4 Sweet and Savory Compound Ghee Recipes to Elevate Any Dish

Compound butter. Just the name sounds fancy, and a little bit pretentious—like artisanal water or seasonal berry compote. It just sounds hipster.

Really, though, compound butter isn’t anything overly complicated— it’s just butter mixed with herbs or spices to form the most flavorful condiment ever. And we’ve got news for you, health food lovers: you can do the same thing with ghee!

Cooking with flavored ghee makes everything from steamed vegetables to roast beef to Sunday morning pancakes just plain taste better. These aromatic infusions are a nearly effortless way to take your cooking to the next level.

The best part? Making flavored ghee couldn’t be easier. First, scoop 14 ounces of ghee and desired herbs and spices into small to medium-sized saucepan set over low heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 5 minutes.

Cover, take off heat, and let infuse for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
When ghee has cooled, strain through a cheesecloth and discard solids.

Try our four favorite flavor combinations to get started, but why not experiment? Since ghee can be both savory and sweet, the possibilities really are endless!

Tarragon-Chive Ghee

An herbaceous blend ideal for frying or scrambling eggs.

Ingredients

14 ounces ghee
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
1 small bunch chives, chopped

Orange-Vanilla Ghee

These sweet flavors work well in a muffin batter, spread on toast, or dolloped on waffles and pancakes. Alternately, skip the orange, and blend it into your morning coffee for extra energy.

Ingredients

14 ounces ghee
2 vanilla beans, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
Zest of 2 small oranges
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Herbes de Provence Ghee

Keep this compound ghee, infused with classic French herbs, on hand for easy roasted meats or root vegetables. For a simple roast chicken, rub a generous amount over the chicken, sprinkle with salt, and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Ingredients

14 ounces ghee
2 tablespoons herbes de provence spice mix or 1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram)

Garlic-Lemon Ghee

Use this infusion to sauté greens, pan-fry seafood (think shrimp!), or finish a perfectly seared steak.

Ingredients

14 ounces ghee
5 cloves garlic, crushed
Zest of 2 lemons

Photo credit: Paul Delmont