Juicy, tender morsels of cajun-spiced steak, seared in a hot skillet, then finished in a decadent garlic butter sauce! Perfect for a quick and easy dinner or fun appetizer.
This recipe is a fun way to make steak that will stretch a buck. You’ll need 1 1/2 lbs of steak, but that will make enough for 4 to 6 people!
You could also cut the steak into slightly smaller pieces and serve this up as an appetizer (just set out some toothpicks and let your guests go to town).
The homemade cajun seasoning is loaded with bold flavors, but not overly spicy, and it pairs so well with the rich flavor of steak.
Once the seasoned steak is seared and mostly cooked through, a glorious garlic butter sauce is made in the same skillet (hellllloooo amazing flavor!). Then the steak is added back to the skillet and tossed in the garlic butter… prepare for your mouth to water!
Ingredients
Cajun seasoning blend
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or less, to taste
- 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Steak bites
- 1 1/2 lbs. steak strip steak, sirloin, ribeye, etc.
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil divided
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prepare
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Slice steak into roughly 2″ pieces and set aside in a mixing bowl.
Season
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In a small bowl, combine seasoning blend ingredients, then add to the mixing bowl with the steak bites and toss to combine well.
Preheat skillet
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Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over MED HIGH heat. Do this while the skillet is dry, and heat for several minutes, or until you see wisps of smoke.
Sear (in batches)
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Add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
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Add about half the steak (adding less steak if the skillet isn’t very big – making sure not to overcrowd the skillet).
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Sear for 2 minutes without flipping, then flip over and sear another 2 minutes, until well browned. Set aside on a plate and repeat with remaining vegetable oil and steak bites.
Make garlic butter
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Reduce heat to MED LOW and use the same skillet (don’t wash it – you want all that flavor!), and add butter. Once melted, add garlic and cook about 30 seconds or so, using a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Combine and serve
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Turn off the heat, add steak bites back to the skillet and stir well to combine with the garlic butter.
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Serve hot, sprinkled with minced fresh parsley.
