Published November 1, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Give yourself one bite of this butter-basted steak recipe, and you’ll never want to cook a steak any other way. Combining a perfect sear and a rich, buttery finish on a beautifully marbled steak creates a fine dining experience at home.
We don’t indulge in steak often, but when we do, there’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak basted in butter, garlic, and herbs—a technique that leads to juicy, flavorful steaks with a glorious seared crust. Try my Black and Blue Steak or Steak Au Poivre recipes if you want more ways to enjoy a great steak.
Butter Basted Steak
Basting steak is a simple culinary technique popularized by renowned chefs like Thomas Keller and Gordon Ramsay. Like the reverse sear method, it involves spooning melted butter over a steak while cooking in a skillet with garlic and fresh thyme or rosemary on the stove. There’s no better way to create that coveted caramelized crust while bringing out the meat’s natural flavors.
By tilting the pan and using a spoon to coat the steak repeatedly in melted unsalted butter, the steak slowly absorbs the delicious flavors of the butter, garlic, and herbs. The finished dish is a perfectly cooked, juicy steak with a golden-brown crust and a luscious buttery sauce. It’s the kind of steak that satisfies a craving on a busy weeknight and impresses everyone on special occasions!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Steak – I prefer ribeye or New York strip steak. A well-marbled ribeye is rich and buttery, while a New York strip is tender and flavorful with a firmer bite. If you want a leaner option, try filet mignon or sirloin.
- Oil — Olive oil is the best option for searing steaks, but avocado oil and beef tallow are also great options.
- Butter – I use grass-fed unsalted butter when basting steaks because it adds richness, helps with browning, and keeps the saltiness in check. Clarified butter is an excellent alternative for craving an even richer flavor.
- Aromatics – Basting the steaks with fresh garlic cloves and thyme sprigs infuses the meat with even more restaurant-quality flavor. Other herbs you could use are rosemary, sage, or oregano.
- Seasonings – Seasoning the outside of the steak with coarse salt enhances its natural flavors and creates a savory crust, while freshly cracked black pepper adds depth.
How to Butter Baste a Steak
Start by patting the steaks dry on all sides with a paper towel.
Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper.
Next, heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over high heat until the oil shimmers and smokes lightly.
Place the steaks in the hot pan and turn the heat to medium. Let them cook undisturbed for 1 minute and 30 seconds for medium-rare steak.
Use tongs to gently move the steaks around in a circular motion for another minute and 30 seconds. This technique locks in moisture and enhances the crust on top.
Flip the steaks and reduce the heat to medium. Immediately add the butter, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme to the pan.
Once the butter melts, wrap a kitchen towel around the skillet handle and carefully tilt the pan slightly so the melted butter collects on one side. With a large spoon in your other hand, repeatedly spoon the melted butter, garlic, and thyme over the steaks (this is known as basting). Continue basting the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes to infuse them with flavor and create a beautifully browned crust.
Transfer the butter-basted steaks to a wire rack.
Let them rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving with compound butter, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and your other favorite steakhouse-style side dishes.
Steak Cooking Times and Temperatures
Use a meat thermometer and this helpful guide to sear and baste your steaks to the perfect temperature:
- Rare – 125°F (52°C) internally. Sear for 1 minute per side and baste for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Medium rare – 135°F (57°C) internally. Sear for 1.5 minutes per side and baste for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Medium – 145°F (63°C) internally. Sear for 2 minutes per side and baste for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Medium well – 150°F (66°C) internally. Sear for 2.5 minutes per side and baste for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Well done – 160°F+ (71°C+) internally. Sear for 3 minutes per side and baste for 5 to 6 minutes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: Butter-basted steak is best served when it’s done cooking.
How to Store: Allow the leftover steak to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or wrapping it in aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
How to Reheat: Steak can be tricky to reheat without drying it out. To keep it juicy, take the leftovers out of the fridge 30 minutes before reheating, then re-sear it in a hot pan with a small amount of butter or oil until warmed through.
Chef Notes + Tips
- A large cast iron or carbon steel pan is best for seared steak.
- For extra flavor, dry brine the steaks with salt and let them chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. While they chill, the salt around the outside will penetrate the meat to yield juicier, more flavorful results.
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Room-temperature steaks cook more evenly and have a more consistent crust.
- Butter has a low smoke point and can burn pretty quickly. To avoid burning it, introduce butter to the pan only after the steak has been seared on both sides and keep the heat medium. Also, remember that clarified butter has a higher smoke point and is less likely to burn.
- The key is constant motion. When basting, continuously spoon the butter over the steak to ensure even cooking and infuse it with rich, buttery flavors.
More Steak Recipes
- Reverse Steak Recipe
- Picanha Steak Recipe
- Coulotte Steak Recipe
- Tomahawk Steak Recipe
- Cold Sear Steak Recipe
Butter Basted Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 12-14 ounce New York Strip Steaks or RIbeyes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 garlic cloves
- 8 to 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the steaks dry on all sides with a paper towel.
- Season them on all sides with salt and pepper. You can also dry brine the steak for 4 to 24 hours.
- Add the olive oil to a large cast iron or carbon steel pan and heat over high heat until the oil smokes lightly.
- For a medium-rare internal steak, place the steak in the pan, turn the heat down to medium, and let the steak cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Next, using tongs, move the steaks around in a circular motion for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Doing this will help completely brown the top of the steak.
- Flip the steak over, turn the heat down to medium, and immediately add in the butter, garlic, and thyme.
- Once the butter melts, using a towel in one hand, tilt the skillet down on the handle to where the melted butter collects With a large spoon in your other hand, scoop the butter and pour it over the steaks repeatedly. I also like to put the garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs over the steaks while doing this to incorporate more flavor.
- Baste the steak for 2 to 3 minutes to help brown and flavor the steak more.
- Remove the steaks and place them on a rack to rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
Butter Basted Steak Recipe