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    Home » Cajun Recipes

    Crawfish Butter

    Published: May 3, 2023 · By: Sweet Daddy D · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Butter is great by itself, but compound butter will make any recipe go nuclear. Blend finely chopped shallots, herbs and spices, garlic, parsley, and ground crawfish tails with softened butter and you have created a very special compound butter, Crawfish Butter. Add this Crawfish Butter to almost any recipe and you have entered a new realm. 

    crawfish compound butter end view
    Sweet Daddy D's Crawfish Butter

    This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.

    If you want to just skip to the recipe, click the "Jump To Recipe" button above or the Recipe link below and you’ll go right there without having to scroll through my article. 

    Jump to:
    • What is Compound Butter?
    • Here’s What You Need
    • Here’s What You Do
    • Hints and Tips (FAQs)
    • Crawfish Butter
    • Comments or Questions?

    What is Compound Butter?

    Compound butter is simply butter with additional ingredients added. These ingredients are usually (but not always) savory, making compound butter a special flavor enhancer for other recipes. Most compound butter can be used by itself as a sauce (melted over steaks or other meats) or can be a key ingredient for other recipes like Chicken Keiv or more complex sauces.

    Here’s What You Need

    Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:

    ingredients for crawfish compound butter

    Note on the Crawfish Tails: Use only Louisiana crawfish. Do not rinse the crawfish, but allow them to drain in a strainer or colander for about 30 minutes after defrosting. Use as much of the crawfish “fat” as possible. See the Hints and Tips (FAQs) below for more about the “fat”.

    Note on the butter: I usually use salted butter, but unsalted butter works well. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt while mixing the ingredients. Choose a butter that is high in milk fats, if possible.

    Note on additional ingredients: Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQs) section below for some ideas on additional ingredients.

    coupon for Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning

    Equipment

    Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. These items from Amazon will help you with this recipe:

    Prep bowls (cambro)

    Prep Bowls (glass)

    Measuring Cups (metal)

    Measuring Cups (glass)

    Measuring Spoons

    Cutting boards

    Chef's Knives

    Silicon Spatulas

    Wooden Spoons

    Small Food Processor

    Garlic Press

    Here’s What You Do

    First…you have a beer. You have to start somewhere. If you want to make this recipe without all the angst and stress, the first step is to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Pop the cap off a beer and read the recipe all the way through before you do anything else. Make sure you know what you need and that you have all the ingredients and equipment to make this recipe. Then perform your mise en place by preparing each ingredient before you start. If you make this a habit, you will become a better cook. 

    Mise en place

    • Set the butter out to soften about 1 hour before you are ready to start.
    • Finely chop the shallots, garlic, and parsley.
    • Measure the Herb and Spice Blend.
    • If using frozen crawfish tails, place them in a colander or strainer after defrosting so that any excess water drains out.
    • Do not rinse the tails.
    • Optionally, sprinkle Creole seasoning on the crawfish tails, then chop them finely in a small food processor.
    prepared ingredients for crawfish compound butter
    Mise en place

    Pro Tip: Don’t turn the crawfish tails into mush in the food processor. We want the tails ground, but not mushy. If you don't have a small food processor or chopper, just chop them finely with a knife.

    Pro Tip: This recipe works better with soft butter, do not melt the butter before using.

    Combine all ingredients

    What happens in this step? All the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to form a cohesive paste.

    Place the softened butter in a bowl. To that, add the ground crawfish tails, shallots, and garlic. Mix into a smooth paste. Add the Herb and Spice Blend and mix all ingredients thoroughly.

    ingredients for crawfish compound butter added to a glass bowl
    Mix all ingredients in a bowl

    Pro Tip: Do a thorough job of mixing all the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed throughout the butter. Try to avoid having concentrations or lumps of ingredients.

    mixed compound butter in a glass bowl
    Blend it all together

    Form the mixture into a “stick” 

    What happens in this step? Here we transform the paste into a "stick" of butter.

    Place the mixed crawfish butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap.

    mixed crawfish compound butter on a sheet of plastic wrap
    Transfer to some plastic wrap...

    Using your hands, form the butter into a “stick” or a log, similar to a stick of butter. Tightly wrap the log in the plastic wrap and twist each end to make it tight.

    rolled compound butter wrapped in plastic wrap
    ...and roll it into a "stick"

    Place the wrapped crawfish butter stick in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until needed.

    Pro Tip: The butter mixture will be pretty sticky. Try wetting your fingers with cold water. You can also set the unformed butter on the plastic wrap in the fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes. It will firm slightly which may make it easier for you to form. 

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    Hints and Tips (FAQs)

    How long will Crawfish Butter last?

