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cajun steak bites in cast iron skillet
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5 from 16 votes

Cajun Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Juicy, tender morsels of cajun-spiced steak, seared in a hot skillet, then finished in a decadent garlic butter sauce!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30 minute meal
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 449kcal

Ingredients

Cajun seasoning blend

  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or less, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme

Steak bites

  • 1 1/2 lbs. steak strip steak, sirloin, ribeye, etc.
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil divided
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 5 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
  • minced fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prepare

  • Slice steak into roughly 2" pieces and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Season

  • In a small bowl, combine seasoning blend ingredients, then add to the mixing bowl with the steak bites and toss to combine well.

Preheat skillet

  • Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over MED HIGH heat. Do this while the skillet is dry, and heat for several minutes, or until you see wisps of smoke.

Sear (in batches)

  • Add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
  • Add about half the steak (adding less steak if the skillet isn’t very big - making sure not to overcrowd the skillet).  
  • Sear for 2 minutes without flipping, then flip over and sear another 2 minutes, until well browned.  Set aside on a plate and repeat with remaining vegetable oil and steak bites.

Make garlic butter

  • Reduce heat to MED LOW and use the same skillet (don’t wash it - you want all that flavor!), and add butter.  Once melted, add garlic and cook about 30 seconds or so, using a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Combine and serve

  • Turn off the heat, add steak bites back to the skillet and stir well to combine with the garlic butter.
  • Serve hot, sprinkled with minced fresh parsley.

Notes

  1. If you want smaller steak bites, you can cut the steak into about 1 inch pieces, and cook for slightly less time.
  2. Cajun seasoning blend can be tweaked to your tastes.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 965mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1262IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 4mg