Best pan fried steak recipe that is easy, quick, and gives you perfect pan seared skin, tender and juicy inside, delicious garlic butter steak cooked on the stove top. Learn how to pan fry steak that is flavorful, tasty, and better than restaurant quality.
2SteaksRib eye, Newyork strip, porterhouse or any suitable.
2teaspoonsBlack pepperor to taste
Saltto taste
1tablespoonSteak seasoningOptional
2tablespoonsButter
2-4clovesGarlicminced
1.5tablespoonsChopped Parsley
Instructions
Bring the steak out of the refrigerator and let it get to room temperature.
Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper and any other seasoning.
Put the cast iron skillet or stainless steel frying pan on medium heat. When it's slightly hot, add vegetable oil to the pan and let the oil heat for about 2 -3 minutes.
When oil is very hot, put the steaks flat in the pan and press down with a spoon. Let the steaks sear for 3 minutes or till nicely browned then flip them to the other side and fry for another 3 minutes.
Add the butter, garlic, and chopped parsley into the pan and drizzle over the steaks till they are nicely slattered with it then take the skillet off the heat.
Serve steaks but leave them to rest for few minutes before cutting into them.
Notes
Choose good quality steak. Use steak that's at least ½ inch thick that is boneless although you can also use bone-in steak.
Pat steak dry to remove water or moisture before you season.
You can season the steak with salt and pepper only or add herbs and spices according to your preference.
Use a cast iron skillet or stainless steel frying pan for the best result. They are heavy based, heat well, and get even heat distribution which is required for even cooking and perfect searing of steaks.
Let the pan heat for a minute before adding oil then another 2 minutes before adding the steak.
Pan sear the steaks with vegetable oil before adding butter as vegetable oil has a higher smoking point than butter. This way the butter doesn't burn in the hot cast-iron skillet.
Don't put the steak on top of one another. Arrange flat in a single layer, and leave room in the pan to be able to flip the steaks easily.
Garlic butter is great for flavor however if you do not eat garlic, you can omit and use butter and herbs like parsley, coriander, thyme, rosemary.
Rest the steak for five to eight minutes before cutting into it so the juice has time to redistribute inside the steak.
You can use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness.