How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce

Co-authored by Jillian Fae Downing and Jessica Gibson

If you're looking for a simple way to add a lot of flavor to a meal, make a garlic butter sauce. Most garlic butter sauces only need a few ingredients and you can use the sauce over pasta or as a dip for seafood. For example, a classic garlic butter dipping sauce is perfect for steamed crab legs or lobster. Or for something more filling, make a creamy garlic butter sauce and toss it with fettuccine. You can also make a tangy lemon butter garlic sauce that's great for dipping seafood or crusty bread into.

Ingredients

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup (76 g) butter
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Makes 1/3 cup (80 ml)

Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3⁄4 cup (180 ml) chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
3⁄4 cup (180 ml) milk
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Makes 6 to 8 servings of sauce

Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

1 cup (227 g) butter
1 tablespoon (9 g) minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried cilantro

Makes 8 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

1
Melt the butter. Place 1/3 cup (76 g) of butter into a small saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium-low and let the butter melt slowly. If you melt the butter over high heat, it may splatter and burn easily.^{[1]
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- You can use salted or unsalted butter. Avoid using margarine or a butter substitute because these contain a lot of water and processed oils.
2
Saute the garlic. Peel one clove of garlic and crush it by pressing down firmly on it with the flat blade of a knife. Drop the crushed garlic into the melted butter and let it cook for a minute or two over medium-low heat.^{[2]
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- Once the garlic has finished cooking, you should easily be able to smell it.
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3
Stir in the herbs. Stir in 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and 1/4 tablespoon of dried basil until they're incorporated. Use the sauce immediately, since the butter may begin to separate once it's cold.^{[3]
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- You can also use fresh herbs for more color. Just stir in 4 teaspoons of fresh, chopped oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh, chopped basil.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce

1
Melt the butter in the garlic. Place 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter into a medium saucepan. Mince 2 garlic cloves and add them to the pan. Turn the heat on to medium and let the butter melt.^{[4]
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- The garlic will also saute as the butter melts.
2
Stir in the flour and cook the mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the saucepan and stir it into the butter garlic mixture. Keep stirring and cooking the mixture for one minute.^{[5]
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- The mixture will thicken up into a thick paste as you cook it.
3
Whisk in the liquids. Whisk the mixture constantly while you slowly pour in 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth and 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) of milk. Keep whisking and stirring the sauce until it begins to bubble and thicken.^{[6]
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- If your sauce becomes lumpy, you can transfer it to a blender or food processor. Blend the sauce until the lumps dissolve.
4
Season and serve the creamy garlic butter sauce. Turn the heat off and stir in 2 teaspoons of dried parsley. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. You can serve the sauce over cooked pasta noodles.^{[7]
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- If you'd like to use fresh herbs, just add 4 teaspoons of freshly chopped parsley.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

1
Melt the butter in the garlic. Place 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter into a medium saucepan. Mince enough garlic cloves to get one tablespoon of minced garlic (about 9 g). Add the minced garlic to the pan. Turn the heat on to medium and let the butter melt. It should cook for a few minutes.^{[8]
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- The garlic will also saute as the butter melts. It should become lightly brown once it's finished cooking.
2
Stir and melt the rest of the butter. Add the remaining 15 tablespoons (212 g) of butter and turn the heat down to low. Stir the butter as it melts completely. This should take a minute or two.^{[9]
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3
Squeeze the lemon juice and add the herbs. Take a bit of fresh lemon and squeeze it, so you get 2 tablespoons of juice. Stir the juice into the garlic butter. You'll also need to add 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 2 teaspoons of fresh cilantro. Keep the heat on low and let the butter infuse for about 10 minutes.^{[10]
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- You can serve the sauce once it's steeped or you can strain it through a mesh strainer to remove any solids before you serve it.
- Consider dipping seafood in the sauce or pouring it over cooked pasta.
4
Finished.