Simple Lemon Butter Sauce (2-Ingredients)

I love the pucker of a fresh lemon and if my family would let me, I would squeeze lemon on almost everything I make. This lemon butter sauce recipe lets me get my lemon fix whenever I want without making my family pucker up too!  I use it as the sauce for my lemon butter noodles, mix it into my lemon cake mix cookie recipe and keep it stocked in my freezer at all times!

While I may be a busy mom of three, that doesn't mean I don't want to have delicious food.  I find that having flavor bursts like lemon and or garlic helps make sure that both the adults and the kiddos around here are happy.  Much like my most popular garlic butter sauce, this lemon sauce packs a punch and can be prepped in less than 10 minutes with just two ingredients.

 

Ingredients

• Lemon: Wash your lemons well before zesting and juicing.
• Butter:  Use a good quality butter as it's the base of the recipe. Different butters have different flavors so use one that you love on its own. Using unsalted butter is important. Salted butter brands each have different salt levels depending on the brand and you want to be in control of the amount of salt in the finished dish. 

How to make lemon butter sauce

1. Melt the Butter: In a small pan over low heat, melt the butter. Keep an eye on it to prevent browning.
2. Add Lemon: Stir in the lemon juice and zest, letting the sauce warm for a minute or two to combine.
3. Season: Add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

This simple sauce is now ready to pour over your dish of choice!

It's such an easy process you'll find yourself making this buttery lemon sauce all the time! 

Ways to Enjoy This Sauce

• Perfect with Pasta: Try it with lemon butter noodles or mixed into lemon garlic pasta or a make lemon pepper pasta sauce.
• With Fish: The lemon sauce pairs great with salmon, cod, or any other flaky white fish.
• On Veggies: A quick way to enhance roasted or sauteed veggies like broccoli, green beans, or sugar snap peas. Simply drizzle over the veggies before you pop them in the oven or sauté them in the lemon butter for a super flavorful side dish.
• In a side dish: Mix into rice or mashed potatoes for a lemony twist on a traditional side.

Other Creative Uses for Lemon Butter

While this butter is delicious mixed with pasta, it's also got a ton of other uses.

• Slather on a thick piece of sourdough toast and top with goats cheese for a creative twist on crostini 
• Stir into a classic lemon risotto dish then top with some fresh herbs
• Use it in baked goods.  Simply substitute the butter in these lemon poppyseed monkey bread or lemon shortbread cookie recipes for an amplified lemon flavor.
• You can add other herbs or flavors to the lemon butter to change up the flavor in the dishes you are making.  Try dill, basil, garlic, ground black pepper or even miso butter.
• Toss it with salt and pepper and pour over popcorn, pretzels or nuts for a savory twist on snack mix.

Storage Tips

This sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently on the stove, stirring often to keep the ingredients combined. 

If you'd like, you can also make a lemon compound butter by combining the ingredients, rolling it into a log, and freezing it. When you need some, just slice off a portion and melt it into a pan.

Other Side Dishes You Will Love

📖 Recipe