Pan Seared Garlic Butter Steak & Mushroom Cream Sauce

The ultimate steak recipe… Garlic Butter Steak served with a creamy mushroom sauce on your table in less than 20 minutes using simple ingredients.

A little butter adds richness and keeps your charred steaks juicy, with the added flavours of garlic and your choice of herbs! Pan Seared Garlic Butter Steak & Mushroom Cream Sauce is a perfect dinner for any occasion.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Growing up in a house full of meat eaters, steak was on the table at least once a week. My Uruguayan father’s signature dish is a thick steak served with chimichurri and, of course, a fried egg. Because of this, I learned early on that the smell of steak charring in a hot pan is hard to beat.

While his grilled version is a classic, my favorite way to cook steaks indoors is by making a butter steak. This technique involves getting a hard sear on the meat, lowering the heat, and continually spooning garlic-infused butter over the steak as it finishes cooking. It flavors the crust without burning it.

To complete this garlic butter steak recipe, I use the leftover butter and pan drippings to make a quick mushroom cream sauce right in the same skillet. I serve it with a piece of garlic bread to get every drop of the sauce.

Ingredients for Pan-Seared Steak

Here is what you need to make this steak, along with what works and what does not when it comes to substitutions.

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• New York Strip Steaks: When choosing the best steaks, I usually stick to New York strips because they take a hard sear without overcooking the center. A thick ribeye steak, top sirloin steaks, or a flat iron steak are great substitutes. I avoid thin cuts like flank steak because the inside turns tough by the time the outside browns,

You need a cut at least an inch and a half thick, though you can chop the meat into steak bites if you need to feed a crowd.

• Butter: You need real, unsalted dairy butter. It is the base for basting the meat and building the sauce. I tested this with margarine and vegan butter substitutes, but they contain too much water. They just boil and splatter in the pan instead of browning, and you lose all the flavor. There is no substitution for real butter here.
• Garlic: I use whole, smashed garlic cloves. As they cook in the butter, they release flavor into the fat without burning. I tried using jarred minced garlic and garlic powder to save time, but both burn immediately in the hot pan and leave a bitter taste on the meat. Stick to fresh, whole cloves.
• Mushrooms: I prefer brown cremini mushrooms for the sauce because they hold their texture when cooked in the cream. You can swap them for standard white button mushrooms if that is what you have. I do not recommend using canned mushrooms. I tried it once and they turned to mush by the time the sauce thickened

Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.

The Rules for a Perfect Steak

To get a good crust without smoking out your house, there is a specific order of operations you need to follow. Do not start cooking your steak in butter. Butter burns at high temperatures.

Instead, follow this process:

• Dry the meat: Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. I use paper towels to pat the steaks completely dry before seasoning them generously with coarse salt and black pepper.
• Sear with oil first: Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy frying pan until it is smoking. Add a high-smoke-point oil like canola or avocado oil. Sear the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side to build a crust.
• Drop the heat: Once you flip the steaks, turn your stove down to medium.
• Add the butter and aromatics: Now you add the butter, crushed garlic cloves, and herbs like thyme or rosemary. The lower heat prevents the butter from turning black and bitter.
• Baste continuously: As the butter melts and foams, tilt the pan toward you. Use an oven mitt if the handle is hot. Take a large spoon and continuously scoop the foaming garlic butter sauce over the steaks for about a minute. This cooks the top of the steak and builds flavor.

How to Tell When Your Steak is Done

I know trying to cook steak can feel intimidating at first, but this Pan-Seared method ensures even cooking and takes dinner to the next level.

The most accurate way to check your steak and hit the perfect temperature is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat. I always take the steaks out of the pan about 5°F (3°C) before they reach my target, as they will continue to cook while they rest on the cutting board.

If I do not have a thermometer, I use the hand test. Press the center of the steak, then compare that resistance to the fleshy base of your thumb.

When you touch your thumb to your index finger, the base of your thumb feels soft, which is exactly what a rare steak feels like. Move your thumb to your middle finger, and that springy feeling is medium-rare. Touching your thumb to your ring finger matches a medium steak, and touching your pinky to your thumb makes the muscle feel firm, which means the meat is well-done.

Relying on touch is an old chef’s secret that helps them move fast in a restaurant kitchen without grabbing a thermometer for every order. It takes a little practice to learn how the tension of the beef changes in the pan, but developing these cooking skills means you will never have to slice a steak open just to check the color again.

Making the Mushroom Cream Sauce

Once the steaks are done, transfer them to a plate and cover them loosely with foil to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not wash the skillet. The remaining pan juices, browned butter, and garlic are exactly what you need for the sauce.

1. Cook the mushrooms: Keep the heat on medium. Add the sliced mushrooms directly to the pan drippings. Sauté them until they soften and turn brown.
2. Deglaze: Add a splash of beef broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3. Thicken the sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the resting steaks immediately, pouring the warm mushroom cream sauce over the top.

What to Serve With

When I serve this butter steak, I look for sides that work well with the cream sauce. I often mash some sweet potatoes because their natural sweetness balances the strong garlic flavor of the meat. Just pair it with your favorite sides like a potato salad or roasted potatoes!

If I want to double down on the creaminess, I will cook an extra batch of mushrooms in butter and garlic to put on the side. On days when I need a vegetable with some texture, I just roast carrots with parmesan in the oven before I start the steaks.

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