This garlic butter sauce for steak is the perfect condiment for any cut of steak that could use an extra boost of flavor. Made with butter, garlic, garlic powder, and lemon, this savory and satisfying sauce that comes together in 5 minutes or less. It's the perfect condiment to take your steaks from just okay to steakhouse quality in a flash.
This sauce will complement any steak, no matter the cut. Use it to dress up a quick air fryer steak or to top off a gourmet Wagyu ribeye. Enjoy!
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This mouthwatering garlic butter sauce is incredible on steak but can be used on other things like veggies, fish, or chicken too. It's incredibly easy to prepare and adds a pop of citrus and garlic flavors that enhance any meal.
You can pour the sauce right over your steaks or serve it on the side for dipping. From here on out, you won't want a steak without it.
🥘 Ingredients
All you need is a handful of simple ingredients to whip up this sauce. The parsley is optional, but I love the flavor and how fresh herbs add some color to the garlic butter.
- Butter - ½ cup of butter. European butter will have the smoothest and richest flavor (*see note).
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (about 3 cloves).
- Garlic Powder - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed for the best flavor.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon each, more or less to taste.
- Fresh Parsley (optional) - 1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Garlic Butter Sauce For Steak
This recipe is incredibly simple, you just toss everything in one pan. You'll just need some measuring utensils, a saucepan, and a silicone spatula for stirring.
One batch of this garlic butter sauce makes about 8 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons calculated per serving.
- Saute the garlic. In a small saucepan, melt ½ a cup of butter over low to medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to your melted butter once it starts to bubble. Saute the garlic in butter for 30 seconds to a minute, making sure to stir constantly to keep the garlic from burning.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice then season with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper to taste. Whisk or stir to combine, cooking for about 30 seconds to a minute more.
- Add parsley and serve. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of parsley if using, then serve immediately.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Using high-quality, high-fat butter will result in the best garlic butter sauce. Grass-fed products and European brands, or European-style butter offered by US brands, are the best choices.
- Freshly squeezed lemon is a delicious ingredient in this dipping sauce. You can, of course, use bottled lemon juice but it's not quite as tasty. Plus, with fresh lemons, you can add some delicious lemon zest too!
- Parsley is optional, and you can use freeze-dried or dehydrated parsley as an easy swap. Be sure to start with less and add more as desired.
- This sauce recipe will yield a little more than ½ cup or 8 tablespoons. Each serving is calculated as 2 tablespoons of the steak sauce.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place leftover leftover sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 15 days.
The quickest and easiest way to reheat the butter sauce is in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. You can also place it in a saucepan over low heat until it is melted and warmed through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
I used salted butter to make this sauce, but you could really do either one. You may need to use more salt if starting with unsalted butter. Be sure to taste as you go and adjust the salt to your liking.
Sure! This is especially useful if you make a big batch and portion it out. Let the garlic butter cool off, then transfer it to a Ziploc freezer bag and squeeze out the air. It will last frozen for 3 months and you can quickly reheat it whenever you need it!
If you would prefer your sauce a little thicker, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch and cook it over medium heat until it thickens to your liking.
🥩 Steak Recipes To Try
- Broiled Ribeye Steak - Let the oven do all the work with this easy ribeye steak recipe.
- Pan-Seared T-Bone Steak - Nothing beats a perfectly seared T-bone with some garlic butter and fresh herbs.
- Sirloin Steak Tips - These juicy little steak morsels are even better dipped in garlic butter sauce!
- Grilled Filet Mignon - The only thing better than a juicy filet mignon fresh off the grill is one covered in garlic butter.
- Pan-Seared Picanha Steaks - Tender and juicy butter-basted steaks that are cooked to perfection.!
- Blue Rare Steak - If you enjoy your steak on the rare side, try this New York strip with a drizzle of garlic butter sauce.
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📖 Recipe Card
Garlic Butter Sauce For Steak
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional, chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to your melted butter once it starts to bubble. Saute the garlic in butter for 30 seconds to a minute, making sure to stir constantly to keep the garlic from burning.
- Stir in the garlic powder and lemon juice then season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk or stir to combine, cooking for about 30 seconds to a minute more.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the optional parsley if using, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Using high-quality, high-fat butter will result in the best garlic butter sauce. Grass-fed products and European brands, or European-style butter offered by US brands, are the best choices.
- Freshly squeezed lemon is a delicious ingredient in this dipping sauce. You can, of course, use bottled lemon juice but it's not quite as tasty. Plus, with fresh lemons, you can add some delicious lemon zest too!
- Parsley is optional, and you can use freeze-dried or dehydrated parsley as an easy swap. Be sure to start with less and add more as desired.
- This sauce recipe will yield a little more than ½ cup or 8 tablespoons. Each serving is calculated as 2 tablespoons of the steak sauce.
- To store: Place leftover garlic butter sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 15 days.
- To reheat: The quickest and easiest way to reheat garlic butter sauce is in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. You can also place it in a saucepan over low heat until it is melted and warmed through.
Anja says
Was looking for a simple and light sauce for my steak, found this recipe. Super easy and so delicious... everybod love it! Thanks for the recipe!