Garlic Butter Steak Bites

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Garlic butter steak bites are one of my favorite quick and easy dinners. Tender, bite-sized pieces of steak are seared to golden perfection, then tossed in melted butter infused with shallots, garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs.

A skillet with garlic butter steak bites.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why You’ll Love These Garlic Butter Steak Bites

I love a classic ribeye steak or filet mignon, but these garlic butter steak bites might secretly be my favorite when I’m craving red meat. Maybe it’s because bite-sized foods are just more fun to eat—like my air fryer salmon bites. Or maybe it’s the fact that all the slicing is done upfront, allowing every little piece of steak to soak up that buttery, garlicky goodness on all sides. But here’s what really makes them the best:

  • They take less than 30 minutes to make. These days, speedy meals are the holy grail, and this steak recipe checks all the boxes for a simple, quick, and downright delicious dinner idea.
  • They’re incredibly versatile. Think of these steak bites as the ultimate protein booster for your meals. Wrap them in warm tortillas for steak tacos, toss them onto a bed of greens for a quick-and-easy steak salad, or serve them on a platter with toothpicks as a crowd-pleasing appetizer. I’ve got even more serving ideas below!
Ingredients for garlic butter steak bites.

Steak Bites Ingredients

  • Steak: Grab a tender cut of steak that cooks quickly and evenly. Ribeye, sirloin, or filet mignon are all excellent choices. Ribeye offers rich marbling and robust flavor, while sirloin is leaner and more budget-friendly but still tender. Beef tenderloin can also be used for for melt-in-your-mouth tenderness with a mild flavor.
  • Garlic Herb Butter Seasoning: A simple compound butter mixture of butter, shallots, fresh garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and plenty of fresh herbs is what makes these steak bites so incredibly flavorful. I’m using parsley today, but you can also use fresh rosemary or thyme.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Steak Bites

Season the steak. Pat the cubed steak dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and create a beautiful sear. Then, season them with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Seasoned steak bites on a plate.

Sear the steak. Once your cast iron pan is hot, add the oil. After the oil starts shimmering, add the steak bites in a single layer. Sear for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Then remove the steak to a plate.

Steak doneness tip: The steak bites cook pretty quickly and will become medium-rare to medium (between 125°F to 130°F) in just a couple of minutes. If you like your steak well done, you can cook them for a minute or two longer on each side. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t get tough.

Cooking garlic butter steak bites in a skillet.

Make the garlic butter sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the butter, shallot, and garlic, and saute for 1 minute.

Butter and shallots in a pan.

Finish the steak bites. Add the steak bites back to the pan and stir with the garlic butter sauce to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.

Garlic butter steak bites in a pan.

Ways To Serve Steak Bites

Storage Tips

  • Storing leftovers in the fridge: These steak bites are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, let them cool completely before storing them. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
  • Freezing for later: To retain the steak’s quality, I like freezing them with any leftover butter sauce from the pan. This will help keep the steak bites moist and flavorful when reheating. Then, let them cool completely before storing them away in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
  • The best way to reheat steak bites: Although microwaving is easier, it can sometimes result in tough, chewy steak. So instead, warm them in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of butter or olive oil to retain their texture and flavor.
Garlic butter steak bites with a fork.

More Beef Recipes

If you make this garlic butter steak bites recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.

A cast iron skillet with garlic butter steak bites.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

4.92 from 12 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 18 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

These garlic butter steak bites are tender, juicy, and ready in under 30 minutes! Perfect for quick dinners, appetizers, and so much more. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen.

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 ½ pounds steak (ribeye, sirloin, or filet mignon), cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium shallot, finely diced (about ¼ cup)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (or other fresh tender herbs like oregano or thyme)

Instructions 

  • Season the steak. Pat the cubed steak dry with a paper towel, then season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
    Seasoning steak pieces.
  • Sear the steak. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil. After the oil starts shimmering, add the steak bites in a single layer. Sear for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Then remove the steak to a plate.
    Cooking steak bites in a pan.
  • Make the garlic butter sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the butter, shallot, and garlic, and saute for 1 minute.
    Cooked butter and shallots.
  • Finish the steak bites. Add the steak bites back to the pan and stir with the garlic butter sauce to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
    Garlic butter steak bites in a cast iron pan.

Lisa’s Tips

  • I prefer to use a cast-iron skillet for a really good sear and to enhance the garlic butter sauce. But you can also use stainless steel as long as you preheat the pan correctly.
  • Storing leftovers in the fridge: These steak bites are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, let them cool completely before storing them. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
  • Freezing for later: To retain the steak’s quality, I like freezing it with any leftover butter sauce in the pan. This will help keep the steak bites moist and flavorful when reheating. Then, let them cool completely before storing them away in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
  • The best way to reheat steak bites: Although microwaving is easier, it can result in tough, chewy steak. Instead, warm them in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of butter or olive oil to retain their texture and flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1349mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 769IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Garlic Butter Steak Bites, Steak Bites, Steak Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Recipe Rating




33 Comments

  1. Made this dish and it was very good. So flavorful. I do love a good steak on the grill, so that’s why I had to give 4 stars and not 5. But if indoor cooking is the only option, this is a great recipe.4 stars

  2. Made these for Sunday football watching and they were wonderful! The meat was so tender with the garlic sauce, it melted in our mouths. My husband told me that I’m definitely going to have to make these again for him after complimenting them three times! I used your recipe Lisa with the exception of the fresh parsley because I didn’t have any (a small amount of cilantro was a great substitute-thank you to a previous commenter for the idea!).5 stars

  3. I like to buy a whole beef tenderloin when they are on sale and have them cut to individual steaks. There are some end pieces not big enough for a full steak, so I use those to make these bites. So delicious with rice or potatoes and a salad or veggie. Thank you5 stars

    1. Yes, this recipe is a great way to enjoy those end pieces, Jane! And it’s so easy to serve them up with a variety of sides, as you mentioned. Enjoy!

  4. Simple and easy main that comes out soooo good. I’ve made this twice once with just the seasoning and then again with garlic butter. Either way my family was pleased and I felt like people should be saying ‘yes Chef’ to me. Definitely will keep in rotation.

  5. I made this tonight and it was a hit! My husband said it was like beef tips dialed up. I made an error with the herbs, I had cilantro instead of parsley, but it was still great. Also, I had a New York strip steak and one ribeye in the freezer so that was what I used. I served it with a salad and rice.5 stars

    1. Hi Patricia – I’m so glad you both loved the recipe! And it’s really quite flexible, so no worries using what you have on hand.

  6. I made these last week with sirloin strips I had on hand. I managed to overcook the steak (sigh) but they were still so delicious and easy! I will definitely try again and cube a steak. Thanks for great recipe to add to my rotation!5 stars

  7. I made these with venison loin and they were fabulous! So tasty and tender. Thanks for all your recipes and advice! Next up I’m trying out your crab cakes! Stay tuned.5 stars

    1. Hi Sue – I don’t recommend using non-stick with recipes that require searing or high-heat (as it’s not safe). Do you have any stainless steel pans? That works too!

    1. Hi Leslie – If you click the video button at the top of the post and don’t see the video, it’s likely that you have an ad blocker active. If you disable that you should see the video.

  8. I had a nice steak in the freezer but it was raining here All day, so this recipe made life a bit easier and dryer. Very good, like steak candy! The sear came out great following your directions. Perhaps an addition to the rounded meal option: in between the steak and shallots, I threw in some frozen perogies, at a medium heat for five minutes, then finished the recipe at the lower temp with shallots, butter, garlic. Still a one pan recipe!
    Thanks, Lisa5 stars

    1. Hi Ray – Happy to hear these steak bites ticked the box for a rainy day! I love your variation on this as well.

  9. The steak bites were absolutely incredible! They were so juicy and tender, dripping with flavour as they melted in my mouth—pure heaven. I made them twice already. Even when I accidentally overcooked the first batch they were still to die for! Lisa for the win!5 stars

    1. Yay, so happy you loved them, Amanda! And they’re so simple enough that’s it’s quite easy to whip up that second batch. Enjoy!

  10. We make these a lot in the summer because the flavor is elevated even more when these are cooked on the grill!5 stars

  11. This was SO delicious and incredibly easy. We loved that it was minimal and mostly staple ingredients (the only thing we had to go buy was the steak!). Followed the recipe exactly as is. We served it with a Caesar salad – with Lisa’s Caesar dressing recipe and it was SOOOOO good! We are going to incorporate this into our weekly meal prep protein as it’s so easy but also incredibly flavorful.5 stars

    1. Hi Danielle – So happy you loved these steak bites! And sounds like the perfect meal with a Caesar salad – yum!