Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes

Catching Up Before We Cook—Because Why Not?

If you’ve ever come home after a wild Tuesday (like the sort where you realize your sock has been inside out all day), you know the last thing anyone wants to do is fuss over dinner for ages. So here’s what I make: garlic butter steak bites and potatoes. Been making this since my uni days during what my housemates dubbed ‘Salty Carb Dinners.’ My dad would say, “You can’t mess up steak and spuds.” Well, I did. Once. We don’t talk about that night. You’ll be fine.

Why You’ll Love This (Trust Me, I Know!)

I make this when I want something filling but I’d rather not “babysit” dinner. My family actually gets weirdly competitive about who gets the crispiest potato chunk (someone always brings it up days later, silly). Also, if I’ve had a rough day, smashing a garlic clove is weirdly therapeutic. This dish is also a handy way to trick yourself into believing you’ve made a steakhouse-worthy meal—without cleaning a million pans (which, actually, is my main reason for loving it sometimes).

What You’ll Need (and What You Can Swap)

• Steak: I use about 500g sirloin (sometimes I grab ribeye if it’s on sale; if you only have rump, go for it! My gran swore by flash-frying, but who’s got the time?)
• Potatoes: 3 medium ones, diced small. Baby potatoes are lovely and less faffy to peel. Or just leave the skin on—life’s too short.
• Butter: Big ol’ knob. Like 3 tbsp. Salted is better, but on second thought, if all you have is unsalted just add an extra pinch of salt later.
• Garlic: 5 cloves (less if you’re going on a date after, more if you’re like me and never learn)
• Olive oil: 1-2 tbsp, or whatever you need to get the pan going
• Parsley: Chopped. I buy the bags and always forget them in the fridge, but use fresh if you’ve got it.
• Optional extras: Paprika, chili flakes, or a squeeze of lemon over the top—my son claims this is ‘illegal’ but I like it.

How I Actually Make Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes

1. Pre-cook the potatoes: I usually microwave the diced potatoes for 3-4 minutes in a bowl with a splash of water and a plate on top. Faster than boiling! If you’re old school, you can parboil.
2. Get the pan hot: Like, properly smoky hot—heat a big skillet (I use my ancient nonstick, but cast iron gives you better sear if you can be bothered) with olive oil.
3. Potatoes first: Toss them in and let them crisp up for 8-10 minutes, giving an occasional shake. Don’t stir too much. Classic rookie mistake. Season well with salt and pepper, maybe some paprika.
4. Move potatoes to a plate: This is where I always end up eating half of them straight off the spoon because hot potatoes are my kryptonite. Save some for the actual meal though.
5. Steak time: Crank up the heat, add a splash more oil if you need. Toss in the steak cubes—season with salt and pepper as they sizzle. Give them space; if they’re crowded, they steam instead of sear (learned that the smoky way). Sear all sides till lovely brown. This takes like 2-3 min.
6. Add the garlic butter: Throw in the butter and minced garlic. Let the butter foam and the garlic get that good golden (but not burnt) color. If you feel fancy, toss in some chopped parsley now too.
7. Bring everything back together: Chuck the potatoes back in. Swipe the steak bites and potatoes about so they’re all slicked up in garlicky buttery joy. At this point, it doesn’t look pretty, but keep going—it sorts itself out.
8. Taste test: I always nick a steak cube here. If it needs more salt or a squeeze of lemon (or rescuing from an overenthusiastic toddler), adjust!
9. Serve up: Top with more parsley and, if you must, extra butter. Serve right from the pan because you earned it.

Random Notes I’ve Learned (Occasionally the Hard Way)

• Chopping the steak when it’s super cold makes it easier—first time I tried at room temp, it got all mushy. Lesson learned.
• If the garlic burns, just scoop it out and start again. It happens. Don’t stress, but don’t eat burnt garlic—it’s gross.
• Sometimes I add a dollop of Dijon to the butter. Just try it (unless you hate mustard, obviously).

Other Ways I’ve Messed Around With This

• Once I swapped steak for chicken thighs (well, it was… not the same, bit dry actually, but edible).
• Sweet potatoes instead of regular—tastes good but they break up way easier, so cut bigger chunks.
• Shrimp for steak? Actually tasty, but skip the searing—they only take a sec and they *will* rubberize if you’re not careful.

Tools To Use (Or Not)

I usually grab my big skillet for this—anything with a bit of heft. If you only have a dodgy old frying pan, that’s fine. I’ve used a wok in a pinch. Just don’t try this in a tiny saucepan unless you want chaos. Don’t forget a decent sharp knife, but in uni I used a steak knife and it did the trick (just don’t tell my chef friend—or do, she’ll give you a proper telling off and then ask for the recipe).

Storing The Leftovers (Not That I Ever Need To…)

If you have leftovers, pop them in a sealed box and keep them in the fridge. Should last a couple of days, maybe three. To reheat, I chuck them in a pan with a splash of water and a pat of butter. Actually, I think this tastes even better the next day—but honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day so what do I know?

How to Serve—Our Way (But Do What You Want)

I love it with a big salad (something crisp and peppery—arugula if I’m feeling posh, bagged spinach if not). We sometimes add fried eggs on the side, which sounds odd but has become a weird family ritual. Or just eat straight out of the pan in front of reruns (completely normal, right?).

Pro Tips: Stuff I’ve Learned By Messing Up

• Don’t rush the potatoes. Tried that once and ended up with what can only be described as… potato mash with steak. Let them brown, you won’t regret it.
• If you throw in the garlic with the steak, it’ll burn. I still do this sometimes (force of habit)—don’t, just wait till the butter part.
• Finish with fresh herbs if you have them, but skip if you’re out. Not worth a last-minute dash to the shop, promise.

People Actually Ask Me This Stuff—So Here Goes

Can I use a different cut of steak?

Definitely—I’ve done this with flap steak, sirloin, even supermarket ‘sizzle steak.’ Just cut against the grain so it’s not chewy.

Is it ok to use garlic powder instead?

Sure, it’s not quite the same, but 1 tsp will do. Actually, I sometimes do this when I’ve run out (or can’t be fussed mincing).

Any way to make it less rich?

Use less butter, add in lemon at the end, or serve with lots of salad. I’ve tried all three—my son prefers the extra butter, so good luck.

Can I freeze this?

Form what I’ve read, cooked steak and potatoes go a little weird in texture after freezing. Wouldn’t rave about it. But technically yeah, you can. Here’s a guide I’ve used for freezing cooked potatoes: bonappetit.com

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

Not at all. I rarely do unless they’re looking suspicious.

Quick digression – did you know you can grow garlic in a mug on a windowsill? I saw it on Epicurious and now have three stunted garlic shoots battling my cat for space.

If you want some more steak ideas, I kinda like this guide on pan searing from Serious Eats. Guy knows his stuff.

And that’s about it, mate! If you try this, holler at me with how it went—unless your potatoes still tasted raw; in which case, stir them more next time…