Herb Butter Recipes for Turkey, Steak, Chicken, Salmon & Prime Rib

This herb butter is an easy, flavorful compound butter made with fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. It brightens a wide range of proteins—chicken, steak, salmon, prime rib, or smoked turkey—and can be used immediately or stored for later. Whether you spread it on rolls and muffins or rub it under turkey skin before roasting or smoking, this simple butter delivers big flavor with minimal effort.

A small bowl with compound herb butter in it, with a butter knife sticking out. The bowl is surrounded by fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage as well as a tan linen napkin.

Made from just butter and fresh herbs, this compound butter is quick to prepare and versatile at the table.

The recipe started as a way to flavor smoked turkey by slipping herbed butter under the skin. It worked beautifully, and once I started experimenting with other flavored butters, I realized this herb butter stands on its own as a lovely finishing touch for many dishes.

While it’s a favorite for turkey, it also melts wonderfully over grilled steak or salmon and is great on roasted or grilled chicken. Serve it on warm cornbread muffins, spread it on dinner rolls, or add a dollop to a cooked roast to enhance the dish.

Below are step-by-step photos and clear instructions so you can make this herb butter easily for family and guests.

Grab these ingredients

(Full measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom.)

Top down shot of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme with a slab of butter on a wrapper, all on a white background.

You only need two components: fresh herbs and butter. For best results use:

Fresh herbs – sage, rosemary, and thyme. These three combine beautifully; look for them packaged together as a poultry herb blend during the holidays. Avoid dried herbs here—the fresh versions give the bright, aromatic flavor that makes this butter special.
Salted butter – any good-quality salted butter will work. Grass-fed salted butter is great, and clarified butter or ghee can be used if preferred.

How to make homemade herb butter

(See the recipe card below for the complete written recipe.)

Making this compound butter takes only a few simple steps, shown here with photos:

A half a cup of butter in a clear microwavable bowl. — Remove the butter from its wrapper and place it in a large microwave-safe bowl.

Top down shot of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme removed from their stems on a white cutting board. — Remove the leaves from the rosemary, thyme, and sage stems.

Finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme on a white cutting board. — Finely chop all the herbs with a sharp knife and set them aside.

A finger coming up from softened butter in a clear bowl. — If the butter isn’t soft, microwave in short bursts (start with 10 seconds) until it’s pliable—sticky but not melted.

An electric beater whipping butter in a large clear bowl. — Whip the butter with a hand mixer until fluffy—start on low and increase to medium.

Fresh finely chopped herbs in a large clear bowl with whipped butter in it. — Add the chopped herbs to the whipped butter and mix until evenly combined.

Whipped herb butter in a large clear bowl on a white background. — Stir until the herbs are fully incorporated and the butter looks uniform.

A red spatula scooping out herb butter from a large clear bowl. — Scoop the herb butter into a small bowl for serving or into plastic wrap for storage.

A knife dipping into a small bowl of herb butter that's surrounded by fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme.

How to use herb butter

This herb butter is delicious spread on warm bread, rolls, or cornbread muffins and also functions as a flavor booster while cooking proteins. Try these ideas:

A halved cornbread muffin with a swipe of herb butter on it on a small white plate. A butter knife rests next to it and a small bowl with herb butter, surrounded by fresh herbs, is behind the plate. — Spread on cornbread or dinner rolls for an easy upgrade.

a hand spreading herb butter onto a raw turkey breast. — Rub under the skin of a whole or breast turkey before roasting or smoking to add moisture and flavor.

Common uses include:

Melting on baked or grilled salmon
Finishing a New York strip or ribeye steak
Serving on prime rib or roast slices
Cooking or finishing chicken breasts or thighs

Troubleshooting tips

Missing an herb? If you only have two of the three herbs, omit the third and proceed—fresh is preferable to dried for this recipe.
Butter melted too much? If it’s only slightly soft, chill the bowl briefly to firm it up and continue. If it’s fully melted, it’s better to start with a fresh stick so the texture remains right.
Storing for later – Keep the herbed butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze for up to six months.

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Herb Butter Recipe for Turkey, Chicken, Steak, Salmon, or Prime Rib

This herb butter is an easy, flavorful compound butter made with fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. It brightens a wide range of proteins and can be used immediately or stored for later.

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Course: Side Dish

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 16

Author: Taryn Solie

Equipment

A large microwave-safe bowl
A cutting board
A large sharp knife
A hand mixer

Ingredients

1 large stem fresh rosemary about 1 tbsp finely chopped leaves
3-4 large stems of fresh thyme about 1 tbsp thyme leaves
10-12 sage leaves
½ cup salted butter

Instructions

Take the butter out of the wrapper and place it in a large microwave-safe bowl. Set aside.
Prep the herbs on a cutting board. Finely chop the sage leaves, remove rosemary leaves from the stem and chop them, and strip thyme leaves from the stems (chop if needed). Set the chopped herbs aside.
If the butter isn’t soft, microwave in short increments. Start with 10 seconds and check—the butter should be sticky and pliable but not melted. Add 5-second bursts if necessary, checking all sides so the center doesn’t overheat.
Whip the butter with a hand mixer before adding the herbs. Begin on low to avoid splatter, then increase to medium until the butter is light and fluffy.
Add the chopped herbs and mix with the hand mixer on low to medium speed until evenly combined, about a few minutes.
Scrape the herb butter into a small dish for serving, or shape and wrap for storage.

Notes

You can use a stand mixer if preferred—avoid a cold bowl, which will firm the butter while mixing.
If your butter starts room temperature, make sure the mixing bowl isn’t cold or the butter can firm up and become harder to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or wrap and freeze for up to six months.