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Pan-seared garlic butter steak sliced in a cast-iron skillet with roasted garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and rosemary.

Garlic Butter Steak

Amanda S
Pan-seared garlic butter steak cooked in a hot cast-iron skillet with a deep mahogany crust, basted in foaming garlic-herb butter with fresh thyme and rosemary, and finished with a juicy medium-rare center in 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 474 kcal

Equipment

  • 12-inch cast-iron skillet
  • Kitchen tongs
  • Large stainless-steel basting spoon
  • Instant-read meat thermometer
  • Chef's knife and warm wooden cutting board

Ingredients
  

Steaks and High-Heat Sear

  • 1.5 lbs (680 g) boneless beef top sirloin steaks 2 thick-cut steaks (about 1.25 inches / 3 cm thick), or New York strip
  • 1.5 tbsp (22 ml) avocado oil or neutral high-smoke-point oil
  • 1.25 tsp (7.5 g) fine sea salt or 2 tsp (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 0.75 tsp (2 g) freshly cracked black pepper coarse grind

Foaming Garlic Herb Butter Baste

  • 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter cold, cut into 3 even pats
  • 5 cloves (18 g) fresh garlic peeled and lightly smashed with the flat of a knife
  • 4 sprigs (4 g) fresh thyme rinsed and patted completely dry
  • 2 sprigs (4 g) fresh rosemary rinsed and patted completely dry
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce for savory umami depth
  • 1 tbsp (4 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, for finishing

Instructions
 

  • Pat the top sirloin steaks thoroughly dry on all sides with paper towels so no surface moisture steams the meat. Season generously across both faces and along the side edges with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper right before cooking.
    Two thick-cut raw beef top sirloin steaks patted dry and seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper on a board.
  • Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes until faint wisps of smoke appear. Add the avocado oil and swirl to coat the pan. Lay the steaks in the skillet with at least 2 inches of space between them and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes until a deep mahogany crust forms on the underside.
    Two thick-cut top sirloin steaks searing in shimmering avocado oil in a hot 12-inch black cast-iron skillet.
  • Flip both steaks using kitchen tongs. Hold each steak upright on its fatty side edge with the tongs for 45 seconds to render and crisp the outer fat strip against the hot cast iron, then lay flat and sear the second face for 1 minute.
    Tongs holding a seared beef steak on its side edge in a cast-iron skillet to render and crisp the golden fat cap.
  • Turn the burner down to medium-low. Immediately add the cold unsalted butter pats, lightly smashed garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Tilt the pan slightly and continuously spoon the foaming, aromatic garlic butter over the tops of the steaks for 1.5 to 2 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the center reads 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare, or 145°F (63°C) per FoodSafety.gov minimum internal temperature guidelines.
    Spoon basting foaming melted garlic butter with smashed garlic, thyme, and rosemary over seared steaks in a skillet.
  • Transfer the steaks to a warm wooden cutting board and spoon the golden skillet garlic butter and roasted cloves over the top. Rest undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes (at least 3 minutes per USDA guidelines) so the muscle fibers relax and retain their juices. Slice 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick against the grain, scatter with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and spoon the remaining warm pan jus over the slices.
    Rested medium-rare garlic butter steak sliced against the grain on a wooden board and drizzled with pan herb butter.
Pan-seared garlic butter steak sliced in a cast-iron skillet with roasted garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and rosemary.
Garlic Butter Steak

Notes

  • Two-Stage Thermal Control: Never sear steaks directly in butter from the start. Milk solids scorch at 350°F (177°C), turning bitter before the beef can brown. Searing in avocado oil first builds a deep Maillard crust, and adding cold butter pats after lowering the heat cools the pan just enough to create a nutty, foaming emulsion (beurre mousseux).
  • Smashed vs. Minced Garlic: Using peeled, lightly smashed whole garlic cloves during the baste infuses the butter with sweet roasted garlic aroma without burning. If you want to finish with raw minced garlic, stir it in off the heat during the final 20 seconds.
  • Steak Bites Variation: To make garlic butter steak bites, cut the raw top sirloin into 1.25-inch (3 cm) cubes, sear in two uncrowded batches for 90 seconds per side, then toss off the heat with the foaming garlic herb butter.
  • Nutrition Transparency: Calculated per serving from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the listed quantities; optional toppings are not included.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (6 oz raw steak + garlic butter)Calories: 474kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 35gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 636mgPotassium: 594mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 442IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 3.7mg
Keyword garlic butter steak, garlic butter steak recipe, pan seared garlic butter steak, top sirloin steak recipe
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