Chilli Lime and Coriander Butter: Easy Compound Butter Recipe
Coriander (cilantro) lime and chilli are a dream team. They come together in this delightful chilli, lime and coriander butter recipe which you can use to add a burst of flavour to everyday meals. It takes just minutes to make, yet a simple slice melting over hot food transforms it into something rather special.
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The recipe I meant to post this week didn’t quite work out so I had to do a quick rethink. Luckily, I remembered my super quick and easy vibrant compound butter. I’ve been meaning to post it for ages.
Dive Right In
- What Is Compound Butter?
- Why You’ll Want To Make This Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
- Compound Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
- Ways To Use Chilli Lime and Coriander Butter
- Other Coriander (Cilantro) Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
What Is Compound Butter?
Compound butter is effectively butter with other ingredients, such as herbs and spices, blended in to give it flavour. Think garlic butter. It’s generally used to enhance simple dishes such as vegetables, grains and bread.
Why You’ll Want To Make This Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
- A brilliant way to use up herbs – If you have coriander that’s a little tired but still fragrant, this is the perfect way to use it up before it goes to waste.
- Instant flavour for everyday meals – A slice of this compound butter melts into a quick sauce for vegetables, potatoes, rice or grilled foods.
- A handy flavour boost from the fridge or freezer – Keep a roll in the fridge or freeze slices so you always have something ready to add richness and zing to simple dishes.
- Quick to make with just a few ingredients – Compound butter takes only minutes to mix together, but it punches above its weight and adds big flavour.
- Perfect for batch making – Make a log, wrap it tightly and slice off coins whenever you need them. Or keep a container of ready cut slices in the freezer.
- Versatile in the kitchen – Use it as a spread for bread, melt it into pasta or vegetables, stir it through grains and beans or finish soups and stews with a little knob.
- Bright, fresh flavour – The combination of chilli, lime and coriander gives a vibrant, zesty kick that lifts just about any dish.
- Great for entertaining – Serve slices with warm bread or corn on the cob for an easy but impressive finishing touch.
- Helps reduce food waste – Not just herbs, you can also use small leftover bits of chilli or lime.
Compound Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
Fresh, zingy and wonderfully versatile, this chilli lime coriander butter is the sort of simple kitchen staple you’ll be glad to have tucked away in the fridge or freezer.
I usually make this butter when I find a bunch of coriander in the fridge that’s been there for rather longer than it should. Once refreshed in water then mixed into butter with chilli and lime, those slightly droopy herbs come back to life and nothing goes to waste.
The recipe is also really quick and easy to make. As long as you have soft butter that is. Our kitchen is always quite cold in the winter, so just taking butter out of the fridge doesn’t usually work. I generally end up having to warm my butter in the oven to soften it.
One of the best things about compound butter is having a ready-made flavour boost on hand. Keep a roll in the fridge or freeze it in slices, then simply add a pat whenever you want an instant sauce or finishing touch.
Ingredients, Additions and Substitutions
With only four ingredients needed, this chilli, lime and coriander butter is wonderfully simple.
Butter
The higher quality your butter, the creamier and tastier your compound butter will be. But as always, go with what you can afford or can get hold of. Despite the additional cost, I like to use organic butter as the cows free range, have a better diet and are generally well looked after.
If you want to go all out, why not try and make your own homemade butter? It’s a lot easier than you might think.
For vegan chilli, lime and coriander butter, use a good quality vegan butter or try my homemade vegan butter.
Chilli
I like to use chilli flakes for ease in this recipe, but you can use a fresh red chilli instead if you like. It will add a nice pop of colour to the butter. Whether you take the seeds and membranes out first depends on how hot you like things. Just chop it finely and add to the butter.
Coriander (Cilantro)
Although fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) are always going best ones to use, this recipe is actually a really good way to use up any that are wilting, starting to turn yellow or otherwise past their best. Just make sure you remove any hard stems or anything that’s completely yellow or rotten and give them a refresh in clean cold water.
If you have parsley hanging about, use that instead. It won’t be quite the same, but still good.
Lime
It’s hard to get hold of organic limes, but try for unwaxed ones if you can. If you can’t find those either, make sure you give your lime a really good scrub with soap and water to remove as much of the wax as possible. The wax usually contains chemicals that are best avoided.
If using parsley instead of coriander, go with lemon rather than lime.
Extras
Other additions you could make to this compound butter, if liked, include finely grated garlic and finely chopped capers.
