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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I’m the chef for all of the fishing trips we go on.
I make the Steaks Tip every time we go. a huge
hit. Use brandy instead of bourbon. Works fine.
I found this far too sweet. I added salt to the mushrooms and sprinkled sea salt over top of all to make it ok to eat. I normally never add salt to my food. Won’t make it again. But sounded interesting so worth the try. Guess I like my meat far more savory.
One of our favs. I serve it over jasmine rice with fresh green beans, bacon, and onions. Dont expect leftovers with this one!!
This recipe is awesome. We love bourbon, so all things cooked with are wonderful, I made bourbon fudge on top of bourbon brownies for Christmas, a huge hit even with non drinkers. We are having this with AuGrauten potatoes. Yum dinner is smelling great and I am a lucky woman as my husband is the cook.
January, 2018
I’ve been looking for a good recipe to try out my new cast iron pan. This really does need the cast iron pan to get the ideal crust on the meat pieces. I agree that it is a bit expensive because you need good beef, but for my family of 7, it worked out to less than $3.00 a person & you couldn’t eat the same out for that price. We all agreed that it was a keeper, but we felt it was too sweet. Next time I will 1/2 the sweets. I think you do need the flavors that the honey & brown sugar add, tho. The mushroom eaters in my family loved their flavor & requested that I add more next time. I added a vegetable & simple tossed salad & had barely enough left for my daughter to take for lunch the next day!
Just wanted to say that this wayyy too sweet I would cut the honey and sugar in half or more than that. You can’t taste the heat either. And good luck getting all of that off of the bottom of your cast iron skillet. I would use a different pan.
AWESOME ! I just made this for my sister for her birthday added roasted potatoes and onions it was marvelous.
How can I fix this to serve as an appetizer, and keep warm in a slow cooker or instant pot. I don’t want the meat to dry or be over cooked.
Have you grilled these? If so, how did it work?
I do cook this on the grill in a grill pan with holes in it. Turns out great!
This was wonderful, I will be making this again!!!