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    Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry

    September 19, 2024

    This steak stir-fry with a savory garlic-and-butter sauce feels indulgent, and is so easy to make. Served on its own or with rice, it’s the perfect quick weeknight dinner.

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    Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry with snappy peas in a cast iron pan

    This Steak Stir-Fry Puts Take-Out to Shame.

    Fast and healthy: two of our favorite adjectives when it comes to weeknight dinners. If you’re anything like us, you’re constantly looking to mix up your weeknight meal rotation. Verdant, crisp snow peas and a fragrant garlic-butter sauce mean that this easy steak stir fry is the perfect way to welcome spring. For more garlic stir fry goodness, check out our Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry or our Cumin Beef recipe.

    Easy. Steak. Butter. Garlic. Do we have your attention? Let’s get started!

    close up of Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry with snow peas

    What Kind of Beef Do You Use for Steak Stir-Fry?

    We’d like to tell you that any cut of beef works when trying to achieve a high quality stir-fry, but when it comes to making the very best steak stir-fry, it’s all about the cut. While you can use flat iron, skirt steak or sirloin, our favorite cut of beef for stir-frying will always be flank steak. Here’s why we love flank steak for stir-fries:

    • It’s lean! Flank steak is made from a cow’s abdominal muscles and is therefore super lean. Perfect for stir-frying in our ultra-delicious garlicky soy sauce and butter sauce.
    • It’s affordable. While flank steak is not always the cheapest cut, it is one of the more affordable cuts of beef.
    • It slices easily into thin, even pieces. And thin slices are the key to perfect stir-fried beef. But more on that later.

    Note: If you can’t find flank steak at your local grocery store, sirloin or skirt steak will also yield delicious results. While you’re buying sirloin, double up and make our Beef Stroganoff another night!

    Ingredients laid out for Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry snap peas, soy sauce
    Sliced steak marinating in a bowl

    How Do You Make Stir-Fried Beef Tender?

    There’s nothing worse than taking a bite of flavorful beef only to find that you have to chew the heck out of it because it’s tough, not tender. So, how do you make sure that your stir-fried steak is nice and tender? In addition to starting with the right cut, it’s important to slice your steak really thin. The thinner, the better! The easiest way to achieve really thin slices is to cut your beef when it is slightly frozen. If you don’t have time to freeze your beef first, then just be sure to use a sharp knife and take your time.

    seared steak strips in a skillet
    Chicken stock, butter and garlic in a pan with a wooden spoon.
    Garlic butter sauce simmering in a pan with snow peas.
    Steak And Snap Pea Garlic Butter Stir Fry in a cast iron pan

    How-To Make the Best Steak Stir-Fry:

    1. Start with a great cut of beef (see above) and slice it thin!
    2. Choose your vegetables. Because it’s almost spring, we paired our steak stir-fry with vibrant green snow peas, but broccoli is also a great alternative. Be sure to adjust your cook time depending on the vegetables you choose.
    3. Choose a pan that allows for really high heat. For example, a cast iron skillet, carbon steel pan, or a wok if you have one. Get the pan really hot, so that when you add the oil it sizzles and even smokes slightly.
    4. Season the beef and coat it in cornstarch. This will give your stir-fried steak a glorious crispiness.
    5. Add the meat to the hot pan. Work in small batches to avoid overcrowding. This ensures that your beef will have a nice crisp exterior and tender, juicy interior.
    6. Once the meat is cooked—this will happen fast—remove from the pan and set it aside.
    7. Add your veggies to the hot pan. Give them a quick fry while stirring.
    8. Sauce time! Once the veggies are cooked, return the cooked beef to your pan along with the garlic, soy sauce and butter sauce. True, soy sauce and garlic butter is not a traditional stir-fry sauce by any means, as far as we’re concerned it should be! It’s SO delicious with the stir-fried steak and peas!
    Steak And Snap Pea Garlic Butter Stir Fry with snow peas in a pan

    Is Steak Stir-Fry Healthy?

