Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Averie Sunshine
5 from 3 votes
Published: Dec 22, 2025
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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!

A cast iron skillet filled with cooked beef cubes, sliced onions, and chopped herbs in a brown sauce, placed on a wooden table with plates and utensils nearby.

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.
  • In case you’re a true garlic butter fan, my Garlic Butter Chicken is the #1 recipe on my entire website and this Garlic Butter Salmon is in the Top 10 of all time.
A white oval dish filled with cooked beef tips garnished with chopped green herbs, placed on a wooden table with utensils and small bowls nearby.
A plate of mashed potatoes topped with chunks of braised beef, garnished with herbs and sauce being drizzled from a spoon.

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!

Garlic butter: Unsalted butter, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, fresh parsley.

OR…

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.

A variety of ingredients are arranged on a wooden surface, including raw steak, sliced onions, butter, spices, herbs, lemon, garlic, mustard, olive oil, and fresh parsley.
A plate of mashed potatoes topped with braised beef in a red sauce, garnished with chopped chives, on a white textured plate.

How To Make Steak Bites

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Serve: Sprinkle with fresh parsley or other fresh herbs as desired and serve immediately! The best side dishes are steakhouse classics like classic mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts. Mashed cauliflower is also great!

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.

A cast iron skillet filled with cooked beef cubes, sliced onions, and chopped herbs in a brown sauce, placed on a wooden table with plates and utensils nearby.
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5 from 3 votes

Steak Bites

🥩 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 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients 

Steak Bites

  • 1½ pounds ribeye 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)
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil, (olive oil may be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Butter Sauce

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus extra for garnishing)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chives, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, (if you want extra lemon flavor add a bit of lemon zest too)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (I personally use 1-2 teaspoons but start slowly and work up to taste based on preference for spiciness)
  • ½ salt, plus more to taste if desired
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if desired

Instructions 

  • 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.
    Sliced onions being caramelized in a black cast iron skillet on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    A glass bowl containing raw beef cubes seasoned with salt and pepper, placed on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    Raw beef cubes arranged in a single layer inside a black cast iron skillet on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    Chunks of beef are searing in a black cast iron skillet on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    A black cast iron skillet with four cubes of butter melting in it, sitting on a wooden surface.
  • 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 below
    If 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.
    A cast iron skillet filled with a sauce mixture, topped with fresh chopped herbs, mustard, and various spices on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    A black skillet filled with seared beef cubes in a brown sauce, resting on a rustic wooden surface.
  • If you made caramelized onions, add them now too, and toss to combine.
    A cast iron skillet filled with cooked beef cubes topped with sautéed onions, set on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    A cast iron skillet filled with cooked beef cubes, sautéed onions, fresh herbs, and sauce, placed on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    A plate of mashed potatoes topped with a saucy beef stew, garnished with herbs, served with a fork and knife on a white plate.

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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 603cal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 51g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 20g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 165mg, Sodium: 747mg, Potassium: 557mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1403IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Two images show cooked steak bites topped with herbs; the first is served over mashed potatoes on a plate, the second shows steak bites in a large white serving dish.
Cooked steak bites with onions in a skillet, and a close-up of steak bites served over mashed potatoes, garnished with herbs. Text reads "Cowboy Butter Steak Bites.
Oval dish filled with seasoned steak bites garnished with chopped green onions; a spoon drizzles sauce over more steak bites below bold text reading "Cowboy Butter Steak Bites.

more easy steak recipes

Steak bites with onions and sauce served over mashed potatoes, garnished with chives, shown on a plate and in a spoon.
Oval dish of cooked steak bites garnished with chopped herbs, and a plate of steak bites served over mashed potatoes. Text reads "Cowboy Butter Steak Bites.
A skillet of seared steak bites with onions and herbs in a rich sauce, labeled "Cowboy Butter Steak Bites." A spoon drizzles sauce over steak on a plate below.

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. 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.

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    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.

    Reply

    1. 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.

      Reply