After trying smoked chimichurri, I had to take it further and experiment with smoked butter — and the result was fantastic. This simple technique adds a gentle, delicious smoky note that enhances the savory details of many dishes. I served this smoked butter with bacon-wrapped filets and lobster and loved how it elevated both. It’s an easy recipe to add to your regular rotation.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Smoked Butter
- Ingredients Roundup
- JUST DROPPED.
- Easy Clarified Butter recipe
- How to Make Smoked Butter
- What to Pair with Smoked Butter
- Storing and smoked Butter
- More Flavored Butters
- FAQs for Smoked Butter
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Smoked Butter Recipe
Why You’ll Love Smoked Butter
Smoked butter brings a new dimension to familiar flavors. The combination of rich butter, a few simple ingredients, and captured smoke creates a bold, savory finish that’s surprisingly versatile.
It’s easy to make and works with beef, seafood, chicken, roasted vegetables, or simply spread on warm bread. Use it to upgrade a special-occasion meal or to add a gourmet touch to weeknight cooking. Butter is one of the most flexible ingredients in the kitchen — flavored butters transform dishes quickly, from chili butter and black garlic butter to classic herb butters.
Whether you want a finishing touch on steak or a silky sauce for seafood, smoked butter is an efficient way to add complexity and depth.
Ingredients Roundup
The ingredient list is straightforward. You’ll want clarified butter as the base, plus flavoring agents like parsley, garlic, Dijon, and chili flakes. A few details about the charcoal: use natural lump charcoal or real wood for smoking. Avoid briquettes or chemically treated fuels.
*Note: Please only use real wood or natural lump charcoal. Do not use briquettes or any charcoal that has been treated with chemicals.
Typical ingredients include clarified butter, chopped parsley, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, hot sauce (optional), and red chili flakes. The hot sauce adds a subtle heat — reduce or omit if you prefer milder flavors.
THE COWBOY COLLECTION
JUST DROPPED.
two new rubs built for live fire cooking.
Cowboy butter brings rich, garlicky heat. Cowboy Candy adds sweet fire with a brown sugar kick. Both are crafted to perform over live fire.
Easy Clarified Butter recipe
Clarified butter is simple to make and improves the final smoked butter. Use unsalted butter (about four sticks). Melt slowly over low heat to avoid boiling. As it melts, skim the milk solids that rise to the top. Pour the clear butterfat into a heatproof container, using a fine mesh strainer if needed. The result has a higher smoke point and cleaner flavor, ideal for high-heat cooking and for smoking.
How to Make Smoked Butter
You don’t need fancy tools. Combine the clarified butter and flavorings in a heatproof jar, then introduce a white-hot smoldering coal from your fire or grill. Quickly cover the jar to trap the smoke and let the butter rest for 20–30 minutes so the smoke permeates the mixture. Remove the coal before using the butter on food.
The smoked flavor is often more subtle than expected. Adjust the exposure time of the coal to control intensity. This technique adds authentic live-fire character without overpowering the other ingredients.
What to Pair with Smoked Butter
Smoked butter pairs brilliantly with seafood, meats, and vegetables. It enhances the natural sweetness of grilled seafood like oysters, salmon, lobster, or shrimp. Spoon a little over a hot steak or burger for extra richness and a smoky finish.
Smoked butter also works well with roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, or spread on fresh bread to add depth and a touch of smoke.
Storing and smoked Butter
Let smoked butter cool to room temperature (no longer than a couple of hours), then refrigerate for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze portions in ice cube trays for up to six months. Thaw as needed and use as a finishing butter or for cooking.
More Flavored Butters
Sriracha Butter Grilled Lobster Tails
Venison Rack with Wild Herb Butter
Steaks in a Butter Bath
Chipotle Garlic Butter Shrimp
Grilled Ribeye with Cowboy Butter
Steakhouse Ribeyes with Horseradish Butter
FAQs for Smoked Butter
Use natural lump charcoal or untreated wood. Avoid briquettes or “easy light” charcoals that may contain additives or starters.
Yes, regular butter will work, but clarified butter is preferable. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point and a cleaner flavor since milk solids and water have been removed.
Fruit woods like apple, cherry, or peach give a mild, sweet smoke that complements butter. Hardwoods such as oak or hickory produce a stronger, more pronounced smoke. Experiment to find the profile you like best.
Slow-cultured butter has a tangy depth from fermented cream. Clarified butter is pure butterfat with milk solids removed, giving a higher smoke point and purer flavor. Regular butter contains both butterfat and milk solids and is the classic option for everyday use.
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Smoked Butter
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Ingredients
Smoked Butter:
- 2 cups Clarified Butter liquid
- ¼ cup Chopped Parsley
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustar
- 1.5 tsp FYR GLD Hot Sauce
- 1.5 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- Smoking Charcoal
Instructions
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Place the clarified butter and remaining ingredients in a mason jar. Add a white-hot smoldering coal from your grill or fire and cover the jar quickly to trap the smoke. Let it sit for 20–30 minutes to infuse.
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Remove the coal before using the butter on steak, seafood, vegetables, or bread.
Video
Notes
Easy Clarified Butter Recipe
To clarify butter: melt unsalted butter slowly over low heat. Skim the milk solids that rise to the top and pour the clear butterfat into a heatproof container, using a strainer if needed. This yields a purer butter with a higher smoke point, ideal for smoking and high-heat cooking.
Clarified butter keeps better under heat and won’t impart toasted milk solids when exposed to smoke, so it helps produce a cleaner, more consistent smoked butter.