Learn what Ghee is, how to use Ghee in your kitchen, and how to save money by making a large batch at home with our step-by-step tutorial!
WHAT IS GHEE?
Ghee, also called Clarified Butter, is butter that is simmered until the oil and milk solids separate, and the liquid fat has turned a golden color. It is then strained.
The quality, color, and taste of your finished Ghee is only as good as the butter you start with so I highly recommend investing in some good quality butter. And, YES, you can use salted butter to make Ghee. Some people even add a bit of spice while it is simmering (turmeric is common).
The milk solids (which are strained) contain the casein and whey protein, which for a lot of people, is what causes dairy sensitivities and digestion issues.
So, in short – Ghee is butter oil.
Ghee is an ancient food that originated in India and is commonly used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian cuisines. In many cultures, it’s also used medicinally.
It’s also Whole30 compliant and has a tasty nutty flavor. Plus, a very high smoke point (450F) so it can be used for high-heat cooking without burning!
HOW TO MAKE GHEE
- Begin by cubing the butter. Add to a large pot set over medium-low heat.
- Once butter is completely melted and begins to bubble, very slightly lower the heat. You want a steady bubble but not so much that the butter is splattering out of the pot or spraying on the stove.
- Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the milk protein has completely separated and there is both a layer on the top of the butter as well as some on the bottom of the pot.
- Begin carefully skimming the top layer off until the Ghee looks clean (except for bits on the bottom). Discard.
- Slightly raise the heat to medium-low and continue simmering for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until most of the bubbling stops and the milk protein bits on the bottom of the pot begin to brown. Do not let them burn! Immediately remove the Ghee from the stovetop and set somewhere to cool.
- Once cool, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the toasted bits from the bottom of the pan.
- That’s it. I included a lot of pictures because while it sounds simple, it took me a couple of tries to get it perfect and I thought for this one, more info was better. Enjoy!
TOOLS TO MAKE GHEE
- Soup pot, stockpot, or Dutch oven
- Skimmer
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth for straining
- Mason jar or other glass jars with lids for storage
TIPS
- Traditionally, Ghee is made from unsalted butter. While I have made it from both salted and unsalted and do prefer unsalted, I have been making salted most recently because Costco has a great deal on grass-fed Kerrygold butter but only the salted. To me, the quality of the butter is more important than if it is salted or not. Bottom Line: Get the best quality butter you can – preferably local and pastured but at a minimum pastured and free of antibiotics and hormones.
- The Ghee in my main photos was still a bit warm so completely liquid. Ghee will stay semi-soft and slightly liquid at temperatures above 62F. It is liquid when warm and becomes more solid as it cools. As a general rule, I keep the jar of Ghee I am currently using in my pantry and cook with it from there. I store the remaining jars in the back of my refrigerator until ready to use.
- If this is your first time making Ghee, I recommend sticking with just 1 pound of butter as it is easier to manage. Once you get the hang of it, double or triple the recipe and then store the additional jars in the back of your fridge until ready to use.
- Use a pot large enough to prevent splatters. As the butter cooked, it bubbles and can splatter as you figure out the perfect temperature for your stove-top (electric and gas can vary). I use a wide-bottomed soup or stockpot or dutch oven.
RECIPES THAT USE GHEE
You can use Ghee in any recipe that calls for butter. If you want to use Ghee for baking, I recommend refrigerating it first so it becomes a solid.
Some recipe ideas that use Ghee are:
- Paleo Cauliflower Mash (Whole30 compliant)
- Strawberry Scones (use Ghee in place of Butter)
- Paleo Chicken Pot Pie (use refrigerated Ghee to make pot pie crust)
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (use Ghee to add butter flavor to casserole)
- Crispy Home Fries (saute potatoes in Ghee instead of avocado oil)
- Paleo Salmon Cakes (use Ghee to add flavor to salmon cakes as you pan fry them)
This is just the beginning as far as recipe ideas go – Ghee works in recipes for all seasons, so learning how to make ghee at home will be a powerful tool in your cooking arsenal. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you – be sure to come back and let me know!
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Learn what Ghee is, how to use Ghee in your kitchen, and how to save money by making a large batch at home with our step-by-step tutorial!
