Beurre Blanc

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Luscious beurre blanc sauce transforms baked fish and steamed vegetables into restaurant-worthy meals! Add this creamy sauce to your cooking repertoire.

This recipe has been retested and updated since first publishing February 2010.

If you are a food person, there’s a good chance you are a fan of Julia Child. Even if you’re not, there’s no mistaking the mark she left on American home cooking.

I first made this beurre blanc after reading about it in My Life in France, and let me tell you, if you like butter, you will adore this sauce!

The magic of beurre blanc is that the sauce turns out wonderfully creamy, but does not turn into a puddle of melted butter. You’ll need some patience for this recipe, but it’s totally worth it!

Beurre blanc is wonderful with pan seared fish or nearly any vegetable from steamed artichokes to roasted carrots. 

Grab your whisk and let’s get cooking!

Ingredients for beurre blanc

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• White wine vinegar
• White wine – Use a dry white wine like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. The smaller bottles or boxes are perfect for using in cooking.
• Shallot – Finely minced
• Unsalted butter – The total amount of butter will depend on how well your sauce is thickening. I recommend setting aside 12 ounces (3 sticks) just in case you need it all. Make sure it is cold!
• Fine sea salt
• White pepper – White pepper is a milder pepper used in light sauces. You can use black pepper if that’s what you have, but keep in mind you’ll have the dark pepper specks in the sauce.

How to make this recipe

Cut two of the sticks of butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set the other stick aside in case you need it.

In a small saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar and white wine. Heat to a low boil over medium, then add shallot and a pinch of white pepper.

Let this cook until it has reduced to a syrupy glaze, which will take 6-8 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in two pieces of the butter. Once they are incorporated, whisk in two more.

Set the pan over low heat (the lowest your burner will go) and continue whisking in butter, adding another piece as soon as the previous one has been mixed in. 

This process will take approximately 10-15 minutes to get all of the butter incorporated.

If the butter seems to be melting too much, remove the pan from the heat completely. The sauce should be smooth like mayonnaise.

Add salt to taste and transfer to a small pitcher for serving. Letting the sauce rest will help it thicken further so it does not melt when adding to hot food.

Pour over steamed asparagus or use as a base for roasted fish.

Storage tips

Leftover sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The beurre blanc will harden in the refrigerator, and you can use it like a compound butter, spreading onto bread or topping a steak.

You can also rewarm the sauce over low heat, whisking in more butter as needed to get back to the creamy consistency.

This classic French butter sauce is a great recipe to pull out of your pocket for entertaining, date night at home, or whenever you want to elevate dinner.