Garlic Butter Sauce

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 7

Servings: servings

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

My quick garlic butter sauce takes just 7 minutes and adds rich, garlicky flavor to any dish. Perfect for drizzling over pasta, pizza, or roasted veggies.

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Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Be careful not to let it brown; you just want it to melt completely.
Add the minced garlic to the melted butter. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Keep the heat on medium-low to prevent the garlic from burning, which can make the sauce bitter.
If using, stir in the lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Salt will depend on whether you're using salted or unsalted butter. The amount in our recipe is for unsalted butter.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley.
Serve the garlic butter sauce immediately, while it's warm and fragrant.

Notes

Use cold, unsalted butter for better control over melting and to prevent the butter from browning too quickly.
Mince the garlic finely for a more even distribution in the sauce and to avoid large chunks that could overpower the flavor.
Cook the garlic on medium-low heat, stirring constantly to release its aroma without burning. Burnt garlic turns bitter very quickly.
Add the lemon juice off the heat to avoid any unwanted bitterness and to maintain a fresh, tangy note in the sauce.
To maintain the sauce’s freshness, add the parsley just before serving; cooking it too long can make it lose its vibrant color and flavor.

Nutrition