How to Make Ghee

Here’s how to make ghee from butter! It’s simple to make this versatile cooking fat right in your own kitchen.

Ghee is a versatile cooking fat and pantry staple, used widely in South Asian cuisine and beyond. It’s become popular all over the world because of its rich, nutty flavor and because it has low levels of lactose, making it flexible for dairy-sensitive diets. You can buy it from the store, but did you know it’s simple and much more cost effective to make ghee at home? All you need is butter and 30 minutes. Here’s what to do!

What is ghee?

Ghee is clarified butter that is simmered slightly longer to tease out a rich, nutty flavor. Its origins are rooted in Indian culinary traditions, but ghee has transcended boundaries and become a cherished ingredient worldwide. It has a higher smoke point than butter (465°F, versus butter’s, which is 302°F), making it perfect for high heat cooking. Ghee is clarified so it has very low levels of lactose, making it suitable for dairy-sensitive eaters.

How to make ghee from butter

Purchased ghee can be expensive, but it’s simple and economical to make at home! You’ll need unsalted butter and about 30 minutes. Here’s how to make ghee:

1. Melt 2 sticks butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat so the butter is just barely bubbling.
2. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, skimming off the foam with a slotted spoon as it appears. Cook until no more foam appears, the bubbling stops, and the milk solids have settled to the bottom of the pan and are golden. Stopping here makes clarified butter.
3. To make ghee, cook another 5 to 10 minutes until the butter solids are fragrant and golden brown.
4. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Use immediately or store refrigerated in a sealed jar or container.

How to store homemade ghee

Store homemade ghee in a clean, well-sealed glass container. If made properly, homemade ghee should be shelf-stable at room temperature in your pantry for up to 3 months (since the milk solids are removed). However, we recommend storing homemade ghee in the refrigerator, where it should stay good for up to 1 year.

Ways to use ghee

Ghee is extremely versatile and can be substituted for butter in most cooked recipes. You can even substitute ghee 1 for 1 for butter in baked goods. Here are a few ways to use it:

• Sauteed vegetables like broccoli, green beans, carrots, kale or cabbage
• Curries like shrimp curry, sweet potato curry, tofu curry, or chickpea curry
• Cooking eggs, like scrambled eggs, over easy eggs, or sunny side up eggs
• Oatmeal, like stovetop oatmeal
• Cooking pancakes, like whole wheat pancakes or banana pancakes
• Slathered onto bread, like sourdough bread or no knead bread
• Soups like tofu soup, carrot soup, bean soup, or cabbage soup

More with butter

Want more recipes with butter? Here are a few more ways to use this creamy ingredient:

• Learn How to Make Butter from cream
• Discover How to Make Clarified Butter
• Understand How to Freeze Butter
• Make rich and savory Miso Butter

01

How to Make Butter

02

How to Make Clarified Butter

03

Can You Freeze Butter?

04

Miso Butter

This ghee recipe is…

Vegetarian. While ghee contains low levels of lactose, it is not dairy-free.

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