Honey Bourbon Steak Tips are seared in a cast iron pan until charred on the outside but still juicy on the inside. They are both sweet and salty with the wonderful flavor of bourbon. This is one of my favorite ways to cook steak for dinner.
Type of Steak to Use
I like to use either filet mignon or ribeye for this recipe. Filet is good because it stays so tender and I love the flavor ribeye has due to its higher fat content. A less expensive choice is sirloin.
I add some mushrooms to the pan at the end and they really soak up the flavor of the steak juices.
Steak Marinade
The steak is cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated in honey, brown sugar, garlic, bourbon, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, plus some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
The sugar and honey helps the steak bites develop those caramelized brown spots on the outside, making it taste like steak candy. 🙂
You can use any bourbon that you like. My favorite bourbon to cook with is Maker’s Mark. It has a nice smooth flavor.
The sweetness of the honey and brown sugar is balanced with the saltiness of the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Cooking steak that has already been cut into bite-sized pieces makes the cooking process quick and easy. Plus there’s no need for steak knives.
Every time I serve steak, I’m woefully reminded of how precious few steak knives I own.
What Type of Pan to Use?
A well-seasoned cast iron pan is best for getting a good sear on the steak.
Cooking the steak in a super hot cast iron pan helps the flavor really develop. A combination of vegetable oil and butter provides plenty of flavor and the oil will let you cook at a high temp without burning the butter.
Honey Bourbon Steak Tips Recipe Tips:
Brandy can be used instead of bourbon.
I like the sweetness of this recipe but some people find it too sweet. Cut the honey and sugar back a little to make it less sweet.
Serve Honey Bourbon Steak Bites with a potato side like Melting Potatoes or Parmesan Crusted Ranch Potato Wedges.
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is!
Honey Bourbon Steak Tips
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds steak cut into chunks, Rib-eye, sirloin, or fillet
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 (6-ounce) package mushrooms, cut in quarters
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour into a large ziptop bag. Add steak cubes and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Heat vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Add steak. You will probably need to cook it in two batches because you don't want to crowd the pan. Cook until seared on all sides. Remove from pan. Add remaining butter to pan and cook mushrooms until browned.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published January 30, 2016.
I like to use a cast iron pan for this recipe.
More Steak Recipes
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My go to recipe for steak.
It has a very nice taste. I may have cut the meat too big as some were a bit rare. I will be making this again, it has a nice flavor.
I just made this tonight and it definitely tasted like steak candy. I used rib eye steaks and everything tasted perfectly. Great recipe, thank you!
I made this with steak tips and honey from our local farms and they were quite delicious. in think that this recipe would be better on the bbq as I am a little better with timing the meat so they come out med/rare. They came out a little too rare and the sugars in the cast iron pan got a bit burnt so the mushrooms picked up the burnt flavor. The recipe may take a little practice so that the pan is just the right temp so that the meat browns and the sugars don’t burn. We loved the honey bourbon flavors with just enough sweet and heat. We may try it again with the bbq.
We made this tonight with all ingredients except the garlic. It was fantastic.
A little too burboney for me.
I thought so too the first time I made it. Since then I’ve made it using only have to amount of bourbon came out so delicious.
We have made this several times but with filet mignon as the meat. It is so good. My husband asks for it a couple times each winter since we’re not outside barbecuing.
This is terrible what a waste of good ribeye This was hardly what I would call tender and honestly the marinade leaves much to be desired. Cannot recommend this as all. Sounded great but executes very poorly. And yes I am am excellent cook. This recipe just is not good in my opinion. If you like tough ribeye with a nondescript and overly sweet taste, then give it a try.
Look forward to making it