Pan Seared Steak & Steak Meal Prep Ideas
This pan-seared steak features garlic and rosemary-infused butter, giving it the quality of a high-end steakhouse dish. You will be amazed at how easy it is to create the perfect steak—beautifully seared and caramelized on the outside, yet incredibly juicy on the inside.
Special thanks to the ‘Beef Checkoff’ for sponsoring this garlic butter steak recipe. While I was compensated for this post, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
With everyone staying at home, working remotely, and homeschooling their children, people are naturally cooking much more than before and trying to hone their culinary skills. Many of you have been looking for simple, delicious recipes that are quick to prepare and require minimal ingredients. This Garlic Butter Steak recipe is not only satisfying but is also sure to win over your entire family.
The BEST Pan-Seared Steak
This recipe takes just 20 minutes and can be prepared in a single pan on the stovetop—no oven required. It is one of our favorite steak recipes; we make it all year round because the cooking method is so quick and convenient. The garlic butter flavor is truly exceptional! Keep reading for tips on how to elevate the recipe and reduce food waste, as well as ideas for easily turning leftover steak into future meals.
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Steak.
It doesn’t get any easier than this; you don’t need many ingredients to make a mouth-watering, delicious steak. Here, we have used two ‘New York Strip Steaks’ (pictured below), each weighing 1 pound and measuring 1 1/4 inches in thickness. Keep in mind that the thicker the steak, the longer it takes to cook, whereas thinner steaks cook more quickly.
Steaks are at their juiciest and most flavorful when the meat has good fat distribution, or ‘marbling.’ Our top choices for cooking in a skillet are:
- New York Steak
- Filet Mignon (Tenderloin)
- Top Sirloin
- T-Bone/Porterhouse
- Ribeye Steak
How to Pan Sear Steaks:
- Pat dry – To ensure a good sear and minimize oil splattering, pat the steaks dry with paper towels.
- Season well – Just before cooking, generously season both sides of the steaks with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the pan and oil – Heat the pan over medium heat and brush it with a little oil. Using just half a tablespoon of oil helps reduce splattering.
- Sear the steaks – Place the steaks in the pan and cook each side for 3–4 minutes until a brown crust forms; then, using tongs, turn the steaks to sear the edges as well (1 minute per edge).
- Add butter and aromatics – Melt the butter and add the quartered garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the garlic-butter mixture over the steaks while cooking them to your desired doneness (refer to the chart below).
- Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tip:Pro tip: We recommend using a large cast-iron pan for even heat distribution, though a large, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan works well too.
Steak Doneness Temperature Chart:
A steaks internal temperature continues to rise as it rests, so remove steaks from the pan about 5-10 degrees before reaching your desired doneness. Use this chart to determine steak doneness when testing with an instant-read thermometer. For example, if you desire a medium doneness steak, remove it from the pan at 135 degrees F, and it should rise to 140˚F as it rests. The USDA recommends cooking steaks to at least 145 degrees. Read more. Use the following steak temperature chart:
- Medium Rare (soft, dark pink inside): Remove at 125˚F for a final cooked temp of 130˚F
- Medium (soft, some pink inside): Remove at 135˚F for a final temp of 140˚F
- Medium-Well (slightly pink center): Remove at 145˚F for a final temp of 150˚F
- Well Done (very firm, little to no pink): Remove at 155˚F for a final temp of 160˚F
Pro Tip: Check the temperature using an instant-read thermometer, inserting it horizontally into the side of the steak, so it penetrates the thickest part of the center of the steak (without touching the bone or fat portions).
What to Serve with Steaks:
Steak is so versatile but our favorite sides for making the perfect steak dinner are:
- Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Oven-roasted Baby Red Potatoes.
- Another classic steak pairing is Corn on the Cob.
- Chimichurri Sauce is a quick way to add tons of flavor
Pro Tips for the Best Steak:
- Preheat pan 5 minutes before adding steak for a great sear with good color and flavor.
- Press steak down just as it hits the pan to ensure steak makes contact with the surface of the pan.
- Loosely cover and rest steaks on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing so they don’t dry out.
- Don’t slice too thin, or the steak cools too quickly.
- Slice steak against the grain and at an angle for a steakhouse presentation
How to Buy and Store Beef:
We love buying larger packages of beef, which are often a better value in price per pound. Once we have our meal plan for the week figured out, we refrigerate what we plan to cook within 3-4 days and freeze the rest. To preserve the quality of our steaks, we vacuum seal since air is the enemy of food. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can also use a freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before freezing. To reduce waste, follow these guidelines:
- Refrigerate Steaks (at 40˚F) for 3-4 days from purchase date
- Freeze Steaks for 6-12 months*
- Refrigerate or freeze right after purchasing
- Place in freezer bags removing as much air as possible, or vacuum seal.
Steak Meal Prep:
Did you know 40% of all food brought home in America goes uneaten? Some of the things we do to reduce waste are to eat what we have in our kitchen and also to repurpose leftovers. Leftover steak is perfect for meal planning. Cooked beef can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen 2-3 months. We love using leftover steak to meal prep Steak Cobb Salad in reusable to-go containers. Here are some more great ideas for using up leftover steak:
- Dice or thinly slice cooked steak for tacos or Steak Fajitas
- Whip up some easy Cheesesteak Quesadillas
- Make a quick Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Love Beef? Visit for more great dinner inspiration and recipes.
Pan-Seared Steak with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Thoroughly pat steak dry with paper towels. Just before cooking, generously season with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
- Heat the cast iron pan until hot then add 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add steaks to the skillet. Sear the steaks on the first side for 4 minutes until a brown crust has formed then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the steak on its sides to render the white fat and sear the edges (1-minute per edge).
- Reduce heat to medium and immediately add 2 Tbsp butter, quartered garlic cloves and rosemary to the pan. Spoon the butter sauce over the steak, tilting the pan to get butter on your spoon. Continue spooning the sauce over the steak for a minute or until the steak is about 5-10 degrees from your desired doneness (the temperature will continue to rise another 5-10 degrees while steaks rest).
- Transfer steak to a cutting board, loosely cover and rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2" strips to serve. Spoon extra butter sauce over sliced steak to serve.
Notes
- Medium Rare: Remove at 125˚F for a final cooked temperature of 130˚F
- Medium: Remove at 135˚F for a final temp of 140˚F
- Medium-Well: Remove at 145˚F for a final temp of 150˚F
- Well Done: Remove at 155˚F for a final temp of 160˚F
