Garlic Butter Sauce

Quick and easy 4 ingredient garlic butter sauce pays compliments to everything it touches! Spoon over seafood, toss into pasta, or dip and dunk with crusty bread.

Why this recipe works

Garlic butter sauce is a staple in the kitchen. This versatile sauce elevates just about any dish with a simple dip, dunk, or drizzle. From juicy snow crab legs to cheesy garlic bread and sauteed shrimp you can find this savory butter sauce alongside most meals in this house. We even smother our roasted vegetables in it from time to time!

You will need only four ingredients – butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Heating the butter and garlic along with the other ingredients releases aroma and intensifies the flavor. Let’s get started.

Skillet of Garlic Butter Sauce with a spoon in it

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BUTTER – We opt for unsalted, but you can substitute with salted if you prefer.

GARLIC – Jarred minced garlic is convenient when making this sauce, but you can certainly use fresh minced garlic as well. In fact, it will add even more flavor! You will need 8-9 cloves to yield 3 Tablespoons minced.

LEMON – Fresh is best. To yield 2 Tablespoons of juice you will need 1 lemon.

CORNSTARCH – This thickens the sauce.

How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat until foamy.
Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Whisk in lemon juice.
Remove 2-3 tablespoons of the butter sauce to a measuring cup. Add cornstarch to the measuring cup and whisk well.
Add butter cornstarch mixture back to the skillet and whisk over medium-high heat until bubbly. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do you store garlic butter sauce?

Although this sauce is best served right away, you can store any leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The butter will solidify when refrigerated. To reheat, spoon the mixture into a skillet over medium-low heat stirring often until warmed through. You can also reheat the sauce in the microwave in 20-second increments.

Spoon drizzling Garlic Butter Sauce into a bowl of Garlic Butter Sauce

Serving Suggestions

Garlic butter sauce is insanely versatile. Here are a few ideas on how to use it.

Spooned over a juicy steak, pork chops, or chicken
As a dunking sauce for crab legs, lobster tails, or shrimp
Drizzled over fresh fish
Tossed with roasted vegetables
Mixed into pasta dishes, more specifically to make garlic butter pasta
As a dipper for pizza and garlic bread

Serve the garlic butter sauce warm with whatever vehicle you choose! Adding some fresh herbs to your butter sauce adds another delicious flavor element. Consider fresh basil for pasta noodles or for dipping garlic bread. Fresh dill would be a nice addition for spooning over fresh fish.

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