The Best Bacon Butter

The Best Bacon Butter recipe shows what it is, how to make it and uses for bacon flavored compound butter including popcorn, potatoes, steak and sandwiches!

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Bacon Butter

Some things in life you never forget and I will never forget the first time I tried this bacon butter recipe. I’d never tasted anything quite like it and I couldn’t believe how amazing it tasted.

Real butter blended with bacon. I was instantly impressed and knew I was going to be making this butter forever. I immediately started imagining all of the things I could do with it.

This recipe for the best bacon butter is divine!  We have used it on anything and everything that you use butter with.  You are only limited by your imagination.

Just think about it.

We still always have some of the best bacon butter in our fridge or freezer.  Just in case we are in the mood for some late night popcorn or even a simple grilled cheese sandwich.

What a difference this bacon butter makes. It takes a dish from bland or dull to incredible in minutes.

This bacon flavored butter recipe needs to be on every bacon lover’s bucket list and I’m not even kidding!  

The best part is compound butters take only minutes to prepare.

You can make just enough to serve with whatever food you’re serving or make a big batch for your fridge or freezer to use whenever needed.

The ingredients are few but pack an incredible amount of bacon flavor in every bite. 

Not only am I going to show you how to make the best bacon butter but the best garlic butter and honey butter too! I also love those butters and make them regularly myself.

I just had to share them with you. You can never have too many flavored butter recipes. 

I’ll also explain the general rules for making compound or flavored butters. Then, you can easily make your own flavored butters with your family’s favorite herbs and spices.

You’ll absolutely LOVE doing this.

I know initially the thought of making a bacon butter recipe sounds kinda strange in a way.

Every time I talk about this bacon butter I get a look. A curious but a surprised look or facial expression. Next, they try some bacon butter and are hooked, just like I am.

I can’t stress enough how wonderful this butter is, added to so many different meals, making them all taste so much better. 

Really.

What is Compound Butter?

According to wikipedia, compound butter is basically flavored butter or butter with different flavors added to it to improve the taste or flavor of another food you’re making or eating. 

Compound butters add depth and flavor to all kinds of dishes. It’s kind of like the way sauce adds flavor to some dishes.

Compound butters can be homemade or store bought. 

Compound butters are super easy to make by blending or whipping herbs and spices with softened butter.

That is it.

After your compound butter is prepared, the butter will need to be re-formed with parchment paper or plastic wrap. You need to shape it so it can be easily sliced or measured.

You have a couple options to make this happen.

1. Place the prepared compound butter lump inside a resealable bag. Press the butter into the corner of the bag. Snip the corner off with a pair of scissors and squeeze the butter out the hole into a pattern inside a dish for serving. My husband jokes it’s like making your own soft serve ice cream.
2. Cut the corner of the bag big enough (around an inch) so you can just squeeze the butter onto parchment paper in a thick long tube or log like shape. Wrap or roll the tube up tightly so it is surrounded by parchment paper or plastic wrap and seal up your ends too!
3. My husband places the butter in the middle of a sheet of parchment. He folds the parchment over and rolls the butter back and forth, kind of like a rolling pin or like a burrito or wrap, until it is in a log shape. Wrap or roll the parchment up tightly so it is surrounded by parchment paper or plastic wrap. Don’t forget to cover and seal up the ends.
4. Press butter into a container with a lid for easy use.

At this point you can use the compound butter.

However, I recommend placing your flavored butter into your refrigerator or freezer until firm for at least 2 hours. The flavors will also have time to meld together.

Once firm, you can easily slice and create individual portions or use butter as needed.

Easy peasy.

What is Bacon Butter?

Simply put, bacon butter is an AMAZING compound butter. It is made by softening butter and blending it with bacon, onions, garlic, pepper, green onions and a little liquid honey. 

Bacon flavored butter. YUM!

Whipped until all of the ingredients are as evenly dispersed as possible.

Making the best bacon butter could not be easier. Really.

How to Make Compound Butter

As a general rule, for every 1 cup of butter (or 2 sticks or 1/2 pound) use 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs or seasonings OR 2 teaspoons dried.

Use roughly 1 tablespoon of liquid ingredients per stick.

Always add at least a pinch of sea salt or salt if you’re using unsalted butter. 

Honey Butter

Think of honey butter. Yum.

If you’ve never tasted it you might want to consider trying it too! Perfect on warm bread, biscuits, rolls, pancakes, waffles or french toast, vegetables and so much more!

For every stick of butter you use add 1 tablespoon of liquid honey and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

Your other option with honey butter is for every stick of butter you use add 1 tablespoon of liquid honey and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

My son adds at least 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Remember that if you use too much liquid you’ll end up with a dip instead of a spread and who wants that? 

Herb Compound Butter

Another butter I absolutely LOVE making is garlic herb compound butter or simply garlic butter and it could not be easier. I urge you to experiment with herbs that you enjoy.

I know you’ll be glad you did.

Garlic Butter

For every stick, or every 1/2 cup of butter add 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley. Also, add 2 minced garlic cloves and a teaspoon of salt if you used unsalted butter.

Frankly, I usually will use salted butter so I don’t need to add any salt. 

To be honest, I also add more garlic to my garlic butter. I just can’t help it.

I suggest you start by mincing 2 garlic cloves. If you’re a huge fan of garlic mince three garlic cloves.

I love the way garlic butter looks with parsley in it so I always add 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

Add some pepper too, if desired. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon. I rarely find myself adding pepper.

Maybe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon zest or 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice as well. My friend said to try it and I have been adding it ever since!

