Pan Seared Steak + Steak Meal Prep Ideas

Pan Seared Steak + Steak Meal Prep Ideas

This Pan-Seared Steak has a garlic rosemary-infused butter that makes it taste steakhouse quality. You’ll be impressed at how easy it is to make the perfect steak – seared and caramelized on the outside, and so juicy inside.

Thank you to Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff for sponsoring this garlic butter steak recipe. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

As everyone is staying home, working from home and homeschooling, people are cooking way more often and looking to improve their cooking skills. You all have been asking for more simple and delicious recipes that come together fast and have minimal ingredients. This steak recipe is so satisfying and will impress your entire family.

The BEST Pan-Seared Steak

This 20-minute recipe is done on the stovetop in one pan (no need to finish it in the oven). This is one of our favorite steak recipes and we make it year-round because it’s such a quick and convenient cooking method. That garlic butter is lip-smacking good! Read on for great tips on how to improve beef sustainability, reduce food waste and you will love our ideas for easy meal prep with leftover steak.

Pan Seared Steak + Steak Meal Prep Ideas

This Pan-Seared Steak has a garlic rosemary-infused butter that makes it taste steakhouse quality. You’ll be impressed at how easy it is to make the perfect steak – seared and caramelized on the outside, and so juicy inside.

Thank you to Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff for sponsoring this garlic butter steak recipe. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

As everyone is staying home, working from home and homeschooling, people are cooking way more often and looking to improve their cooking skills. You all have been asking for more simple and delicious recipes that come together fast and have minimal ingredients. This steak recipe is so satisfying and will impress your entire family.

The BEST Pan-Seared Steak

This 20-minute recipe is done on the stovetop in one pan (no need to finish it in the oven). This is one of our favorite steak recipes and we make it year-round because it’s such a quick and convenient cooking method. That garlic butter is lip-smacking good! Read on for great tips on how to improve beef sustainability, reduce food waste and you will love our ideas for easy meal prep with leftover steak.

Ingredients for Garlic Butter Steak.

It really doesn’t get any easier than this and you don’t need much to make a lip-smacking good steak. We used 2 New York Strip Steaks (pictured below), each weighing 1 pound and 1 1/4″ thick. Keep in mind a thicker steak will take longer to cook through and a thinner steak will cook faster.

Well-marbled steaks will give you the juiciest results. Our favorite steaks to cook on a skillet are:

  • New York Steak
  • Top Sirloin Steak
  • Ribeye Steak
      Ingredients for Garlic Butter Steak.

 

How to Pan Sear Steaks:

  1. Pat dry – use paper towels to pat the steaks dry to get a perfect sear and reduce oil splatter.
  2. Season generously – just before cooking steaks, sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat the pan on medium and brush with oil. Using just 1/2 Tbsp oil reduces splatter.
  4. Sear steaks – add steaks and sear each side 3-4 minutes until a brown crust has formed then use tongs to turn steaks on their sides and sear edges (1 min per edge).
  5. Add butter and aromatics – melt in butter with quartered garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Tilt pan to spoon garlic butter over steaks and cook to your desired doneness (see chart below).
  6. Remove steak and rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Pro Tip: We prefer using a large cast-iron pan for best heat conduction, but a large heavy stainless steel pan will also work.

Pan Seared Steak + Steak Meal Prep Ideas

This Pan-Seared Steak has a garlic rosemary-infused butter that makes it taste steakhouse quality. You’ll be impressed at how easy it is to make the perfect steak – seared and caramelized on the outside, and so juicy inside.

Thank you to Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff for sponsoring this garlic butter steak recipe. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

As everyone is staying home, working from home and homeschooling, people are cooking way more often and looking to improve their cooking skills. You all have been asking for more simple and delicious recipes that come together fast and have minimal ingredients. This steak recipe is so satisfying and will impress your entire family.

The BEST Pan-Seared Steak

This 20-minute recipe is done on the stovetop in one pan (no need to finish it in the oven). This is one of our favorite steak recipes and we make it year-round because it’s such a quick and convenient cooking method. That garlic butter is lip-smacking good! Read on for great tips on how to improve beef sustainability, reduce food waste and you will love our ideas for easy meal prep with leftover steak.

Ingredients for Garlic Butter Steak.

It really doesn’t get any easier than this and you don’t need much to make a lip-smacking good steak. We used 2 New York Strip Steaks (pictured below), each weighing 1 pound and 1 1/4″ thick. Keep in mind a thicker steak will take longer to cook through and a thinner steak will cook faster.

Well-marbled steaks will give you the juiciest results. Our favorite steaks to cook on a skillet are:

  • New York Steak
  • Top Sirloin Steak
  • Ribeye Steak

How to Pan Sear Steaks:

  1. Pat dry – use paper towels to pat the steaks dry to get a perfect sear and reduce oil splatter.
  2. Season generously – just before cooking steaks, sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat the pan on medium and brush with oil. Using just 1/2 Tbsp oil reduces splatter.
  4. Sear steaks – add steaks and sear each side 3-4 minutes until a brown crust has formed then use tongs to turn steaks on their sides and sear edges (1 min per edge).
  5. Add butter and aromatics – melt in butter with quartered garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Tilt pan to spoon garlic butter over steaks and cook to your desired doneness (see chart below).
  6. Remove steak and rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

How to Pan Sear Steaks

Pro Tip: We prefer using a large cast-iron pan for best heat conduction, but a large heavy stainless steel pan will also work.

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 145 degrees F and it should rise to 150-155˚F as it rests. The USDA recommends cooking steaks to at least 145 degrees. Read more beef safety tips here. Use the following steak temperature chart. These numbers reflect the final temperature after resting 10 minutes.

