Garlic Butter Steak Bites
This Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, in one skillet, and with just a few ingredients. It’s a quick and easy way to enjoy tender, juicy little bites of beef, in the most delicious garlic-infused, savory, buttery sauce!
The Best Garlic Butter Steak Bites
This Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipe is the quickest, easiest, and most flavorful way to get seared steak on the table! With just one skillet and a few simple ingredients, you’re rewarded with tender, juicy, bite-size nuggets of buttery, garlicky, beef steak perfection. Serve this easy steak recipe as an appetizer with toothpicks or as a meal with your favorite steak meal sides. Just know that, either way, they’ll disappear fast!!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Steak Recipe
A hearty steak meal is on regular repeat at our house, and this has become a quick family favorite. Here are a few reasons why you’ll love these steak bites with garlic butter:
- A fun, flavorful way to cook steak. While we love a simple grilled steak and a fancy Steak Diane, this recipe with bite-size pieces of steak cooked with butter and lots of garlic has been a fun way to mix things up around here!
- Doubles as an appetizer or a meal. I serve steak bites with fun pre-dinner cocktails just as much as I serve them for meals along with our favorite sides. You can’t go wrong either way.
- Ready in 20 minutes. Simple ingredients, simple technique. That’s the kind of quick meal I adore!
What You’ll Need
See below for a short rundown of the ingredients needed to make garlic steak bites. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Ribeye steaks – Look for a thick cut of meat, to ensure juicy bites. See below for more steak options.
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
- Butter – I use unsalted butter, and add salt to taste.
- Garlic – I like to use a lot of garlic in this recipe. It mellows out so deliciously when cooked in the butter.
- Worcestershire sauce – This adds a savory, tangy flavor.
- Thyme – This is the perfect fresh compliment to the other flavors in this dish.
- Red pepper flakes – Use as little or as much as you like!
What Steak Is Best For Making Steak Bites?
Ribeye steak is a great choice for this recipe as it’s known for its marbling. And marbled meat equals flavor and tenderness. However, if you prefer a leaner cut, you can also use top sirloin or strip steak.
How To Make Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Steak bites are a quick and easy – and FUN! – way to get steak on the table. Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare the steak. Pat the steak pieces dry with a paper towel and then season with salt & pepper.
- Cook the steak. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Then cook the steak, searing for 2 minutes on the first side. Then flip the steak bites and cook a bit more, depending on how well you like your steak done. Remove steak from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook butter and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the butter in the same skillet. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add remaining flavorings. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme sprigs, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 more minute.
- Add steak to skillet. Return the cooked steak cubes back to the skillet and toss them in the garlic butter sauce, coating them evenly.
- Serve. Remove skillet from the heat. Serve immediately, straight from the skillet. Or transfer the steak bites to a serving dish and garnish with fresh thyme leaves or sprigs.
Garlic Steak Bites Cooking Times
The cooking time for steak cubes will vary depending on the size of the steak pieces, actual cooking temperature, and the desired level of doneness. My suggested total cook time of 3-4 minutes results in medium-rare to medium steak cubes, using thick ribeye steak that is cut into 1″ to 1-1/2″ sized pieces.
For well-done steak bites, you’ll need to cook the steak longer. Just be careful not to overcook, as this can make the beef dry and tough.
An instant-read meat thermometer can help you navigate to your desired level of doneness. Here’s a quick cooked steak temperature list for you to reference:
- Rare: 120°–125°F
- Medium Rare: 130°–135°F
- Medium: 140°–145°F
- Medium Well: 150°–155°F
- Well Done: 160°–165°F
Serving Suggestions
You can serve garlic steak bites as a hot, hearty appetizer or as a main course alongside your favorite sides. Our family likes to eat steak bites with mashed potatoes, plus roasted vegetables and/or a fresh green salad. Here are some options, recipes to serve with garlic steak bites:
- Potatoes. Steak and potatoes were made for each other. Try buttermilk mashed potatoes, easy creamy mashed potatoes, or the best baked potatoes on the planet!
- Salad. A fresh salad is a nice contrast to garlic butter steak. Choose from recipes including arugula beet salad, winter apple salad, or strawberry salad with red wine vinaigrette (always a crowd-pleaser!).
- Vegetables. To add a cooked veggie side dish, how about roasted asparagus or grilled asparagus, my delicious Super Greens copycat recipe, or cinnamon honey carrots?
- Cocktails. Pair garlic butter steak bites with a classic cocktail like a New York sour, a Manhatten, an old fashioned, or a whiskey sour during cocktail hour.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
Garlic steak bites are best served fresh and hot. But if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in a skillet over medium heat and cook until hot. Or place them in a microwave-safe dish and reheat in 30-second intervals until hot.
Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thick ribeye steaks,
cut into 1" cubes
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use more if you like)
- Few springs of fresh thyme, divided
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more if you like)
Instructions
- Pat the steak pieces dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, to help achieve a better sear.
- Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste. I season fairly generously – don't be afraid to season!
- In a very large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Make sure oil is hot, then add steak to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes without moving, to get a good sear. Then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more. These bites aren't huge, so they'll cook fast. You'll only need 3-4 minutes of total cook time for medium-rare steak bites. Plus, the bites will continue to cook after you remove them from the heat. For rare steak, cook for even less time. For well-done steak, cook for 2-4 minutes more after you flip the bites the first time. Just know that longer cook times can lead to steak that is less juicy and tender. Remove steak from the skillet and set aside.
- The skillet should be very hot by now, and you don't want to burn the butter in this step. First reduce the heat to medium-low. Then remove the skillet from the heat for 30-60 seconds to let it cool slightly. Place the skillet back on the heat and add the butter; let it melt.
- Stir the garlic into the melted butter and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant. Do not let the butter and/or garlic turn brown or burn. If needed, lift the skillet from the heat and/or turn the heat down a bit more.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional minute to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Return the cooked steak to the skillet and toss in the garlic butter sauce to coat evenly. Let the steak bites warm for 30-60 seconds. Take care to not over-cook.
- Remove skillet from heat. Serve immediately, straight from the skillet. Or transfer the steak bites to a serving dish. If desired, remove the cooked thyme sprigs – and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs or leaves.
