The 3-Ingredient Garlic Butter Steak Bites I Can’t Stop Making

Everyone in my family loves a steak dinner, especially when I make these garlicky, buttery steak bites! They come out well-seasoned and tender every time and are impressively delicious, especially for requiring zero marinating time and only three ingredients.

They’re also very quick to make. If I’ve chopped my garlic and cut up the steak ahead of time, I can get them on the table in about 10 minutes flat.

The key to these steak bites is the garlic—I use a lot of it so there’s plenty in every bite. Use four cloves if they’re big, and add a couple more if they’re small. This is when you’ll want to use fresh, not jarred garlic. It makes a big difference in the flavor of the final dish since it’s one of only three ingredients!

Choosing the Right Steak for Steak Bites

I have a few favorite cuts of steak to use for steak bites. Most often, I choose top sirloin—it tends to be less expensive than other cuts and strikes a good balance between affordability, tenderness, and flavor. If tri-tip is on sale, I use that—it’s usually more marbled and tender than sirloin. Fancier choices are strip steak and ribeye, ribeye being the fattiest, richest option. It’s honestly a bit over the top with all of the butter in this recipe!

To make things easier, you can buy pre-cut meat if you like. In many grocery stores, you’ll find packages labeled as “steak tips” or “steak bites.” Just don’t go for the cuts labeled “stew meat,” since they tend to be tougher and require longer cooking times. 

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Garlic Butter Steak Bites

For three to four servings, you’ll need:

• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds top sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, or strip steak
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Cut the steak into approximately 1 1/2-inch pieces and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides. I like to use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about 3/4 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Turn on your range hood if you have one. Heat a large (12-inch) stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter begins to sizzle and brown, add the steak bites in a single layer, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them (if you’re using a smaller skillet, you may need to work in batches).

Without moving the steak bites, sear them for about 3 minutes. Use a pair of tongs or a spatula to flip them over, then sear until they are well browned and cooked to medium doneness (140 to 145ºF in the middle when measured with an instant-read thermometer), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the steak bites to a dish.

Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the chopped garlic to the pan. Sauté until the garlic is cooked through and no longer smells raw (but is not browned), 2 to 3 minutes, using a wooden spatula to nudge all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the steak bites back to the pan and toss to coat them evenly with the garlic butter.

Transfer the steak bites to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley (if using), and serve right away.

Tips for Serving These Steak Bites

When I’m serving steak bites, I follow a dinner formula of meat + starchy side + vegetable side. For the starchy side, we’ll usually have crispy potatoes, steamed rice, or buttered noodles, and for the vegetable dish I’ll either air fry or steam some broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts. On nights when I can’t be bothered to chop another thing, the vegetable side is a bag of frozen peas or mixed vegetables, microwaved and tossed with some butter, salt, and pepper.

You can add other ingredients to this recipe if you like. A dab of Dijon mustard stirred in at the end adds a little tanginess. Deglazing the pan with a splash of dry red wine after searing the steak adds depth of flavor. A sprinkle of rosemary gives some woodsy herbiness.

Keep it simple or play around with additional flavors to make the dish your own.