  • Medium Rare (soft, dark pink inside): 145 degrees F
  • Medium (soft, some pink inside): 160 degrees F
  • Well Done (very firm, no pink inside): 170 degrees F

Steak Doneness Temperature Chart

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).

Pro Tip

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

Pro Tips for the Best Steak

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.

How to Buy and Store Beef

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 Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. for more great dinner inspiration and recipes.

Steak Meal Prep

Pan-Seared Steak with Garlic Butter

This Pan-Seared Steak has a garlic butter that makes it taste like a steakhouse quality meal. You’ll be impressed at how easy it is to make the perfect steak that’s seared on the outside, and perfectly tender inside.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs New York Strip Steaks (2 steaks), or Ribeye or Top Sirloin Steaks (1 lb each steak, 1 1/4” thick)
  • 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil, or any high heat cooking oil like canola or extra light olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

How To Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

How To Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

When it comes to grilling, chicken breasts can be problematic, especially boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The meat itself is lean, and without the bones to insulate it or skin to protect it, that naked chicken breast on the grill has a tendency to easily overcook and dry out.

So, what to do?

Grilled Chicken Breast: The Solution (Brine!)

One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine.

Another way, which doesn’t require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first.

How Long To Brine Chicken Breasts

All it takes is 30 minutes in a simple brine solution of 1/4 cup kosher salt dissolved in 4 cups water. This is all the time you need for the chicken breasts to absorb enough moisture so they can better hold up to the heat of the grill without drying out.

With a half an hour of brining, the salt that is absorbed isn’t so much that the chicken becomes salty, but it is enough so that the flavor of the grilled chicken will be enhanced. We would normally salt grilled chicken breasts, right? You don’t need to do that if you brine.

How To Grill Chicken Breasts

Then it’s a simple rub with paprika (great for color) and olive oil (no sticking on the grill). Onto the hot side of the grill the chicken goes for searing, then the cool side for finishing. And you have beautiful, perfectly juicy grilled chicken breasts!

Love Grilled Chicken? Try These Recipes!

  • Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
  • Barbecued Chicken on the Grill
  • Chipotle Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwich
  • Grilled Salsa Verde Chicken
  • Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

How To Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

  • PREP TIME 10 mins
  • COOK TIME 15 mins
  • BRINING 30 mins
  • TOTAL TIME 55 mins
  • SERVINGS 4 servings

The grilling time depends on the temperature of your grill and the thickness of the chicken breasts. The temperature of a charcoal grill is difficult to regulate, and not all gas grills have a temperature gauge.

It’s always a good idea to use a meat thermometer when cooking meat that’s at least an inch thick. I take chicken off the grill at a little bit lower temp (155°F) than is usually recommended for poultry, but that’s because the chicken will continue to cook for several minutes once it’s off the heat and resting. Taking the chicken off the heat at this temperature helps insure that the meat doesn’t overcook and get dried out. If you feel more comfortable taking the chicken off the heat at a higher internal temperature, please feel free to do so.

Ingredients

For the brine

  • 4 cups cool water
  • 33 grams salt (1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or 2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt, or 1 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt)

For the chicken

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for the grill)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

Method

  1. Brine the chicken breast:

    In a large bowl, whisk the salt in the water to dissolve. Add the chicken breasts to the brine. Put in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

  2. Prepare your grill:

    Arrange your grill so that one side is for high direct heat, and the other side is cooler. Alternatively, you can use a grill pan set over medium-high heat.

  3. Coat the chicken with oil and paprika:

    Remove chicken breasts from brine and pat dry. Coat with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with paprika.

  4. Grill the chicken breasts:

    Brush some olive oil on the grill grates. Place chicken breasts on the hot side of the grill (or on the grill pan). Let the chicken grill, undisturbed, until the pieces start getting some grill marks (you can lift up one to check).

    When the chicken pieces have browned on one side, turn them over, and move them to the cooler side of the grill (low heat, not no heat). Cover, and let them finish cooking.

    Remove chicken from grill when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 155°F.

  5. Rest the chicken breasts, then serve:

    Cover the breasts with foil. The chicken will continue to cook in its residual heat while it rests. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

NUTRITION FACTS(PER SERVING)
373 CALORIES
16g FAT
0g CARBS
53g PROTEIN
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes

Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes

This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.

With over 4,000 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the all-time most popular recipe on my website. It is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Chunks of well-marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce. It takes a few hours to make, but the recipe is mostly hands-off. Go ahead and make it a day or two ahead of time; the flavor improves the longer it sits.

This stew is part of my classic French recipe collection, which includes similar slow-cooking comfort food recipes, like coq au vin and red wine braised short ribs, and impressive main courses, like steak au poivre or roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS & POTATOES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS & POTATOES

The most important thing is to start with the right cut of meat. You want to buy chuck roast that is well-marbled—that means it should have a good amount of white veins of fat running through it. Stay away from meat generically packaged as “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean (I can guarantee you it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it).

For the wine, use any dry red (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS & POTATOES

HOW TO MAKE BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS & POTATOES

Begin by removing any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to (like the one my knife is pointing to below), but don’t overdo it with the trimming, as the fat helps make the beef tender.

Begin by removing any large chunks

Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Next, season the meat

Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.

Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch

This step is a bit time-consuming but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew. (Note: it’s important not to crowd the pan — if you try to brown all the meat at once, it will steam instead of sear and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.)

This step is a bit time-consuming but browning

Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pan. The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor.

Remove the meat and add the onions

Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.

Cook until the vegetables are softened

Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

Stir until the flour is dissolved.

Stir until the flour is dissolved.

Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.

Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.

After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.

Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour

Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking. You can leave out the potatoes and serve it over buttered egg noodles, or toss in some frozen peas or sautéed mushrooms at the very end. Either way, it’s soul-satisfying comfort food for a cold night.

Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking