Bloody Mary Butter for Wings, Shrimp & Corn

This is the laziest, highest-payoff trick in the whole kitchen lineup. Melt butter, stir in Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate, and brush it on whatever is hitting the grill. Wings, shrimp, corn, a steak. One butter, and everything off the fire tastes like it took effort.

It works because the concentrate is seasoning without the water. A bottled Bloody Mary mix is mostly tomato juice, and water makes melted butter split into a greasy mess. The concentrate melts into the butter clean and carries the brine, horseradish, and spice with it. That is the whole idea.

Bloody Mary Butter Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes | Makes: About 1/2 cup, enough to baste a big batch

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated (optional)

Directions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Stir in the concentrate, lemon juice, and garlic. Keep it on low and whisk until it comes together.
Use it warm as a basting butter, or let it firm up in the fridge to use as a compound butter.

Use unsalted butter so you control the salt. The concentrate already brings plenty. Taste before you add any more.

Wings

Grill or bake the wings until they hit 165 degrees and the skin is crisp. In the last few minutes, brush them with the warm Bloody Mary butter, then toss them in the rest once they come off the heat. It works like a buffalo sauce but tastes like a Bloody Mary. Use the Smoked Jalapeno concentrate if you want them hot.

Grilled Shrimp

Skewer the shrimp and grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes a side, basting with the butter as you flip. They are done when they turn pink and opaque. Drizzle the leftover butter over the top before serving and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Grilled Corn

Char the corn on the grill, then brush it with the butter the second it comes off. The brine and spice do for corn what plain butter and salt only wish they could. A little extra at the table never hurts.

Steak

Let the firmed-up version melt over a rested steak as a compound butter. As it softens it turns into a quick pan sauce right on the plate. For a marinade instead of a finish, use the Bloody Mary steak marinade before it hits the grill, then the butter after.

Storage

Roll the firmed-up butter into a log in parchment or plastic wrap. It keeps in the fridge for about a week and in the freezer for up to three months. Slice off a coin whenever you need it. A frozen log of this is the kind of thing that makes a weeknight steak feel like a plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make Bloody Mary butter ahead of time?

Yes. Make it, roll it into a log, and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to three months. It is built to keep on hand for whenever you fire up the grill.

Salted or unsalted butter?

Unsalted. The concentrate carries a lot of salt and brine already, so start unsalted and adjust at the end if it needs it.

Does it work as a wing sauce?

It does. Toss cooked wings in the warm butter the way you would with a buffalo sauce. It coats the same way and tastes like a Bloody Mary instead of straight hot sauce.

What else can you put it on?

Baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, a piece of grilled fish, or a slice of sourdough. Anywhere plain butter goes, this goes with more flavor.

More Ways to Cook with Concentrate

The same bottle behind this butter also marinates Bloody Mary chicken and makes a cocktail sauce for the shrimp it just basted. Browse all cooking recipes using Stu's Concentrate, or visit the Bloody Mary and Savory Drinks hub for the drink it started as.