This drawn-butter dipping sauce for seafood is incredibly flavorful and combines rich melted butter with white wine, onion, garlic, lemon, and dill! My tasty additions take a straightforward, buttery seafood sauce out of this world while keeping the process quick for serving any day of the week!
Jump to:
A Rich & Buttery Seafood Companion
My drawn butter is only lightly skimmed. You can always take more time and be more attentive to skimming the fat from the top. However, if your family is anything like mine, they probably can't wait to get their hands on the delicious seafood that accompanies this!
I made a quick batch of this sauce while steaming our steamer clams and love using it to dip my shrimp in! The clams were steamed over a water/wine/onion mixture, and my drawn butter features some similar flavors (plus butter, lemon, and dill), but the white wine adds such a nice touch!
It's easy enough to manage on the back burner while you're busy cooking up some fabulous seafood!
🤔 What Is Drawn Butter
There are a lot of differing opinions on what drawn butter is! It's been around for a very long time and had a lot of different additions used!
Everything from flour, milk, lemon juice, capers, vinegar, and more!
Drawn Butter
Drawn butter is simply a melted butter typically used as a dipping sauce for steamed seafood and sometimes vegetables.
What Is Clarified Butter?
Clarified butter is butter that has been melted, and the white foam (fat) skimmed from the top. Note that Ghee is the same thing as clarified butter.
So, technically, you could melt ghee and use it to make this recipe!
What is Beurre Blanc?
Beurre Blanc is butter and wine (typically a dry white wine) combined with shallots and herbs. It's very similar to my recipe here!
🥘 Ingredients
- Olive Oil - Use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for sauteing the onion and garlic.
- Onion - Finely chopped white onion or yellow onion. If you don't want pieces, grate the onion or use a garlic press for the onion juice.
- Garlic - A small amount of minced garlic to add its unique flavor.
- Dry White Wine - A good dry white wine is best in this drawn butter. Pick something out that you'd enjoy drinking with your meal.
- Butter - The star of the recipe! Use European butter for a richer, drawn butter sauce.
- Dill - Fresh dill or dried dill are both perfect additions to a seafood sauce.
- Black Pepper - Freshly ground black pepper is best, but ground black pepper works in a pinch.
- Lemon Juice - Another great flavor that goes hand in hand with seafood! Add some zest, too, for a delightfully tangy addition.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Drawn Butter
This tasty dipping sauce comes together in no time! Just grab a saucepan and a few ingredients!
- Heat the oil. In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil to medium heat. The oil should just begin to shimmer when ready to saute the onion and garlic.
- Saute the onion and garlic. Add ¼ of a small white (or yellow) diced onion, cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then add ½ tablespoon of minced garlic. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute (depending on how soft you like your onion & garlic).
- Add wine. Pour in ⅓ cup of white wine and cook for 1 minute before adding the butter.
- Melt the butter. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter and cook until melted (reduce heat to prevent boiling, if necessary).
- Add seasoning. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of dried dill and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
- Finish with lemon juice. Squeeze the lemon juice into the drawn butter mixture, stir, and serve, or keep warm on low.
You're ready to serve this easy-drawn butter with some fabulous seafood now! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Low and Slow Melting: Remember, patience is key! Melt your butter slowly over low heat to prevent burning and ensure a smooth separation.
- Serve it Warm: Nothing beats warm drawn butter with seafood. Use a small candle or warming dish to keep it deliciously melted throughout your meal.
- Flavor Infusions: Don't be afraid to experiment! Infuse your butter with herbs or garlic for an extra layer of flavor that complements your seafood beautifully, like my sazon or cajun seasoning.
- Strain for Perfection: A fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth is your friend here. Strain the melted butter to ensure it's completely free of milk solids.
- Individual Portions: If you're hosting, individual portions of drawn butter not only look elegant but also keep things hygienic.
- Refrigerate Leftovers: Don't let any drawn butter go to waste. Store it in the fridge and use it to add a rich flavor to your next dish.
- Choose Quality Butter: Opt for high-quality, unsalted butter for the best flavor. It really makes a difference!
❓ To Clarify or Not?
This is an individual decision. I don't usually put much effort into clarifying my drawn butter - so that I can serve this quickly! I do, however, take a minute to skim a small amount of the fat from the top of the melted butter.
It won't affect the taste of your drawn butter. Clarifying is most helpful when you're cooking with butter at higher temperatures.
🍴 What to Serve With
All sorts of steamed seafood can be served with this rich and tasty sauce! It's also a fabulous dipping sauce for pan-seared fish, steak, and even steamed vegetables!
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Drawn Butter
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ¼ small white onion (finely chopped/minced)
- ½ tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ⅓ cup white wine (dry)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- ¼ teaspoon dill (fresh or dried)
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed ½ - 1 whole lemon)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add onion, cook for 30 seconds to a minute then add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds to a minute (depending on how soft you like your onion & garlic).
- Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute before adding the butter. Add the butter and cook until melted (reduce heat to prevent boiling, if necessary). Add seasoning: dill and ground black pepper, stir to combine.
- Squeeze the lemon juice into the drawn butter mixture and continue to cook on low. We usually leave our drawn butter on low until we are ready to dish up our seafood. At that point, you can skim the fat that has risen to the top (if desired) or serve immediately.
Tony T says
Wow, just so yummy. I use this drawn butter for clams and lobster! I even dip my French bread in it 🙂
Sara C says
Perfect for clams and lobster! This recipe is so easy to make yet so satisfying 🙂
Anonymous says
Excelente receta, muchas gracias!
Claudette Lévesque says
J'aimerais bien savoir si je peux remplacer lle vin dans votre belle recette de étoncles ???? Merci
I would like to know if I can replace the wine in your beautiful recipe???? Thank you
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Omettez simplement le vin ou utilisez du bouillon à la place. Profitez!
Simply omit the wine or use broth instead. Enjoy!
Alice says
I used this drawn butter for dipping some King crab...yummy!
Ken says
Amazing and so easy, my seafood dinner turned out perfect because of this.
Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you Ken, that is wonderful to hear!!