These homemade garlic butter steak bites can be made in under 15 minutes.
Great for busy weekdays, these steak bites are also great for entertaining, as they taste like they came from a fine restaurant.
Ingredients
For the Steak:
- 1.5 pounds of sirloin steak (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
For the Garlic Butter:
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Prepare the steak
Before you start, be sure to dry the steak cubes completely using some paper towels. This step is crucial.
This is because any moisture that gets left on the surface will create steam, rather than the desired beautiful sear.
And, of course, you want the browning.
So season the steak on all sides with a generous coating of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
As you chop and prep the rest of the ingredients, let the seasoned steak rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Heat Your Pan
Put a large cast-iron skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan over high heat.
Give it a 2-3 minute head start or until it is really hot.
You want the pan hot enough that a droplet of water will instantly sizzle and evaporate.
This is the heat range that will give you a great and well-deserved oven-baked golden brown crust that will lock in all the mouthwatering juices.
Sear the Steak Bites
When the pan is hot enough, add the olive oil and swirl it around in the pan to coat it.
Make sure you are working in batches to prevent overcrowding in the pan.
This extremely hot pan is ideal for getting a great seared crust on a piece of meat, and having it overcrowded will just cause steaming.
So add the steak cubes in a single layer with a little bit of room to the sides.
Let them cook without moving for 2 minutes to give them a chance to get that nice, deep brown crust on the bottom.
Stabbing the pieces will only cause all of the juices to run out, so use a spatula to gently flip each piece
And cook for another 1-2 minutes for medium-rare, or 3 minutes for medium.
When you press the steak, it should feel a little firm, and should have just enough give to mean that there are still some juicy and tender parts in there.
Place the seared steak bites on a plate and do the same with the remaining pieces.
Prepare the Garlic Butter
Take the same pan used for cooking the steak and lower the temperature to medium.
Add the butter and scrape the bottom to release the combined seasoning motes. Let the butter foam and melt.
Add red pepper and the garlic that has been finely chopped.
Stir all the time to prevent burning. Garlic burns easily and makes the flavor bitter.
Combine and Finish
Add to the pan all of the steak and the juices that have formed while resting on the plate.
Stir for 30 seconds to ensure the steak is fully coated in the garlic butter and to reheat.
Take off the heat and fold in the chopped parsley.
To cut through the rich flavor of the butter, the juice of the lemon is added and helps to brighten the dish.
This dish needs to be eaten while the steak is hot.
Tips for Success
Choose the Right Cut
The best cut is Sirloin for its tenderness and price, while ribeye, tenderloin, and NY strip work great too.
Pick a meat that has a nice red color and is well-balanced out with fat, steering clear of gristle.
Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, so don’t skip the drying step.
To prevent a gray, steamed exterior, take the 30 seconds necessary to pat the steak dry so you can achieve the gorgeous caramelized crust that you want.
Signs of proper heating are a quick outside sear with a tender and juicy inside.
At a sufficiently low heat, the steak will take too long to develop a crust, so you will need to increase the heat.
Adjust the heat downwards if you see excessive smoke or if the butter that you added burns.
To achieve perfect doneness every time, use a meat thermometer.
Take steak pieces off the heat at 125°F for rare, 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, and 155°F for medium-well.
A meat thermometer is particularly important because it will keep heating up even after you pull it off the heat.
Rest for 2-3 minutes so that juices can redistribute from the center to the outside of the steak after you finish cooking it.
This is particularly important for the bite-sized pieces of meat that you will use because you don’t want any moisture to get left behind.
Ingredient Substitutes For Homemade Garlic Butter Steak Bites
If you can’t find a sirloin, try using a flat iron steak.
You can also use top round for a slightly less tender option or use ribeye for some extra richness.
For leaner cuts, chicken breast or thighs also work, but be sure to adjust the cooking time quite a bit to make sure the inside reaches 165°F.
Ghee also has the same rich flavor as butter but has a higher smoke point and is dairy-free.
For a slightly less rich version, use half butter and half olive oil, but you may lose some of the rich mouthfeel.
If you want to cut calories, this is a suitable option.
Minced fresh garlic is a more vibrant and aromatic version, but you can use 2 teaspoons of garlic paste or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder as a substitute, especially if you are in a hurry.
Instead of parsley, use fresh thyme. Rosemary or basil are good options, and cilantro is also a great option. It brings a different flavor profile that goes very well with lime juice instead of lemon.
You can add more red pepper flakes if you like spice, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the initial seasoning.
It also works brilliantly if you add a dash of hot sauce to the garlic butter.
How To Store Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Leftover steak bites can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Try to keep the garlic butter sauce separate if you can to make sure the steak doesn’t get soggy. These are the storage tips.
Reheating
Large quantities of leftovers are much easier to reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Add a splash of beef broth or water to the skillet to avoid drying the meat out while cooking.
A microwave is probably the least favorable method of reheating a leftover meal, as it tends to overcook the meat.
