11 Clever Ways To Use Cowboy Butter You've Never Thought Of
Kylee Cooks / Facebook Every good trail ride (or snack fest) needs provisions, and this is the type of mix that would have cowboys reaching for the next handful before the first is even gone.
And, since snack mix is already primed for grazing, cowboy butter seems tailor-made for your home herd. Melt your cowboy butter and use it as the glorious glue that ties together your chosen components into one wildly snackable handful. Then give the mixture time baking in the oven, letting the seasoning settle into every crunchy corner. For a smoky version (cowboys would definitely approve of this one), spread the coated mix in an aluminum pan and cook it on a grill or smoker.
And, there is absolutely no need to follow a rigid ingredient list. Whatever is lurking in the pantry and needs a good excuse to become your next nosh is fair game for this recipe. Liken it to trail mix's rowdy cousin, particularly handy for game days, movie marathons, road trips, and any other gathering where people tend to belly up to the (snack) bar.
The ultimate scrambled eggs
Cowboy butter with eggs might not be the first coupling that comes to mind, but the pair get along like old trail partners. Instead of defaulting to just plain butter, melt a cold pat of cowboy butter into softly cooked eggs over low heat, then let all those spiced-up flavors giddy up and get to work. The Dijon notes brings a little tang, while the lemon is there to brighten things up. Herbs add that flair of freshness, and the peppery spices give the eggs just enough va-va-voom to verifiably make the meal unforgettable. What arrives on the plate is a rich and creamy scrambled egg creation that tastes like those ovos spent a little extra time around the campfire (bland breakfast is no bueno on the range, you see). And, if you have leftover steak? Well, partner, you can slice that steak thin, warm it briefly, and pile it beside the eggs for a steak and eggs cowboy but
Savory Dutch baby
A Dutch baby (sometimes called a German pancake) is often a way to really impress guests or the family around the table. Pour the batter into a sizzling skillet, pop it in the oven, and breakfast soon puffs up into a golden centerpiece that stuns. And, while a regular butter Dutch baby is pretty heavenly, switching things up and making it with cowboy butter gives the whole affair a little more Western grit, thanks to herbs, mustard, lemon, and peppery seasoning that bring a savory depth to every crisped-edge bite. Think of this as the ranch-hand cousin of the sweet Dutch baby. Instead of reaching for powdered sugar, cowboy butter lets you build your entree around the savory side of the street (or oven?). For instance, a fried egg, steak, roasted vegetables, caramelized onions, or sharp cheese can turn that airy pancake into a hearty meal worthy of a hungry Western ride
French fry seasoning
We have written before about the cowboy butter upgrade your roasted potato side dishes are missing, but what about French fries? That same buttery sorcery works magic on a pile of crispy fries. Whether you are working with an air fryer or heating up the oven, cowboy butter can turn a basic batch of potato strings into something spectacular you won't want to stop snacking on. The goal here is not to drown the fries in the cowboy butter concoction, but simply to give their surfaces a rich glossing of gloriously savory, spiced-and-herbed butter. For oven cowboy butter fries, try cutting potatoes into thin matchstick-style vessels, soaking them in water (and drying them thoroughly) before tossing with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until golden and crisp (turning partway through). Now comes the maverick move, where you drizzle melted cowboy butter over the finished fries, t
Gourmet popcorn
It's no secret that people have taken to creating incredible popcorn upgrades. In fact, there are so many iterations and options that have broken out on the snack scene that it's nearly impossible to nail down just which addition of unique edible spark or sprinkle of powdered food makes the best popcorn taste. But, one you can at least add to your arsenal is cowboy butter. Popcorn and melted cowboy butter make an unexpectedly dynamic duo. The golden dairy brings creamy richness, while notes of Dijon, lemon, herbs, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes turn that familiar movie-night bowl of puffery into something with quite a bit more pep. It can't be easier, either. Just drizzle popped popcorn with melted cowboy butter (slowly), ensuring you toss as you go (no one wants to end up with a butter-drowned section alongside a dry desert of puffed sadness
Grilled cheese spread
Some classics ride into the sunset just fine on their own, but grilled cheese was never meant to stay tame. Give this old-school comfort food classic a little cowboy treatment, and suddenly the familiar skillet favorite has some serious Western-style swagger. Instead of reaching for run-of-the-mill dairy, cowboy butter brings a savory punch to the bread before it ever meets the pan, transforming an ordinary grilled cheese into something with more of a buccaneer-coded bite. Here's how the showdown unfolds in the skillet. The cowboy butter melts in desert-like heat of the pan, carrying its herbs, mustard, lemon, and peppery flavors straight into the bread as it turns crisp and golden. Inside, the cheese is doing its thing, melting into an ooey, gooey thing of glory. All of that comes together for a sandwich that is the same comfort fare you crave, just now with a littl
