A great alternative to grilling, these delicious Spicy Buttered Steak Bites are cooked completely in one skillet right on your stove top!

I have to confess something, Dear Reader. I’m not really that big on red meat. In fact, until now, the only way I would ever eat red meat is if it was cooked all the way through.

If the slightest bit of pink was showing when I cut into my steak, I’d push the plate back and refuse to eat it, or throw the steak back onto the grill or in the pan. It needed to be extremely well done.

When I was about nineteen years old, I went for Christmas Eve dinner with a friend and her family. The dad ordered steak. The server asked him how he wanted it prepared and he replied with the oddest things I had heard in my life to that point. “Blue,” he said.

I was already out of my comfort zone with this family. They had money and class and my family had neither of those things. We had survival and manners. I wasn’t about to make myself look any more out of place than I already did, so I didn’t bother asking. I ordered the chicken.

Fast forward about ten years later to when I was married. My ex-wife loved red meat above any other thing in the world that you could put on her plate. And, she loved it rare with a lot of pink and a lot of “juices.” In the beginning, I would avoid looking at her plate entirely. I eventually got used to it.

After that marriage ended, along came John.e, who at present date has been a vegetarian for twenty seven years, I think. I never had to worry about red meat ever again. That was until McKenna decided she was no longer a vegetarian as well, and like her mother, likes to eat red meat.

How does she like her steak? With a little bit of pink. It took me a while, but I got it right. And, do you know something, Dear Reader? It turns out that I’ve been eating steak wrong my whole life! I can now deal with a little bit of pink – and oh, that flavour! It’s so much better. I don’t have to eat steak with ketchup anymore!

Spicy Buttered Steak Bites are larger cuts of steak that have been marinated in a dry seasoning mix and then seared in a skillet until just browned on all sides. Don’t worry – if you cut the beef in large two inch cubes, you will not over cook it.

The steak bites are then tossed in a butter and garlic mixture and oh, Sweet Lord, the heavens open up and your taste buds awaken from their slumber. I could barely get the photographs taken without eating one piece after the other.

On those days when it’s too cold or wet to grill, or if you don’t have a grill, don’t worry about it. A skillet and a stovetop is all you need to get a deliciously prepared steak with char on the outside, lots of garlicky butter flavour, and tender, moist meat on the inside. This is one dish that will be prepared many, many times in our home. Sorry, John.e.

Spicy Buttered Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strip loin steak, cut into two inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground black pepper.
- Add the cubed steak to a large Ziploc bag. Pour in all of the spice mixture and massage through the steak thoroughly. Seal the bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. (No longer than 3 hours.)
- Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and over medium heat, sear the steak cubes on all sides for 2-3 minutes. (Do this in batches so that you don't over crowd the skillet. Adding too much of the steak at one time will result in more steam and you won't get a good sear on the steak without cooking it for too long.)
- Once the steak has all been seared, place it on a plate and set aside. Add the butter and the garlic to the skillet. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned – about 3 minutes.
- Add the steak back to the skillet and stir into the butter and garlic mixture. Turn off the heat and continue to toss the beef in the butter for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition


Leslie says
Oh, I definitely think this recipe will be trouble for me! I LOVE a good steak but hate the inconvenience of using the grill. Just reading through this recipe had my mouth watering for a bite!
Danielle says
One of my favorite dinner options! Delicious recipe that makes it really easy to eat meat and enjoy all of the steak flavors without grilling. Very keen to try your way of making it now! 🙂
Kelly says
I’m in the same boat as you. I really like the flavour of steak but I only eat it once in a while. My partner on the other hand is straight up meat and potatoes so I’m bookmarking this recipe for sure. It will come in handy with my weekly meal plan. Thanks!
April says
I was worried that the end of the grilling season. But not anymore. This is such a great alternative to steaks on the grill – I am sure I will love these bites just as much, if not even more. Yum!
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I just can’t get over how perfectly these bites are cooked! I love that they get a nice crust on the outside, but are tender and not over cooked on the inside. Plus everything is a little better with garlic butter!
Kendra Baum says
So delicious and incredibly easy to make. Also made the brown butter mushrooms and shallots to go along with it. Will definitely have these again. #lordbyronskitchenrecipesrock
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Kendra! 🙂 #lordbyronskitchenrecipesrock Love that hashtag!