If a microwave must be used, heat in 20-second intervals at 50% power rather than heating for a longer time, to avoid overcooking the meat.
Freezing
If you want to freeze leftovers, you can freeze cooked steak bites for a maximum of 2 months.
If you freeze the meat, it will lose some tenderness, and it will lose more tenderness the longer it is in the freezer, so be aware of this.
To freeze meat, let it cool completely, and freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet.
This is efficient because it allows the meat to freeze quickly, and then you can transfer the meat to a freezer bag.
Once you want to use the meat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it.
Make-Ahead Option
If you want to prepare the meal even earlier than the day of, the steak can be cut and seasoned raw up to 24 hours in advance.
Store the meat in a refrigerator before cooking.
To get the best results, the meat should be left out for 15 minutes to get to room temperature before it is cooked.
Tips on How to Serve Homemade Garlic Butter Steak Bites
This garlic butter steak can be served over creamy mashed potatoes, buttery egg noodles, cauliflower rice, or roasted vegetables like asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts.
This garlic butter steak bites recipe also goes quite well with a Caesar salad or garlic bread.
If you’re looking for a classy starter option, you can put them on some fancy pick-tooth sticks with a dipping sauce, horseradish cream, or chimichurri.
Homemade Garlic Butter Steak Bites Recipe
These homemade garlic butter steak bites can be made in under 15 minutes.
Great for busy weekdays, these steak bites are also great for entertaining, as they taste like they came from a fine restaurant.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- For the Steak:
- 1.5 pounds of sirloin steak (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- For the Garlic Butter:
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
1. Prepare the steak
Before you start, be sure to dry the steak cubes completely using some paper towels. This step is crucial.
This is because any moisture that gets left on the surface will create steam, rather than the desired beautiful sear.
And, of course, you want the browning.
So season the steak on all sides with a generous coating of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
As you chop and prep the rest of the ingredients, let the seasoned steak rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Heat Your Pan
Put a large cast-iron skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan over high heat.
Give it a 2-3 minute head start or until it is really hot.
You want the pan hot enough that a droplet of water will instantly sizzle and evaporate.
This is the heat range that will give you a great and well-deserved oven-baked golden brown crust that will lock in all the mouthwatering juices.
Sear the Steak Bites
When the pan is hot enough, add the olive oil and swirl it around in the pan to coat it.
Make sure you are working in batches to prevent overcrowding in the pan.
This extremely hot pan is ideal for getting a great seared crust on a piece of meat, and having it overcrowded will just cause steaming.
So add the steak cubes in a single layer with a little bit of room to the sides.
Let them cook without moving for 2 minutes to give them a chance to get that nice, deep brown crust on the bottom.
Stabbing the pieces will only cause all of the juices to run out, so use a spatula to gently flip each piece
And cook for another 1-2 minutes for medium-rare, or 3 minutes for medium.
When you press the steak, it should feel a little firm, and should have just enough give to mean that there are still some juicy and tender parts in there.
Place the seared steak bites on a plate and do the same with the remaining pieces.
Prepare the Garlic Butter
Take the same pan used for cooking the steak and lower the temperature to medium.
Add the butter and scrape the bottom to release the combined seasoning motes. Let the butter foam and melt.
Add red pepper and the garlic that has been finely chopped.
Stir all the time to prevent burning. Garlic burns easily and makes the flavor bitter.
Combine and Finish
Add to the pan all of the steak and the juices that have formed while resting on the plate.
Stir for 30 seconds to ensure the steak is fully coated in the garlic butter and to reheat.
Take off the heat and fold in the chopped parsley.
To cut through the rich flavor of the butter, the juice of the lemon is added and helps to brighten the dish.
This dish needs to be eaten while the steak is hot.
Notes
Tips for Success
Choose the Right Cut
The best cut is Sirloin for its tenderness and price, while ribeye, tenderloin, and NY strip work great too.
Pick a meat that has a nice red color and is well-balanced out with fat, steering clear of gristle.
Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, so don't skip the drying step.
To prevent a gray, steamed exterior, take the 30 seconds necessary to pat the steak dry so you can achieve the gorgeous caramelized crust that you want.
Signs of proper heating are a quick outside sear with a tender and juicy inside.
At a sufficiently low heat, the steak will take too long to develop a crust, so you will need to increase the heat.
Adjust the heat downwards if you see excessive smoke or if the butter that you added burns.
To achieve perfect doneness every time, use a meat thermometer.
Take steak pieces off the heat at 125°F for rare, 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, and 155°F for medium-well.
A meat thermometer is particularly important because it will keep heating up even after you pull it off the heat.
Rest for 2-3 minutes so that juices can redistribute from the center to the outside of the steak after you finish cooking it.
This is particularly important for the bite-sized pieces of meat that you will use because you don't want any moisture to get left behind.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
Approximately 6 ounces (about 6-8 steak bites with garlic butter sauce)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385 kcalTotal Fat: 26ggCholesterol: 130mgmgCarbohydrates: 2ggProtein: 36gg