This Thai basil pesto butter is perfect to toss with hot vegetables or pasta, top over grilled meats, such as fish, chicken, or steak. It’s even great to spread over a nice slice of bread.

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Thai basil pesto butter is a simple flavored butter recipe that is packed full of flavor. It has so many uses and doesn’t even take long to make.
You can make a batch of this pesto butter and freeze it for later. This way, you can easily defrost it and use the flavored butter on things such as bread, on hot pasta, or even meats.
You can serve this basil pesto butter in a bowl or you can serve it shaped into a log and slice it.
What is Pesto?
Pesto is a sauce which originated in Italy. Typically, pesto is made by crushing ingredients in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle.

There are many variations of pestos around the world, but the most basic pesto uses ingredients like basil, garlic, olive oil, and nuts.
What is flavored butter?
Although it may sound like something fancy and difficult to make, flavored butter is far from that.
Simply, flavored butter is butter which has been mixed with spices, herbs, or other flavorings.
Flavored butter can be sweet or savory. For example, you could have pineapple flavored butter, pesto flavored butter, garlic herb butter, or even strawberry butter.
Flavored butters can be used in many different ways. From spreading on breads and crackers, to marinating steaks.
What is Thai Basil?
Thai basil is a type of basil. It is considered a herb.
Thai basil has pointed leaves and grows with purple flowers and stems.

Thai basil has a stronger flavor than the typical sweet basil that is found in grocery stores. It has a slight smell and taste of anise (like liquorice).
Thai basil leaves are usually smaller than sweet basil leaves.
Thai basil is perfect to use in Asian dishes, such as with grilled chicken, curries, salads, and stir fries.
How can you use this basil pesto butter?
Some ways you can use this basil pesto butter:
- On meat such as steak, fish, grilled chicken
- Fresh pasta
- On bread
- On crackers for a grazing board.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Thai basil pesto butter is quick and easy to make.
- There are so many uses for this flavored butter. Use it on bread, with meats, or even with pasta.
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

- Thai basil leaves: Use sweet basil leaves if you cannot get Thai basil leaves. If you use sweet basil leaves, it will taste different, and you may need to adjust the amount of basil you use to taste.
- Dark Brown Sugar: If you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar.
- Minced garlic
- Sesame Oil
- Red Pepper Flakes (chilli flakes)
- Light Flavored Oil: Use an oil such as vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Fish Sauce: You can use soy sauce instead if you are looking for a vegetarian alternative.
- Peanuts: Some peanuts come salted. If you use salted peanuts, you may need to add less salt to your pesto when you season it.
- Lime Juice
- Butter
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Step One: In a food processor, place all ingredients except for the butter. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and like a pesto consistency. If you find your pesto rising up the sides of your food processor, scrape down the sides with a spatula (when the machine is not on).
Step Two: Once the pesto is to the consistency of your liking, mix through the softened butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt if needed.

Step Three: Shape the pesto butter into a log using plastic wrap. Alternatively, you could place the butter in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
Tips for Success
Soften your butter before mixing it through the pesto. This will make it easier to mix through.

Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $10.26
Substitutions / Variations
If you are not able to get Thai basil you can use sweet basil leaves. You may need to adjust the flavorings to taste as sweet basil leaves have a different taste to Thai basil leaves.
Storage
You can store this basil pesto butter in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. Wrap in either baking paper or plastic wrap.
Alternatively, you can freeze this flavored pesto for 1 to 2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze.
We recommend cutting the pesto butter into pieces before freezing. This way you can defrost as much or as little as you need.
FAQ
Thai basil pesto goes well on sandwiches, as a spread, on pastas, or even used as a flavored butter.
When used as a flavored butter, basil pesto butter goes well with grilled chicken, fish, or steak. It also goes well with a rustic slice of bread or toast.
No, there are some pesto recipes that are not made with basil. Some pestos use spinach or even kale instead of basil.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
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Recipe

Thai Basil Pesto Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups (40 grams, 1.41 ounces) Thai basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar or to taste
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 hot pepper chili, add more if you want a spicier pesto
- 2 tablespoons light flavored oil e.g. vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoons fish sauce or soy sauce, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams, 1.06 ounces) peanuts
- 1 ½ teaspoon Lime juice or to taste
- 175 grams (6.17 ounces) butter softened and cubed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, place all ingredients except for the butter. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and like a pesto consistency. If you find your pesto rising up the sides of your food processor, scrape down the sides with a spatula (when the machine is not on).
- Once the pesto is to the consistency of your liking, mix through the softened butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt if needed.
- Shape the pesto butter into a log using plastic wrap. Alternatively, you could place the butter in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
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