When you want instant spice + citrus to add to all your favorite dishes, this spicy chili butter only takes a couple short minutes to whip up with dried spices and fresh lime.
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I Make This Spicy Chili Butter When Dinner Needs a Little Drama
If you know me, you'll know butter is one of my love languages. And while I usually make my compound butters with berries or herbs, I wanted to create this spicy chili butter when I'm in the mood for a kick of heat. I use a mix of chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne to bring the heat, along with some cumin for savory vibes and lime zest + juice for citrus notes to balance everything.
Perhaps best of all, this creamy spicy spread comes together in five minutes or less, with just a good ol' bowl and spoon. I love how easy it is to pull from the fridge & spread on grilled corn, roasted veggies, or my garlic cheese bread rolls for an instant flavor uplevel!
Let's Gather Our Ingredients: butter, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and lime zest.
Two Easy Steps to Homemade Spicy Butter!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Combine all the ingredients.
2. Mix until it's smooth & creamy.
Pro Tips for the Best Savory Butter
- When zesting citrus like limes, I usually make a few strokes with my grater then check how deep it zested. You want to avoid the pith (the white part under the green peel) which will make your chili butter bitter.
- I prefer gently mixing my compound butter with a silicone spatula, since it allows me to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well-combined.
- Make sure your butter is softened, otherwise it could look chunky. I let mine sit out on the counter, or I microwave it on quick 10 second bursts.
5-Minute Spicy Chili Butter with Lime
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the softened butter with all the spices, salt, pepper, lime juice, and lime zest until it’s well-combined.
- To store, spread the mixed butter in an airtight container. Or spread the butter on parchment paper and shape into a log, then wrap in the parchment paper. Store in the fridge.
Notes
- Make it More Spicy: Add more cayenne and use spicy chili powder.
- Make it Less Spicy: Omit the cayenne and use mild chili powder.
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