- 1 pound pastured butter cut into evenly sized pieces
-
Heat a wide-bottomed pot with high sides (for splashing/bubbling) over medium-low heat. Once hot, add cubed butter.
-
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the butter and speed along the melting process.
-
Once butter is completely melted and begins to bubble, very slightly lower the light. You want a steady bubble but not so much that butter is jumping out of the pan or spraying on the stove top.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the milk protein has completely separated and there is a layer on the top and bits on the bottom of the pan.
-
Begin carefully skimming the top layer off until Ghee looks clean (except for bits on the very bottom) and discard.
-
Slightly raise the heat back up to medium low and continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes until most of the bubbling stops and the milk protein bits on the bottom of the pan begin to brown.
Do not let them burn! Immediately remove the Ghee from the stove top and set somewhere to cool.
-
Once cool, strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the toasted bits from the bottom of the pan.
Store Ghee at room temperature in a glass container or mason jar and use as needed.
- Traditionally, Ghee is made from unsalted butter. While I have made it from both salted and unsalted and do prefer unsalted, I have been making salted most recently because Costco has a great deal on grass-fed Kerrygold butter but only the salted. To me, the quality of the butter is more important than if it is salted or not. Bottom Line: Get the best quality butter you can - preferably local and pastured but at a minimum pastured and free of antibiotics and hormones.
- The Ghee in my main photos was still a bit warm so completely liquid. Ghee will stay semi-soft and slightly liquid at temperatures above 62F. It is liquid when warm and becomes more solid as it cools. As a general rule, I keep the jar of Ghee I am currently using in my pantry and cook with it from there. I store the remaining jars in the back of my refrigerator until ready to use.
- If this is your first time making Ghee, I recommend sticking with just 1 pound of butter as it is easier to manage. Once you get the hang of it, double or triple the recipe and then store the additional jars in the back of your fridge until ready to use.
- Use a pot large enough to prevent splatters. As the butter cooked, it bubbles and can splatter as you figure out the perfect temperature for your stove-top (electric and gas can vary). I use a wide-bottomed soup or stockpot or dutch oven.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: Please note that this recipe was originally published in April 2014. It was updated in December 2019 with additional text, edited photos, and more recipe ideas.
Found this recipe today while I was at the grocery store looking for the elusive ghee. It was very helpful. Thanks!
Glad to hear it worked out Sandi – plus, it’s much cheaper to make your own Ghee than buy it!
Hi there! The last two times I made ghee the texture turned out very grainy once it chilled. I used very high quality unsalted butter and followed your instructions 🙁 any idea why it’s not smooth?
It could be the resting temperature Kay – is your kitchen very hot (or the place you stored the Ghee while cooling)? This happens to me sometimes in the summer. We don’t have air conditioning and our kitchen gets very hot in the summer!
Thanks for the recipe. I have a few boxes of salted sweet cream butter in my refrigerator. Could I use it to make ghee?
Thanks.
Absolutely Nancy, I make it with both salted and unsalted depending on what I have stocked up on!
I followed someone elses recipe for ghee yesterday which said it only takes about 15 minutes. There wasn’t much gook I
when I strained it and though some bits were on the bottom of the pan they were not browned. I found your recipe this morning and I was wondering if I can put my undercooked ghee back in a pan and cook it longer to fix it?
You can definitely try Dyanna but I am not 100% it will get rid of all of the solids. I hope it works for you!!
I just made ghee for the first time although I have been using the store bought stuff for a while. This was a fantastic and easy to follow recipe. I loved the step by step guide. However, somewhere along the way, mine turned a dark brown…not the lovely golden yellow color I’m used to seeing and like your photos. Does this mean that I burned it? It doesn’t have a burned taste. I removed it from the heat as soon as I saw the color change. Can I still eat it without the gastric distress that dairy causes me? Thanks for such a great site and recipe!
Thanks for the feedback Ann! It sounds like it may have burned although if it doesn’t have a burnt taste and smell, I would just use it as normal. If there is any burnt taste or smell, I would (unfortunately!) toss it!
Many thanks a great easy recipe to follow, having tried several types of butter Anchor butter (NZ) seems to come out best.
Danny New Zealand
So glad this tutorial is working for you Danny!