Sunshine Sauce
published Jan 23, 2025
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Janette Zepeda
This lemon-butter sauce is the best thing to happen to dinner.
Serves4 to 6MakesMakes 1/2 cupPrep5 minutesCook10 minutes
Cook Mode+
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, you can make a restaurant-quality sauce that is full of flavor.
- **It’s so versatile. **There’s no shortage of ways to serve this buttery lemon sauce. You can use it as a dipping sauce for meats and seafood, drizzled over vegetables, or tossed with pasta or potatoes.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Janette Zepeda
Key Ingredients in Sunshine Sauce
- **Lemon: **Fresh lemon is the star of the sauce. Use a Microplane to finely grate the zest and a citrus juicer to squeeze out the tart juice.
- **Unsalted butter: **This sauce is built on butter. With so few ingredients, use the best butter you can. Go for European-style butters like Kerrygold, which often have a higher butterfat content and richer color.
- **Garlic: **One minced garlic clove lends subtle flavor to the sauce, but garlic lovers may want to add an extra clove.
- **Parsley: **Stir chopped fresh parsley in just before serving to infuse the butter sauce with fresh flavor without wilting the herbs.
What to Serve with Sunshine Sauce
This lemon-butter sauce is the best thing to happen to dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon
finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon
plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon
water
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter, preferably European-style such as Kerrygold, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 tablespoon
coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves (from about 3 sprigs)
- 1 clove
garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
Bring 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water to a simmer in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in 1 stick cold unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time, whisking until each piece is almost melted before adding the next. Do not let the butter boil, or it will separate. 1.
Whisk in 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and season with more kosher salt or black pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
**Storage: **This butter sauce is best made right before serving, but you can refrigerate leftover butter in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over low heat until completely melted and warm; do not let it boil. Remove from the heat. Drizzle in cool water 1 teaspoon at a time while whisking vigorously, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified again.
The butter sauce can also be used cold: Toss with hot pasta, boiled potatoes, or cooked green beans for an instant flavor boost.
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