    If you use ghee (clarified butter) or grass fed butter to make your garlic-butter stir fry sauce, then this recipe would be considered paleo, Whole30 AND Keto-approved! Seen in that light, this is one healthy meal! Flank steak is a very lean cut—in fact, it’s one of the very healthiest cuts of beef you can buy. Plus, stir-frying the veggies means that they cook quickly and lightly, thus maintaining a lot more nutrients than they would if they were steamed or boiled.

    What to Serve with Steak Stir-Fry:

    If you’re on a keto or any kind of low-carb diet, this beef and snow pea dish is a great stand-alone dinner. For those of you that are just looking for a quick and tasty meal full meal, we highly recommend serving this over steamed rice OR with some noodles. It would be delicious over fresh pasta, or Asian-style noodles like thick udon or even buckwheat soba noodles.

    Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry with snappy peas in a cast iron pan

    Equipment You’ll Need to Make this Steak Stir-Fry with Garlic Butter Sauce:

    Good tools make for good food. These kitchen gadgets are some of our favorites and can help you achieve the best results with this steak stir-fry recipe:

    Need More Quick Dinner Ideas? We’ve Got You Covered.

    In Love with this Steak Stir-Fry?

    Did you make and LOVE this dish? Is that garlic butter sauce the current theme of all your wandering thoughts? We get it. Share your handiwork with us on Instagram by tagging @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can celebrate this food victory along with you. Happy eating!

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    Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry

    Updated on September 19, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  15 min
    • Calories:  347
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    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ pounds skirt, flank, or flat iron steak, cut against the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ¼ cup soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • ¼ cup beef or chicken stock
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 cups snow peas
    • Green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
    • Fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
    • Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Season the steak all over with salt and pepper.

    2. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Add the steak and toss to coat evenly with the marinade.

    3. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or wok over high heat. Once the oil is just smoking, working in batches, add the steak in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and continue with the remaining steak.

    4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the stock, butter, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

    5. Return the steak, along with the collected juices to the pan. Add the green onions and parsley, if using. Toss to combine. Serve warm over rice, if desired.

    Note: To get really thin strips, place the meat in the freezer for an hour or two before slicing and be sure to use a sharp knife!

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 347
    • Protein 25 g
    • Carbohydrates 7 g
    • Total Fat 24 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 20 mg
    • sodium 991 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Emily

      My supermarket doesn't carry snow peas, but they do have sugar snap peas. Can I use those? How would the recipe change?

      Ya, you can totally sub them! Enjoy!

    • Rachel

      After you freeze the steak in order to slice it, do you cook it right away while still frozen? Or do you need to let it come to room temp before you cook it?

      It will thaw out incredibly fast after thinly slicing it. And you can't cut it when it's fully frozen, so yes, it is fine to make right away.

    • Christine

      This was delicious, however, I would not salt the meat. It's so thin, and the soy sauce brings a lot of salt. I did add sesame oil and a sprinkle of sugar. I used extra butter and stock. It turned out great, salt was much better.

      Thanks Christine, glad you enjoyed it!

    • Deb

      So delicious! Made this one at least 6 times now. It’s a family favorite. Only downside is the splatter on the stove, but it’s worth it!

      Thank you Deb! We are so happy you love it! That's so great you've made it so many times!

    • Robin

      It didn't need the initial salt and pepper, and I put a bit of sesame oil in the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Wow. Yum.

      Thanks Robin! Glad you loved it. The initial salt and pepper help make the meat more flavorful but if you enjoyed without it that is great to hear!

    • Jessica

      So good! Added some red pepper flakes for spice and I actually doubled the cornstarch/soy sauce mixture with just under 2.5lbs of meat. Perfection, the family loved it.

      Thanks Jessica, so happy everyone loved it!

    • Nicole

      TMP does it again! My entire family LOVED it and my husband said, "add this one to the rotation:)"

      THANKS NICOLE! So happy to hear it was a win for the whole family!