This Cowbow Butter Dipping Sauce is the perfect sauce for pieces of your favorite steak dinner, chicken bites, vegetables, or even crusty French bread. Take your BBQ to the next level!
This garlic butter sauce has a deliciously spicy kick with fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and seasonings.

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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ It's a versatile sauce that is a great way to add more flavor to your favorite meats!
✔️ Plus, you can make this flavorful sauce in just minutes so you don't have to worry about spending much time in the kitchen.
✔️ You only need simple pantry ingredients to help you make this easy recipe, love that!!

Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- I used salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you'd prefer.
- lemon juiced and zested
- Montreal steak seasoning
- shallot
- Dijon mustard
- parsley
- green onions
- Worcestershire sauce
- Montreal steak seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, chili powder, salt, black pepper

Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the stovetop—place in a small mixing bowl.
- Zest ½ the lemon, then juice half the lemon as well. Mince the shallots and slice the green onions.
- Combine butter with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Equipment
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- saucepan
- small bowl
- zester
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FAQ's
Cowboy butter is a mix of melted butter, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper that packs quite the punch of flavor. It's perfect for steak dinners, chicken bites, vegetables, or even bread!
Yes! You can make this Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you can heat it and eat it.
No, the sauce doesn't have to be melted. Spread it on bread or your favorite meals while it's room temperature.

Deb's tips
- You will need melted butter for this sauce to mix the ingredients into the sauce.
- When using this as a dipping sauce, you will need to serve it warm, so that it's thin and ready for dipping.
- I recommend using fresh lemon juice instead of bottled stuff to get the best flavor for this cowboy butter sauce recipe.
- If you'd prefer a thicker butter sauce, just allow it to cool for a minute or two.
Variations
- Add more flavor to this cowboy butter dipping sauce when you add fresh chives, rosemary, or even thyme to your melted butter for a nice kick of flavor.
- Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the butter mixture for more heat.
- You can also reduce the level of spiciness. You can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes or leave them out altogether.
- And finally, add a touch of sweetness to your dipping sauce by adding in a squeeze or two of honey.
Storage
Refrigerate - If you have leftover cowboy butter, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Freezer - One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make it ahead. Allow the butter to cool, then shape it into a log using a long plastic wrap. Store the butter log in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Reheat - To reheat the butter, place it in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted.

Related recipes
- Alabama White BBQ Sauce is tangy and delicious!
- Your bbq isn't complete without Homemade Plum BBQ Sauce - it's an excellent sauce!
- Cilantro Garlic Sauce is tangy and creamy with lime and garlic.
- Red Robin Campfire Sauce is perfect for dipping fries, chicken fingers and more!
Serve with
- Convince your picky eaters to enjoy their vegetables when you show them how to dip their Roasted Green Beans and Carrots in this savory sauce.
- This Lemon and Garlic Broccoli is tossed in olive oil and garlic powder to give it a tangy flavor that will have your entire family asking for seconds. Plus, it pairs well with most meals.
- Grill Teriyaki Steak, that would be amazing with this sauce.
- Do you enjoy a bread side with your meal? If so, dip these Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough into this compound butter mixture.
- Or if you love garlic, try this Air Fryer Garlic Bread recipe! It's crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and bursting with garlic flavor.
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Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ lemon juiced and zested
- 1 ½ teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
- 1 green onions thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the stovetop—place in a small mixing bowl.
- Zest ½ the lemon, then juice half the lemon as well. Mince the shallots and slice the green onions.
- Add the ingredients to the bowl with the butter, lemon juice, zest, minced shallots, dijon mustard, parsley, green onions, paprika, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Serve in a pretty dish warm as a dipping sauce with steak, pork, or chicken. Enjoy!
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