Juicy Steak Bites 🥩 are tossed in the most flavorful garlic butter sauce that I kicked up a notch with red pepper flakes, paprika, Dijon, fresh herbs and more. It’s also known as cowboy butter and SO flavorful! This restaurant-quality and protein-packed steak dinner recipe is easy, ready in 15 minutes, and perfect for busy weeknights, entertaining, or date night at home!
Easy Garlic Butter Steak Bites Recipe
The past couple years I’ve revamped how I’ve eaten and protein forward meals are key. And it doesn’t get any more protein-packed than steak!
We’re talking big pieces of the juicy steak of your choice, seared until tender, and then tossed in the most flavorful garlic butter sauce. But it’s not any run of the mill garlic butter sauce.
This type of garlic butter sauce is actually called cowboy butter (not sure where this trend started or who named it) and it has a little bit of a kick from red pepper flakes and loads of flavor from the garlic, Worcestershire, Dijon, lemon juice, herbs, and more.
Optionally, you can caramelize onions to serve with the steak bites but that’s a 45 minute task so if you want to keep this dish confined to a 15-minute recipe, you’ll have to forego the caramelized onions for when you have a bit more time.
Ingredients in Steak Bites with Cowboy Garlic Butter or Cowboy Butter
Steak:Ribeye is a great choice if you prefer more fat marbling. Filet mignon is leaner and more expensive but worth the splurge if you’re a superfan like I am for the tenderness. Sirloin is another good option and is more affordable. If you see “steak tips” at the grocery store, it’s likely top sirloin that’s been cut into pieces for you already. Tenderloin is possible to use as the right steak. Really any steak you love!
Cowboy butter: The same as garlic butter plus Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, lemon juice or lemon zest, paprika, chives, red pepper flakes.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Steak Bites
If you’re going to caramelize onions, start them in a separate skillet about 45 minutes prior to starting the steak. If you’re not, you’ll want to dice the steak, pat dry with paper towels, season generously with salt and pepper.
Steak: To a large cast iron skillet, add olive oil or avocado oil to heat it, add room temperature, bite-sized pieces of steak in a single layer, and sear for about 1-2 minutes per side over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside. Tip: Do not overcook and steak will not be done fully at this point – it’s going back into the skillet.
Butter: To the skillet, add the butter and heat to melt. Scrape up the browned bits from the steak as the butter melts before adding the garlic, cook for 1 minute, stir frequently, and add the remaining ingredients depending on if you want just garlic butter OR cowboy butter.
Combine: Add the steak bites back into the skillet (caramelized onions if using) toss to coat in the melted butter, and cook for 1 minute, or until steak is as done as desired and remove promptly from pan. Tip: Take the temperature with a digital thermometer and don’t guess! Temperature guideline provided in recipe card.
🥩 Steak Bites are tossed in the most flavorful garlic butter sauce or use cowboy butter which is kicked up with red pepper flakes, paprika, Dijon, fresh herbs and more.This restaurant-quality and protein-packed steak dinner recipe is easy, ready in 15 minutes, and perfect for busy weeknights, entertaining, or date night at home!
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Servings: 4
Equipment
large cast iron skillet(I strongly recommend cast iron for this recipe; stainless steel is my second choice)
1½poundsribeye steak, cut into 1 to 1.5-inch cubes, at room temperature and patted dry (sirloin, filet mignon, or another favorite steak may be substituted)
1tablespoonavocado oil, (olive oil may be substituted)
Caramelized Onions: If you're making them, plan on them taking 45-60 minutes so start about 45 minutes prior to when you're starting the steak.
Steak: Slice room temperature steak into large bite-sized pieces, place in a bowl, and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season with salt, pepper, and toss to coat evenly.Steak Tips – Make sure steak has come to room temperature (allow 20-30 minutes) because you'll get much better results and more even cooking with room temp meat than you will with fridge cold meat.
To a large cast iron skillet (I really recommend cast iron because it heats evenly, it gets very hot, and it's heavy and well suited to searing steak), add the oil, heat over medium-high heat for about 30-60 seconds, add the steak in an even, flat layer, and sear for about 1-2 minutes per side. Cooking Tips – Do not crowd the meat and if you need to work in batches, do so. Because you want to sear it, not steam it, which is what will happen if it's crowded in the skillet.
Remove the steak with it's lightly browned on the outside but still pink in the center. It doesn't have to be done at this point. It's going back into the skillet in step 7. Set aside on a plate or in a bowl.
Butter: To the same skillet (do not wipe it out), reduce the heat to medium-low or low, add the butter, and heat to melt, swirling the skillet or moving the butter around with a wooden spoon to encourage it to melt.
Add the garlic, and heat for about 30-60 seconds; stir constantly.
If you're making Garlic Butter rather than Cowboy Butter, add parsley, salt, and pepper to taste, and move on to step 8 belowIf you're making Cowbow Butter, add all remaining ingredients, stir to combine, taste, and make any necessary flavor adjustments such as more red pepper flakes, lemon juice, Dijon, etc.Flavoring Tips – If you're butter sauce tastes at all flat or boring, it likely needs more salt, and possibly pepper, so don't be afraid to add it. A bit of lemon juice (acid) brightens things up too.
Combine: Return the steak bites to the skillet, and toss and flip around in the butter sauce for about 1 minute, or until steak is cooked as desired.
If you made caramelized onions, add them now too, and toss to combine.
Steak Temperature Guidelines: 110-115F for rare, 120-125F for medium rare, 130-135F for medium, 140-145F for medium well, or 150-155 F for well done. Personally, I aim for ~125F because the temperature will continue to increase even after the meat is taken out of the skillet.
Garnish and Serve: Optionally garnish with fresh parsley, other fresh herbs such as fresh basil, cilantro, or rosemary, and serve immediately making sure to spoon extra butter sauce all over the meat and mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower will sop up the extra sauce.
Notes
Storage: Steak is best when freshly made but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Either serve it chilled from the fridge (try this Steak Salad), serve at room temperature (allow it to come to room temp for about 30-45 minutes before you plan to eat it), or reheat very gently in the microwave taking care not to overdo it so you don’t accidentally make it overcooked, tough, or chewy.
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This is such an amazing recipe. I only wish I made it sooner. It’s definitely going to be the recipe that I make again and again. Very easy, so much flavor and just delicious.
If it’s already been cooked, not really. The recipe is not designed for that because if you put already cooked steak in a hot buttery sauce, it’ll continue to cook more and you’ll end up with overcooked, tough, or dry steak.
Thanks so much for the five star review and I’m glad that it was perfect and that you’ll make it again! Good to know that you could also halve the recipe and then it came out just fine for two.
This is such an amazing recipe. I only wish I made it sooner. It’s definitely going to be the recipe that I make again and again. Very easy, so much flavor and just delicious.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Amy, and I’m so glad to hear this turned out amaing for you and that you’re going to make it again and again! Love it!
can i use leftover steak in this recipe
If it’s already been cooked, not really. The recipe is not designed for that because if you put already cooked steak in a hot buttery sauce, it’ll continue to cook more and you’ll end up with overcooked, tough, or dry steak.
Made this tonight and halved recipe for 2 of us. Made with garlic butter and came out perfect. Served with rice and salad and will make again.
Thanks so much for the five star review and I’m glad that it was perfect and that you’ll make it again! Good to know that you could also halve the recipe and then it came out just fine for two.