life | About 1 week in the fridge with raw garlic; up to 3 months frozen. |
| Best uses | Garlic bread, escargots, shrimp scampi, steaks, and vegetables. |
| Substitutes | Garlic-infused olive oil for spreading and cooking. |
| Pairings | Baguette, shrimp, steak, mushrooms, and green beans. |
| Last checked | October 18, 2026 |
About it
Garlic butter is the best-known compound butter. Garlic confit or roasted garlic makes it sweeter and mellower; raw garlic makes it sharp. Either way it is the backbone of garlic bread and escargots bourguignonne, the classic snail dish.
Storing it
Raw garlic in butter should be refrigerated and used promptly; freezing is the safe way to keep it longer.
Using it
Spread garlic butter thick on halved baguettes and toast until crisp at the edges. Melt it over shrimp, steak, and mushrooms as a finishing sauce.
Swaps & pairings
Garlic olive oil covers toast and sautéing without dairy. Roasted garlic mashed into plain butter is the homemade version.
More from this maker: France