This is my quick, easy, and incredibly tasty Drawn Butter for Seafood that combines rich melted butter with white wine, onion, garlic, lemon, and dill. My additions make the flavor out of this world while still keeping the process really quick.
It's easy enough to manage on the back burner while you're busy cooking up some fabulous seafood!
This easy seafood dipping sauce recipe is a must-have when you're treating yourself to fresh seafood of any kind!
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 up while steaming our steamer clams, they just go together so perfectly! The clams were steamed over a water/wine/onion mixture and my drawn butter features some similar flavors (plus butter, lemon, dill) but the white wine adds such a nice touch!
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🤔 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.
💭 Tips & Recipe Notes
- Vary your fresh herbs to your own taste buds and to match what you're serving the drawn butter with. If, for example, you're serving my drawn butter alongside a seafood boil you may want to add some Old Bay seasoning.
- I usually leave the prepared butter on low until ready to dish up my seafood. At that point, you can skim the fat that has risen to the top (if desired) or serve immediately.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
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!
To Clarify or Not?
This is an individual decision. I don't usually put much effort into clarifying my drawn butter other than just skimming 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 and steamed vegetables!
- Lobster
- Clams
- Shrimp/Prawns
- Oysters
- Mussels
- Scallops
- Steamed Vegetables
- Pan-seared Fish
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📋 Recipe
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)
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).1 teaspoon olive oil, ¼ small white onion, ½ tablespoon 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.⅓ cup white wine, 1 cup butter, ¼ teaspoon dill, 1 pinch black pepper
- 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.½ cup lemon juice
Video
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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!
Thank you Ken, that is wonderful to hear!!