Steak bites recipes: garlic butter steak bites in one skillet

Name: Steak bites recipes: garlic butter steak bites in one skillet
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb (900g) sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 1 tbsp neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to finish; Flaky salt, to finish

2 days ago

3 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

Cubed sirloin steak bites seared golden brown in garlic butter with fresh thyme in a cast iron skillet

Get the Meat Recipe Cookbook

One cast iron skillet, 15 minutes

Steak bites live or die on one thing: whether the pan was hot enough. Cold meat in a lukewarm skillet gives you grey, chewy cubes swimming in liquid. Properly dried sirloin in a screaming cast iron pan, cooked in two batches, gives you a dark crust on every side in about four minutes — and then the garlic butter goes in off the heat.

▸ Get the full comfort food cookbook

Why this one works

Fifteen minutes from fridge to plate, and one pan to wash.
Two batches, never one. Crowding the pan is the single most common mistake and it steams the meat.
The butter goes in at the very end, off the heat, so the garlic never burns.

At a glance

Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Protein: 48g per serving
Calories: 487 per serving

Ingredients

Save This Recipe Collection

Steak

2 lb (900g) sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado

Garlic butter

4 tbsp unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to finish
Flaky salt, to finish

Instructions

Take the chill off. Pull the steak out of the fridge 20 minutes early if you can. Cold meat drops the pan temperature the moment it lands and you lose the crust.
Dry it properly. Blot the cubes hard with paper towel on all sides, then season with salt and pepper. Dry surface, dark crust — there is no way around this step.
Get the pan ripping hot. Set a cast iron skillet over high heat for a full 3 minutes, then add the oil. Wait until it shimmers and sends up the first wisp of smoke.
Sear in two batches. Add half the cubes in a single layer with space between each one. Leave them completely alone for 90 seconds, then turn and give them 60 to 90 seconds more, until browned on at least two sides. Move to a plate and repeat with the second batch.
Make the garlic butter. Kill the heat. Return all the steak to the pan and add the butter, sliced garlic and thyme sprigs. The residual heat is plenty — swirl the pan for about 60 seconds until the butter melts and the garlic turns fragrant and just pale gold.
Finish. Add the Worcestershire and toss once to coat. Scatter with parsley and flaky salt and serve immediately, spooning the pan butter over the top.

Notes and swaps

Sirloin is the sweet spot for value. Ribeye is richer, and flat iron works beautifully too. Avoid stewing cuts — they need hours, not minutes.
For medium-rare, pull at 130F / 54C. The cubes carry over several degrees on the plate.
Serve over mashed potatoes, buttered rice, or a pile of greens to keep it low carb.