Cowboy Butter Chicken Kabobs Recipe

Cowboy butter is miraculously versatile, and this version might just be my new favorite compound butter. I have a feeling I will be using this on just about anything that's getting grilled: steaks, chops, veggies (grilled portobello mushrooms or potatoes would be fabulous), seafood (oh man, grilled lobster tails). Herby, rich, and savory cowboy butter may have become a TikTok phenomenon as a sizzling topping for seared steak, but in this cowboy butter chicken kabobs recipe, we're going all-in on the poultry pairing. 

Unlike other types of compound butter that are relatively simple, cowboy butter has a sort of maximalist, over-the-top charm to it. This particular recipe is a compound butter that has everything but the kitchen sink in it, but it's the perfect combination of all those ingredients. We add a couple of savory herbs (rosemary and thyme) for earthiness, and fresh herbs (parsley and chives) for vibrancy. We throw in some robust ingredients for a flavorful palate pop 'n' sizzle: Dijon, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. The final touch that takes it all over the top is a hearty amount of garlic and citrus to balance the buttery richness. The resulting compound butter has some serious pizzazz, and it truly is the perfect pairing for charred, subtly smoky chicken breast kabobs.  

To make the cowboy butter itself, start with a stick of softened salted butter, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh chives, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. To make the kabobs, you'll just need chicken breasts, and the robust cowboy butter will do all the heavy lifting in terms of packing in plenty of flavor.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Place the butter, lemon juice, mustard, chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, paprika, Worcestershire, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.

Using a fork, stir, fold, and mash the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Set the compound butter aside or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut the chicken into thin slices.

Thread the chicken slices onto skewers.

Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until moderately charred and cooked through.

Remove the skewers from the grill and set them aside on a clean platter.

Generously brush the skewers with the compound butter, coating all sides.

Serve the skewers with any additional butter on the side for dipping.

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The beauty of using cowboy butter as a finisher, as we do in this kabob recipe, is that you can play around with the ingredients without fear of choosing anything that might burn during the cooking process. To start, it'd be very easy to tweak the heat level in this spread. As-is, there's definitely a little kick going on between the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes, so increase or decrease the amount that you use based on personal preference. Smoked paprika can vary when it comes to packing actual heat, so if you're looking to avoid intensely spicy flavors, use mild or sweet smoked paprika and cut the red pepper flakes entirely. Herb-wise, this cowboy butter is already pretty packed, though you can switch up the herbs or introduce even more to the mix if desired. Tarragon, dill, or basil could all work well here, especially when paired with chicken or seafood.

Speaking of pairing the cowboy butter with other types of proteins, there really is no limit to what you can slather this savory stuff on. Any type of chicken is fair game, though the spread would also be amazing with shrimp skewers. Steak or pork chops are a couple of other great options. And, if meat isn't your thing, tofu, seitan, and, of course, veggies are fair game as well — think corn on the cob, asparagus, eggplant, zucchini, or bell peppers.

There's no denying that the cowboy butter is the star of this recipe, but any good finishing condiment is only as good as the food that it's ultimately paired with. In this case, the compound butter serves as the main flavoring agent for chicken breast kabobs, which are delicious all on their own or paired with corn on the cob, green beans, or baked potatoes. I ended up with leftover chicken skewers, so instead of simply eating them plain the next day, I put that herby, buttery meat to work.

My first leftovers recommendation is to transform the cowboy butter chicken into a spectacular chicken salad. You can simply chop up leftover kebab pieces and mix them with a little bit of mayo, onion, and celery. Spread that cowboy butter chicken salad over a piece of sourdough for a simple yet oh-so-delicious repurposed meal. Or, opt for a slightly lighter garden salad with a leafy green base and use leftover chicken pieces as the protein of choice. I also made a very tasty Alfredo-like pasta dish with leftovers, adding the chicken to the mix as I tossed the noodles with the sauce.

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