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If you’re looking for the ultimate date-night dinner at home, this garlic butter steak recipe is a showstopper. The steak is first seared on the stove to lock in a rich, golden crust, then finished in the oven for a tender, juicy center. What makes it unforgettable is the homemade garlic herb butter that melts over the top, adding layers of flavor with every bite.
Whether you’re planning a fancy dinner at home, treating yourself to a restaurant-style meal, or searching for the best garlic butter steak recipe to impress guests, this dish delivers on flavor, texture, and simplicity.
Easy Garlic Butter Steak Recipe
Have you ever had a steak so perfectly cooked and seasoned it melts in your mouth? That rich steakhouse flavor feels impossible to recreate at home, but this garlic butter steak recipe makes it easy. Juicy, tender steak topped with sizzling garlic herb butter can be yours right from your own kitchen.
Picture the best steakhouse you’ve ever been to: the sizzling hot plate, the aroma of garlic butter dripping down the sides, the kind of steak that makes every bite unforgettable. With a few simple techniques, you can create that same experience at home. I’ll show you how to sear steak on the stove, finish it in the oven, and top it with the most incredible homemade steak butter.
Garlic Butter Steak Ingredients
If you’ve been lucky enough to enjoy garlic butter steak at a fancy steakhouse, you may mistakenly think the cooking process is complicated. In reality, cooking steak with butter couldn’t be simpler!
Here’s what you’ll need to prep the steak and make the steak butter:
- Steak of Choice: The star of the dish! Pick a well-marbled cut like ribeye or filet mignon for the juiciest, most flavorful results.
- Olive Oil: Helps create a beautiful golden sear while keeping the steak from sticking to the pan.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that bring out the natural flavor of the steak and build a savory crust.
- Unsalted Butter: Melts into a rich, velvety topping that enhances the steak with indulgent flavor.
- Minced Garlic: Infuses the butter with bold, aromatic depth that makes every bite irresistible.
How to Cook Steak in the Oven
In my opinion, the best way to cook steak is to first sear it on the stovetop, then transfer it to the oven to finish cooking. This cooking method delivers perfect results every time!
Here’s how we make garlic butter steak at home:
- Prepare: Pat the steak dry and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper to enhance flavor and create a savory crust.
- Heat: Warm a skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil until shimmering for a perfect sear.
- Sear: Brown the steak on each side for a nice crust that locks in juices.
- Finish:Â Transfer the steak to the oven to cook to your desired doneness for a tender, juicy center.
- Butter: Melt unsalted butter with minced garlic and spoon it over the steak for rich, aromatic flavor.
- Rest: Let the steak rest a few minutes before slicing to preserve juices and tenderness.
Cooking the perfect garlic butter steak at home is easier than you think. With just a few simple steps, you can achieve this juicy steak with a rich garlic butter finish!
Tips for Making the Best Garlic Butter Steak
Prep the garlic butter: Make the garlic butter sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Keep it chilled until serving for the best flavor.
Season in advance: Sprinkle the steak with salt at least 45 minutes before cooking (or the day before). Let it rest uncovered in the fridge. This dries the surface for a better sear, enhances flavor, and helps tenderize the meat.
Heat the skillet: Preheat the oven with a cast iron skillet inside so it’s piping hot. Then move the skillet to the stove top to sear the steak from the bottom, creating a rich crust before finishing in the oven.
FAQ
Guess what, if you’re wondering when to salt steak, it’s not in the cooking process at all. Salting your steak should begin anywhere from 40 minutes to 24 hours ahead of time. This really gets into the meat and also helps to break down those fibers. You really shouldn’t cook steak immediately after salting as the salt just comes off.
The most common reason your steak is tough is overcooking, but a few other factors can play a role:
Wrong Cut: Some cuts, like flank or skirt, are best for slicing in stir-fries or fajitas, not for a steakhouse-style dinner. Choose ribeye, T-bone, or similar cuts for that classic steak experience.
Old Meat: Meat that isn’t fresh can lack fat and tenderness, making it harder to cook a juicy steak.
Overcooking: Heat tightens the meat’s proteins and squeezes out juices, leaving your steak dry and tough.
Steak comes in so many varieties, though here I will cover just a few favorites!
Ribeye Steak: Richly marbled for juicy, beefy flavor. Trim fat only after cooking so it can melt into the meat.
T-Bone Steak: A two-in-one cut with tenderloin on one side and strip steak on the other. Flavorful but a bit tricky to cook evenly.
Filet Mignon (Tenderloin Steak): Buttery, tender, and mild in flavor. Elegant and melt-in-your-mouth, though less beefy than ribeye.
New York Strip Steak: Firm and hearty with a ribbon of fat on the edge and less marbling inside. Flavorful but leaner than ribeye.
Flank Steak: Great for fajitas or carne asada. Best cut in half before cooking and sliced thin against the grain for tenderness.
Sirloin Steak:Â Lean, versatile, and affordable. Not as rich as ribeye but still flavorful and perfect for everyday cooking.
We typically use a ribeye or a filet. We love the beefy flavor and the tenderness of the meat!
Reheating and Storing Steak
To store leftover garlic butter steak, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in foil or place it in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to three days.
When reheating, avoid the microwave, which can dry out the meat. Instead, warm the steak in a low oven on a foil-lined pan until heated through, then quickly sear it in a hot pan to crisp the outside. Serve with extra garlic butter to bring back that fresh, juicy flavor.
There’s nothing quite like a perfectly cooked garlic butter steak. With a juicy, flavorful center and a golden, buttery crust, it’s a meal that feels special even on a weeknight.
Other Main Dish Recipes That Will Elevate Any Meal:
How to Make Easy Garlic Butter Steak
Prevent your screen from going dark
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To make the garlic steak butter, combine butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to parchment paper; shape into a log. Roll in parchment to 1 ½ inches in diameter, twisting the ends to close. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, 3 Cloves Garlic, 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
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Preheat oven to broil. Place an oven-proof skillet, we prefer to use our Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, in the oven.
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Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry. This is essential to get a nice caramelization on the steak. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper evenly to taste.
3 Rib-Eye Steaks, 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
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Remove the skillet from the oven and heat over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
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Once the pan is hot, place the steak in the middle of the skillet and cook until a dark crust has formed, about 1 minute. Using tongs, flip, and cook for an additional 60 seconds.
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Remove the skillet from the stove.
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Place your skillet into the oven and cook until desired doneness is reached, about 4-5 minutes for medium-rare, flipping once. Let rest for 3-5 minutes, tented, not wrapped with foil.
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Serve immediately with a slice of garlic butter.
To reheat, place leftover steaks on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and warm them on the middle rack of a 250-degree oven for about 30 minutes.
Serving: 1steak, Calories: 667kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 65g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 34g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 506mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