How To Make Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter
Compound butter is ever so quick to make. But you do need to make sure your butter is nice and soft before starting, so you’ll need to take it out of the fridge at least thirty minutes before you need it.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact method and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Prepare Coriander
Refresh the coriander in cold water if needed, otherwise give it a quick rinse. Remove any tough stalks or completely yellow leaves. Then chop it as finely as you can.
Step 2. Mix Butter
When the butter is soft enough to spread, beat it with a wooden spoon in a small mixing bowl until it’s smooth and creamy.
Finely grate the lime zest into the bowl. A microplane (affiliate link) is excellent for this. Add the chilli and chopped coriander and beat again until well mixed.
Add the lime juice and beat one more time.
At this point you can use the butter straight away. It’s particularly useful for spreading whilst it’s still soft. If you want to keep it though, follow the steps below.
If using unsalted butter, you’ll need to add a couple of pinches of salt to the butter when creaming it. Use fine or flaky sea salt according to preference.
Step 3. Form Roll
Scrape the butter onto the centre of a piece of parchment paper and form it into a rough log shape with the back of a spoon or a wooden spatula.
Roll it up in the paper and twist the ends so the butter is well sealed. Give it a roll to smooth it out, then chill in the fridge until firm.
Step 4. Slice
Once firm you can slice it into portions and use immediately. Or, if keeping in the fridge, just cut off a slice when needed. I make ten pats of butter with the amount given in the recipe below.
Alternatively, for something a little fancier, press the butter into small individual silicone moulds. Chill in the fridge and remove from the moulds once firm or as needed.
It will keep in the fridge for five days, so unless you’re planning on using it within that time, the butter is best frozen.
Freeze individual slices on a tray or flat plate. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-proof container and use as needed. The slices will keep for three months.
Ways To Use Chilli Lime and Coriander Butter
Once of the best uses for this chilli, lime and coriander butter is to melt it over hot corn on the cob, whether grilled, roasted or boiled. The butter melts into the corn kernels and the contrasting savoury notes amplify the corn’s sweetness. Yum!
Likewise it enhances just about any steamed or boiled vegetables, but works particularly well with carrots. Just add a slice to the veg before serving. Mash it into potatoes or melt it into baked potatoes.
It’s delicious stirred into rice, or any other grains, for the last few minutes of steaming. Or use it as a simple, but nonetheless delicious, pasta sauce.
Bake it into bread as you would garlic bread or simply spread on slices of fresh crusty bread. Either of these make excellent accompaniments to many soups. Talking of soups, you can add a knob to a simple soup for that special finishing touch.
Other Coriander (Cilantro) Recipes You Might Like
- Raita
- Sweet potato tofu patties
- Thai green curry paste
- Vegan bánh mi
- Vegan omelette
- Zhoug: Yemini hot sauce
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chilli, lime and coriander butter, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for making or using compound butters?
Please rate the recipe too. And do tag me @choclette8 on Instagram with your images, I really enjoy seeing your take on my recipes.
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If you’d like more recipes for spreads and sauces, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Chilli Lime Coriander Butter. PIN IT.
Chilli, Lime and Coriander Butter: Easy Compound Butter Recipe
Equipment
- microplane (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
- 125 g salted butter
- 15-20 g coriander leaves (cilantro) finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes mild, medium or hot
- ½ lime zest and juice
Instructions
- Remove butter from the fridge at least an hour before you want to make the compound butter. It needs time to soften.125 g salted butter
- When soft enough to spread, beat it with a wooden spoon in a small mixing bowl until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Add the coriander, chilli and finely grated lime zest and beat again until well mixed.15-20 g coriander leaves (cilantro), 1 tsp chilli flakes, ½ lime
- Add 2 teaspoons of lime juice and beat one more time.
- Scrape the butter onto the centre of a piece of parchment paper, roughly 25 cm square (10 inches), and form it into a rough log shape. Roll it up in the paper and twist the ends so the butter is well sealed. Give it a roll to smooth it out, then chill in the fridge until firm.
- Once firm you can slice it into portions and serve. I make 10 good sized slices.
- Alternatively, for something a little fancier, press the butter into small individual silicone moulds. Chill in the fridge and remove from the moulds once firm or as needed.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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we once got a friend to whip some cream while we made dinner and yep we ended up with butter! I love butter and i love chilli and lime and coriander!!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Hahaha, I’ve been there too, but a great lesson in learning how to make butter. Chilli, lime and coriander are such a good combination.