    Crawfish butter can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure the crawfish butter is wrapped airtight in plastic wrap, then placed in a freezer bag or other airtight container. Just slice off what you need and return the remaining crawfish butter to the fridge or freezer. 

    Can I use leftover crawfish tails from a boil?

    Absolutely. Leftover crawfish boil tails are perfect for this recipe, as are frozen tails. Keep in mind that the leftover tails will bring the flavor profile of the boil to your recipe. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

    What is crawfish “fat”?

    It’s the flavor for sure. Although there are traces of fat in the yellow orangish mustardy-looking stuff that comes out of the crawfish head, it is actually an organ called the hepatopancreas. Prized for its flavor, it functions much like the liver and pancreas in other animals by producing digestive enzymes and helping to absorb digested foods. 

    What type of butter should I use?

    I usually use salted butter, but unsalted is good too. Just add a pinch of salt while mixing the ingredients together. Don’t use more than a pinch because this Crawfish Butter is going to be an ingredient in another recipe and you don’t want this Crawfish Butter to oversalt that final recipe. Choose a butter with high butterfat if possible. Stay away from margarine. The flavor will not be the same and margarine is highly processed and mostly does not contain milk fats. If we’re going to all this trouble, let's make this the best we can. 

    Can I use fresh herbs?

    Definitely, fresh herbs are great, but not as concentrated as dry. Use about 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as you would dry. For this recipe that would be 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh thyme. 

    What are some optional ingredients I can add?

    Compound butter is very flexible. You can tweak the flavor profile of compound butter to match and enhance your final recipe by adding various ingredients. Try a small quantity of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and other fresh or dry herbs like tarragon, oregano, basil, rosemary, savory, marjoram, cayenne pepper, white wine, etc, etc.

    What can I use instead of plastic wrap?

    Use wax paper or parchment paper if you don't have or prefer not to use plastic wrap. You can also use a glass container to store your Crawfish Butter.

    cut end of a roll of crawfish compound butter
    Crawfish Butter...Yeah You Right!

    Here are some other great Crawfish Recipes from Sweet Daddy D.

    • crawfish au gratin in a gratin dish with a serving plate in the background
      Crawfish Au Gratin
    • crawfish fettuccini alfredo on a green plate with parsley garnish
      Crawfish Fettuccini Alfredo
    • slice of crawfish pie on a plate with crawfish pie and green onion in background
      Crawfish Pie
    • crawfish mac and cheese on a green plate with parsley garnish
      Spicy Crawfish Mac and Cheese

    Add some extra garlic to make the best Garlic Bread you've ever had. Top with chopped parsley and Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning!

    garlic bread on a cooling rack
    Garlic Bread made with Crawfish Butter!

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    cut end of a roll of crawfish compound butter

    Crawfish Butter

    A compound butter made with Crawfish Tails and South Louisiana seasonings. Brings any recipe to the next level
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Cajun, Creole
    Keyword: crawfish butter
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Mixing Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 110kcal
    Author: Sweet Daddy D

    Here's What You Need

    • ¼ cup Louisiana Crawfish Tails ground
    • ½ cup butter
    • 1 teaspoon shallots finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon Parsley finely chopped

    Herb and Spice Blend

    • ½ teaspoon dry thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon White pepper
    • ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning

    Here's What You Do

    • Set the butter out to soften about 1 hour before using.
    • Sprinkle Creole seasonings on the crawfish tails. (Optional). Place the crawfish tails in a small food processor and grind until fine.
    • Chop and measure the remaining ingredients.
    • Place the softened butter in a bowl. Add the crawfish tails, shallots, and garlic. Mix thoroughly into a smooth paste.
    • Next, add the Herb and Spice Blend and the parsley. Mix to evenly distribute all the ingredients throughout the butter.
    • Place the mixed butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap (see Notes) and form into a log.
    • Tightly wrap the butter log and twist the ends of the plastic wrap.
    • Place the butter log into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until needed.

    Recipe Notes

    Read my article, Crawfish Butter, for more detailed instructions and information.
    Use salted or unsalted butter, do not use margarine. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt but do not add too much as this will be an ingredient in other recipes that will be seasoned separately.
    Soften, but do not melt the butter.
    Crawfish butter can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure to store the butter in an airtight container.
    Use only Louisiana crawfish tails. Leftover crawfish tails from a boil are great for compound Crawfish Butter, but it will impact the flavor profile; probably for the good. The frozen tail meat is perfect also, as long as they are Louisiana crawfish.
    Fresh herbs are fine for this recipe. Use 3 times as many fresh herbs as you would dry.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.05g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    « Creole Green Beans
    Crawfish Butter Sauce »

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