This browned butter with crispy shallots sauce is a delicious topping for steak, green vegetables, and a few comfort food side dishes.

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The Next Sauce for Your Dinner Table

brown butter and shallots being spooned over sliced steak next to mashed potatoes and asparagus steak knife and blue napkin

With just two simple ingredients you can create a flavorful butter sauce. Caramelized shallots and the nutty flavor of brown butter can transform the most basic dishes. As the milk solids in the butter caramelize, the flavor changes dramatically becoming quite complex.

Brown Butter Sauce Ingredients

one stick of butter on butter plate next to minced shallots a shallot cut in half blue napkin with wood spoon

These are easy whole ingredients that create an amazing end result. For the butter, you choose what you love the most. Kerrygold butter is one of my absolute favorites.

1 stick unsalted butter
2 medium shallots
kosher salt to taste

teal cast iron pot filled with rotisserie chicken stew showing chicken pieces and carrots served on a table with mashed potatoes and a table set with orange napkins and flowers

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Supplies

a cutting board and sharp knife
sauce pot or medium sauce pan

Step by Step Instructions

stainless steel pot cooking shallots and butter

Start with a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add one stick of butter.
Swirl the butter around the pan and stir occasionally while the butter browns.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Mince the shallot in small pieces.
After the butter has developed a light brown color add the shallots and stir so they are completely coated with the butter. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the shallots are crisp and tender.
Watch the heat and increase or decrease as needed. You want the butter to continue to develop color while the shallots caramelize and become crispy.
Turn off the heat and transfer the sauce to a small bowl for serving.
Serve hot or room temperature.

Tips for Making This Sauce

spoon scooping butter and shallot sauce in glass bowl blue napkin brown background

First, keep an eye on your heat. You don't want the milk solids to burn and turn from nutty brown butter to burnt garbage. If your attention is called away from the stove, lower the burner to a medium-low heat.

Second, really pay attention the first couple times you make this. Once you get the hang of the cooking time you will have some leeway.

How to Use this Sauce

glass bowl of brown butter with shallots plate with steak asparagus and mashed potatoes blue napkin fork brown background

Originally, this sauce recipe was developed for steak like filet mignon or a whole beef tenderloin. It can be used for so much more though.

I love it on green vegetables like fresh green beans, steamed broccoli, and roasted brussel sprouts. I also love it with mashed potatoes.

For more protein options, you can also serve this on pork chops and grilled chicken.

How to save and reheat leftovers

I love making this sauce and using it for several days. Just transfer the brown butter to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When you are ready to use it the next day, reheat it in the microwave for one minute or in a small sauce pan until the butter is melted again.

More Flavors You Can Add

While I love that we get so much flavor from just two ingredients, you may want to add a little extra.

For herbs, you can use rubbed sage leaves or fresh thyme which go really well with brown butter.

Brown Butter and Shallots Printable Recipe Card

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5 from 3 votes

Crispy Shallots in Brown Butter

A tasty topping of brown butter and crispy shallots to go over steak, chicken, or green veggies.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butter

Servings:

Calories: 106kcal

Ingredients

½ cup butter
2 shallots
Salt to taste

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Instructions

Get out a medium sauce pan and turn on to medium heat. Melt the butter.
As the butter melts, it will start to bubble and foam. With a spoon or spatula, mix it around to break up the bubbles. Pay attention to the heat, you don’t want the butter to brown to quickly, or worse, burn.
After a couple minutes, add your diced shallots. Stir them in completely.
As the shallots fry and crisp up, they will let out moisture and create loads of bubbles. Stir continuously and lower heat as needed to keep from bubbling over.
Continue to stir and make sure to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. This is important. It’s delicious.
Once the shallots are a golden brown and the butter has browned, remove from heat and put in a serving dish. See pictures below to follow the process.
Now smother whatever it’s intended for: steak, chicken, potatoes, rice, veggies. You’re welcome.

Nutrition

Last night, my brown butter and crispy shallots landed on a weeknight cheat-pan dinner. I had a thin chicken breast cutlet, asparagus, and mushrooms on a sheet pan with a little oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I cooked it at 375F for 18 minutes. Then I gave the chicken a healthy spoonful of shallots and it was perfect.

*Thicker asparagus works better here so it isn’t over cooked compared to the chicken.

Brown Butter with Crispy Shallot Sauce Recipe