Refrigerate your butter for at least an hour and give it a try. Check for flavors etc. Adjust if you feel the garlic flavor is too strong, add some more butter.

Taste your garlic butter on a cracker or a slice of bread just to make sure you don’t want to add more garlic or another seasoning and you are good to go.

I had to throw this recipe in too. If you LOVE garlic butter than you’ll LOVE this. I am going to urge you, ok let’s just say insist that you put Roasted Garlic Butter on your bucket list.

Frankly, there is no time like the present.

I hope that you will try my Oven Roasted Garlic Bulbs and Puree. I can’t sing the praises of roasted garlic and roasted garlic butter enough.

We always have some in our fridge or freezer. I just couldn’t live without it. 

I suspect that once you try it you will feel the exact same way.

Roasted Garlic Butter Recipe

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 1 teaspoon salt (if you use salted butter skip the salt!)
• 2-3 heaping tablespoons roasted garlic, mashed
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley or 1 teaspoon dried, if desired

Using a fork, mash garlic, butter, and salt in a small airtight container or small bowl until blended together.

Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Serve with steaks, pastas, on warm, fresh bread, or use to make garlic toast to accompany any meal. There are so many things to do with roasted garlic.

I can’t wait to hear what you think after you try roasted garlic for the first time. Smear a warm garlic clove on a cracker. So smooth. Oh so good.

Chipotle Butter

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo, minced, more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lime zest, grated

In a bowl combine butter, chipotle in adobo, garlic and lime zest.

Butter can be made several days ahead or stored in an airtight container for 5 days.

I’m going to stop talking now about garlic and chipotle butter and get back to what you’re here for. Making the best compound bacon butter.

Compound Butter Recipes

Inside this post you will find all of the information you need to make your own flavored butters with all of your favorite ingredients.

You can never have too many compound butter recipes. That is forsure.

Now that you know the approximate amounts to start with.

I figured making sure you knew how to make the best bacon butter, honey butter and garlic butter was the perfect place to start. Those are my three favorites.

I will also sometimes make a quick compound or flavored butter with thyme and some garlic. I have to add garlic to everything. I make my butter.

I will place it on top of a steak once cooked or underneath some chicken skin right before roasting. Oh so good.

Adding some poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning to butter works great under chicken skin as well. Find a spot to sneak the flavored butter underneath the skin.

Don’t separate the skin totally from the flesh. Try and create yourself a pocket to push the butter into.

You will be so glad you did. 

Flavored Butter

It’s funny. For a long time we just consumed margarine instead of butter. Now we’re back to just using butter. Funny how things seem to work out.

Unfortunately, animal fats generally add a richer flavor and improve the taste of so many foods while cooking more so than plant based fats.

During the refining process, oils such as pure olive oil lose flavor to make a neutral tasting oil that will do so many things.

An unrefined oil like extra virgin olive oil is full of flavor but when faced with higher temperatures loses flavor almost instantly.

When animal fats are heated they become more flavorful which generally makes foods taste better.

I have to say generally because it is possible that I might run into a food that doesn’t taste better with a little flavored butter added. I just can’t imagine finding one but it is possible I suppose.

Uses for Bacon Butter

I can’t wait to show you all of the things you can do with bacon butter. Wait until you try a bunch of them.

Take a chance and try some of this butter on a slice of toast. Better yet make a grilled cheese sandwich and use bacon butter.

Adding this bacon butter to a baked potato or serving of mashed potatoes is amazing.

Imagine drizzling bacon butter all over a bowl of microwave popcorn.

This list can go on forever. Just think about all of the things you could do with this bacon butter.

This butter freezes beautifully so you can easily defrost a frozen portion whenever needed. 

• popcorn
• sandwiches
• grilled cheese
• eggs
• crackers
• steak, lamb, pork, chicken, fish
• added under chicken, turkey or duck skin before roasting
• steamed or roasted vegetables, carrots, corn on the cob
• potatoes, mashed or baked
• pancakes, waffles
• baked goods, scones, muffins, biscuits, english muffins
• sauces
• add to top of rice, couscous, quinoa, or pasta 

Ingredients for the Best Bacon Butter

• bacon
• onions
• garlic
• butter
• liquid honey
• green onions
• pepper

How to make Bacon Butter

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. 

Remove cooked bacon from skillet and allow to drain on paper towel. Crumble bacon into small pieces.

Reserve a few tablespoons of bacon fat in your skillet to cook the garlic and onions.

Add onions to your hot skillet and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Remove from heat and set aside to allow to cool completely to room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, whip butter until very soft, about 5 minutes.

Add onions, garlic and bacon.

Mix until incorporated.

Stir in honey, green onions and pepper. Ideally, place into a container with a lid for easy access.

This butter can be stored in your refrigerator for at least 5 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serve on sandwiches, popcorn, eggs, potatoes or beef or anything else you use butter for.  

Can you freeze Bacon Butter?

Yes you definitely can!  I usually make a batch and freeze a few packages or smaller portions of the Bacon Butter so I have it when I want it. 

Simply put, I wrap the portions in parchment paper and then place them all into a resealable bag with as much air removed as possible! 

I just remove some butter from the freezer when I know I am going to use it and it defrosts so quickly.  If I need it melted I toss a frozen piece into the microwave or into a pot on the stove!

You can keep your compound butter frozen for up to 3 months.

Also, compound butter lasts up to 10 days in the refrigerator, depending on what you used for flavor.

As you might expect, fresh herbs don’t last as long as dried herbs and spices. 

The Best Bacon Butter Video

Take a moment to check out our video for The Best Bacon Butter below!