Reimagined chicken rub
Word is definitely getting out regarding the trick of how adding flavor-filled cowboy butter can make cheap steak taste incredible. But what about chicken? While we have waxed eloquently about how cowboy butter can be transformed into a flavorful dipping sauce for your chicken wings, we have yet to convey all its magical powers over poultry. Therein lies the rub, if you will, because cowboy butter actually makes an insanely ideal chicken rub swap. Chicken is a natural match for cowboy butter because the spiced-up condiment brings two things poultry sometimes needs, which is richness and a serious infusion of flavor that is otherwise often lacking. But, this is no dry rub, mind you. Instead of reaching for the same dry seasoning blend, up the ante by softening the cowboy butter and working it over your chicken before cooking. The herbs and spices will cling t
Shrimp or shrimp skewers
Shrimp may spend most of their lives in the water, but they've no trouble finding their way to the campfire (or stovetop). Their naturally just-this-side-of-sweet, none-too-strong taste makes shrimp an ideal match for boldly spiced cowboy butter, as the crustaceans' taste doesn't fight the flavors, but rather soaks them up like the most exquisite, edible sponge. This recipe really can't get much easier. Just give the shrimp a coating of the seasoned compound butter, and the skillet or grill takes it from there. Shrimp skewers are especially delicious when this cowboy butter trick is brought out, because they cook fast as a runaway stagecoach and have ample surface area for that cowboy butter to cling to. Simply warm the cowboy butter just enough to make it spreadable, coat the shrimp, and then rustle those bad boys onto the grill or into a hot skillet. In me
Grilled corn cowboy style
Another can't-lose combination? Corn and cowboy butter flavors, a winning mashup that belongs together like boots and spurs. Hot corn on the cob is already a cookout classic, but roll those grilled kernels through melted cowboy butter? Suddenly the familiar side has a bit of a rebel spirit. This is not tricky, like taming a bronco, either, as all you have to do is grill the corn, then brush it with cowboy butter without restraint (don't hold back now, ya hear?). Let that cowboy joy melt into every kernel, nook, and cranny, then pass it around the table (maybe even campsite if you're hardcore like that), and wait for the flavor stampede to set in. The cowboy butter's gentle, yet fiery, heat will bring a welcome contrast to the corn's natural sweetness, without fighting it like a standoff at the O.K. Corral. If you're feeling extra ambitious? Add a sprinkle of ch
Instant garlic-herb pasta
Forget the saloon, the campfire, and the chuck wagon for a minute, because cowboy butter has found a new trail, and this one leads straight to the pasta pot. There is something wonderfully simple, yet spectacular, about taking a sauce packed with herbs, mustard, lemon, and peppery heat and tossing it with hot noodles. What starts as a simple, straight-from-the-pantry dinner becomes a bowl delivering bite after bite of bliss that tastes like your ordinary buttered noodles decided to saddle up for a new adventure. This cowboy butter trek takes the standard pasta version and turns it into a real barn-burner. Simply melt cowboy butter into prepared hot pasta, and let the heat loosen it into a glossy, saddle-smooth sauce. Dijon and lemon keep the richness from feeling over-the-top or weighing it down, while the herbs, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes give ev
Gourmet smash burgers
Every cowboy knows the best way to make an entrance is to bring a little extra swagger, and that rule applies surprisingly well to a smash burger. The crisp-edged patty already has plenty going for it, but the bun is where you can sneak in an unexpected Texas-sized upgrade. Simply prepare your favorite smash burger recipe like your normally would, then spread a generous amount of cowboy butter along the underside of your burger bun (both top and bottom if you're wanting to go hog wild with it), and then see the difference just that one addition makes. Talk about elevating your standard smash burger with a big ole yee haw heck yeah! In one fell swoop, your old familiar fast-food favorite is riding a whole different trail. For maximum impact, try toasting the buns before slathering on the softened cowboy butter. That creates a sturdy surface that will be far les
Cowboy butter snack mix
Kylee Cooks / Facebook Every good trail ride (or snack fest) needs provisions, and this is the type of mix that would have cowboys reaching for the next handful before the first is even gone. Cowboy butter turns an assortment of crunchy odds and ends into a real humdinger, coating every cracker, pretzel, and corn snack in a savory mix of herbs, mustard, garlic, and peppery heat. It is salty, buttery, smoky, and practically impossible to leave alone. Think of it like the cowboy butter version of Lay's (nobody can eat just one of these rich, buttery bites). And, since snack mix is already primed for grazing, cowboy butter seems tailor-made for your home herd. Melt your cowboy butter and use it as the glorious glue that ties together your chosen components into one wildly snackable handful. Then give the mixture time baking in the oven, letting the seasoning settle into every crunchy corne
