Garlic Butter Sauce (10 minute recipe!)

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In less than 10 minutes, this 4-ingredient Garlic Butter Sauce creates a versatile, flavorful sauce perfect for everything from drizzling over seafood to tossing with pasta.

Garlic Butter Sauce served in a white bowl and photographed from above.

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A great sauce can transform an ordinary dish into a masterpiece, and as home cooks, we can all use a few reliable, easy recipes. This Garlic Butter Sauce is among my top choices when I want to enhance just about any dish! I love this recipe because it comes together in less than 10 minutes using 4 simple, everyday ingredients you likely have on hand. It’s a sauce that’s a worthy staple for your kitchen.

You’ll find that this fragrant, buttery sauce is exceptionally versatile. Drizzle it over mashed potatoes, steamed or grilled vegetables, seared or grilled meats, or serve it as a dipping sauce for seafood. I’ll also brush it onto bread or pizza crust or turn a plain bowl of pasta into a dish within moments. The possibilities are almost endless!

This is a wonderfully versatile recipe, and delicious, too! Great on pasta, meat, and vegetables. I really appreciate your lovely recipes.
stephanie

Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Sauce
How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce
Pro Tips
Recipe Variations
How to Serve
How to Store and Reheat
FAQ
Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Ready in 10 Minutes: This sauce comes together in one small pan in less than 10 minutes, making it one of the fastest ways to elevate any meal.
Just 4 Simple Ingredients: Made with butter, garlic, salt, and parsley, this recipe relies on pantry staples to create incredible flavor.
Incredibly Versatile: This single recipe can be used as a simple drizzling sauce for seafood and vegetables, or easily transformed into a creamy pasta sauce (see variations below).

Ingredients for Garlic Butter Sauce

Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients on a white marble board.

Butter: Because butter is essential to this recipe, I use richer-tasting European-style butter, which has more butterfat and less water than American butter.
Garlic: Look for plump, fresh garlic cloves with smooth outer skin without discoloring.
Kosher Salt: I prefer kosher, but you can also use fine sea salt.
Fresh Parsley: I think flat leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley) works better here than curly parsley because it has a more robust flavor and smoother texture.

How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce

Cook and stir minced garlic in sizzling butter until fragrant and tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and serve.

cooking garlic in butter and olive oil in skillet.

Pro Tips

Never Let Your Garlic Burn: The biggest mistake you can make with this sauce is burning the garlic. Unfortunately that will make the sauce bitter and there’s no going back. Use gentle, medium heat and add the garlic as the butter is just starting to sizzle, so the garlic has time to mellow and infuse the butter with flavor without burning.
Cook the Garlic Until Mellow: You want a full garlic flavor in this sauce, but you don’t want it to taste like raw garlic. This sauce comes together fast, so the key is to adjust your heat as needed so the garlic has time to mellow without browning or burning the butter.

Recipe Variations

Though this simple garlic butter sauce recipe is delicious as is, there are many ways to embellish it. Here are just a few ideas:

How to Make a Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta Sauce: This is a very common question! If you’re after a thicker sauce that really clings to pasta, just 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour into the melted butter and garlic and cook for about one minute to cook out the flour flavor. Then, slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk or heavy cream and simmer just until the sauce thickens. A generous splash of the starchy pasta cooking water in the sauce will help the sauce cling to the noodles even more.
Garlic Herb Butter Sauce: Stir in other fresh herbs like minced rosemary, thyme, or chives. (If you’re a dill lover, try my Garlic Butter Sauce for Seafood.)
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce: Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of zest at the end to brighten up the flavor. (Or make my Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce.)
Spicy Garlic Butter Sauce: Swirl in a pinch or more of crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

How to Serve

Drizzle over Bacon Wrapped Scallops or Bacon Wrapped Shrimp for added layer of decadence.
Spoon over Slow Roasted Salmon or Grilled Swordfish
Toss with your favorite pasta to make Garlic Butter Noodles or with seared steak to make Garlic Butter Steak Bites.
Drizzle over tender green beans to make Garlic Butter Green Beans.
Or toss with shrimp and pasta to make Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.

How to Store and Reheat

I often double or even triple this recipe so I’ll always have it on hand. It stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheats beautifully in a skillet or small pan over low heat. You can also freeze individual portions for up to 3 months (ice cube trays work well for this). When you need a nearly instant sauce, just drop a cube into a pan (no need to thaw) and reheat over low heat!

FAQ

How do you thicken garlic butter sauce for pasta?

You can thicken this sauce by creating a simple roux. After cooking the garlic, whisk in a tablespoon of flour and cook for a minute before slowly adding milk or cream. Simmering this mixture will create a rich, creamy sauce perfect for pasta.

How do you keep garlic from burning in butter?

Don’t let the butter get too hot before adding the garlic or it will burn almost immediately and turn bitter. Instead use gentle, medium to medium-low heat and add the garlic when the butter has just melted and is starting to sizzle.

Can you make garlic butter sauce ahead of time?

Absolutely. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, it freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, either in an ice cube tray or as a compound butter log.