Amazing Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak in 20 mins

If you’re like me, weeknights demand *flavor* but absolutely refuse to beg for three hours of cooking time. I’ve got you covered! This recipe right here is my absolute trump card for when I need something that tastes like I spent all afternoon fussing but only took about twenty minutes in reality. We’re talking about the ultimate Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak. It’s simple, it’s bold, and that garlic butter sauce? Oh my goodness, it drenches the tender sirloin in pure richness.

My method focuses on two simple, non-negotiable steps: getting the pan searing-hot and letting the meat rest properly. Stick with those two things, and I guarantee you’ll have the most tender, flavorful steak you’ve ever made on a Tuesday night. Seriously, this combination unlocks the best texture possible for a quick pan-fried steak!

Why You Will Love This Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak Recipe

Listen, there are a million steak recipes out there, but this one is on my rotation for a reason! It’s the absolute fastest way to get a restaurant-quality steak on the table. You don’t need fancy equipment or a culinary degree to nail this one. Here’s the lowdown on why I swear by this specific technique for my Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak:

• It’s Blazingly Fast: We’re talking less than 20 minutes total time, seriously! It beats takeout any day of the week when you’re starving and tired after work.
• Flavor Explosion, Zero Effort: That sauce! The combination of hot butter melting into fresh, fragrant garlic right after searing the meat creates this incredibly rich coating. It feels way more elegant than it actually is.
• The Texture is Unbeatable: By searing hot and then resting the sirloin steak properly, you lock in all those juices. No one wants dry steak, and this recipe makes sure yours is perfectly tender every single time. If you want more juicy tips, check out how I guarantee bliss with my favorite secret for juicy steaks!
• Simple Ingredient List: You probably have almost everything already—butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and a good piece of steak. No need to run to five different specialty stores for obscure ingredients.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

Okay, for this amazing recipe, you don’t need a huge shopping list, which is totally the best part! We are keeping things focused on high-quality, simple components that really shine when cooked quickly. My go-to cut is sirloin steak, and here’s why: it’s lean, it’s economical, and when you sear it fast and treat it right, it becomes wonderfully tender without getting tough. Plus, soaking up that garlicky sauce? Sirloin handles it like a champion.

Here’s what you need to gather up:

• One piece, about 1.5 pounds of good quality sirloin steak (make sure it’s not too thin!).
• Four tablespoons of unsalted butter—and yes, only unsalted, so we can control the saltiness later.
• Four cloves of garlic, and they need to be minced finely. Don’t be shy with the garlic!
• One teaspoon of coarse salt—the bigger crystals give a better crust on the sear.
• Half a teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper.
• One tablespoon of fresh parsley, roughly chopped. This is added right at the finish for color and brightness.

That’s really it! Keeping the ingredient list tight means the quality of each item really comes through in the final dish. Trust me, those four cloves going into that melted butter make all the difference!

Equipment Needed for Your Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

You know, the beauty of this quick steak recipe is that you don’t need a giant collection of specialty gear. We’re cooking straightforward here! Using the right tool, especially for the sear, makes a huge difference in getting that gorgeous, rich crust we are after. If you have a heavy-bottomed skillet, pull that guy out—it holds heat much better than thin pans, which is key when moving from searing the meat to making the sauce.

Here is the short list of what you’ll need on your counter before you start seasoning that sirloin:

• A reliable large skillet. Honestly, cast iron is my favorite here because it distributes heat so evenly.
• A sturdy cutting board for slicing the steak after it rests.
• Some good, clean paper towels for drying the steak surface before searing. This is non-negotiable for a good crust!
• Tongs for flipping the steak without piercing it—we want those juices locked inside!
• A sharp knife for slicing against the grain when serving.

That little kit is all you need to transform simple ingredients into a stunning Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak. See? Easy cleanup, maximum flavor impact. It’s the perfect simple setup for a weekday win!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

Alright, here is where the magic happens! Don’t be intimidated; this whole process moves really quickly once you get going, so read the steps once, get your heat up, and dive in. The timing on the garlic is the trickiest part, but once you nail that, the rich, buttery flavor of this Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak is yours forever. And seriously, don’t skip the resting step—that’s the golden rule for juicy meat!

Preparing and Seasoning the Sirloin Steak

First things first: take your 1.5 lb sirloin steak out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it. Letting it come closer to room temperature helps it cook evenly from edge to center, trust me on this one. Grab those paper towels and pat the steak down until it’s bone dry on both sides. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear! Once it’s dry, season both sides generously and evenly with your coarse salt and black pepper. Don’t be shy; you want a good flavor coating before it even hits the pan.

Searing the Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak to Perfection

Get your heavy skillet heated up over medium-high. You want it hot! Toss in two tablespoons of that butter and let it melt until it foams up nicely. That foam means it’s ready for the steak. Gently lay the seasoned sirloin away from you and let it sear—no touching it! Aim for about 3 to 4 minutes per side if you’re heading for a perfect medium-rare. Once it looks beautifully browned on both sides, immediately remove the steak from the skillet and place it on a clean cutting board. Cover it loosely with foil while you deal with the sauce. This resting time is critical; let that steak chill out for at least five minutes!

Creating the Fragrant Garlic Butter Sauce

This is where we build the sauce base. Since the pan is still warm but the heat needs to be gentle, drop the heat way down to low. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and all your minced garlic. Now, listen closely: Cook this for just about 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until you can really smell that gorgeous garlic aroma. You want warm and fragrant—if it starts looking dark brown, you’ve gone too far and it will taste bitter! Quickly toss in your chopped parsley right before you pull the pan off the heat. That little bit of residual heat will wake up the green flavor.

Slicing and Serving the Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

Your steak should be rested by now. Take your sharpest knife and slice the sirloin against the grain—that means cutting perpendicular to the lines you see running through the meat. This shortens the muscle fibers and guarantees tenderness in every bite. As you plate the slices, do the best final step: drizzle that warm, fragrant garlic butter sauce (make sure you scrape up all those little browned bits from the bottom of the pan!) right over the meat. It’s ready to go! If you want tips on making a great garlic herb butter for later use, I shared my secrets here: how to make garlic herb butter.

Tips for the Best Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak Results

Now that you know the drill for making this delicious Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak, let me share a couple of little secrets I use in my own kitchen to push the flavor and texture over the top. Anyone can follow directions, but these details are what make the difference between a good steak and a *fantastic* steak dinner when you’re wrapping it up in that rich garlic butter sauce!

Trust me, these small tweaks are worth the tiny extra effort:

• Use That Cast Iron Skillet: I mentioned it before, but I have to stress this—your best results will come from a heavy-bottomed pan, ideally cast iron. Cast iron retains heat so incredibly well, and when you lay that dry, seasoned sirloin steak down, the heat doesn’t drop much. This instant, sustained high heat is what builds that beautiful, deep brown crust without overcooking the inside.
• Butter Quality Matters! Since we are using butter as both the cooking fat and the primary flavor base for the sauce, use the best quality unsalted butter you can get your hands on. The flavor compounds in high-fat butter are richer, and they brown much more beautifully without scorching compared to lower-quality fats.
• Don’t Crowd the Pan: If you double the recipe, you must use two separate skillets! If you try to squeeze two steaks into one pan, the temperature drops immediately when the meat hits the surface. This causes the steak to steam instead of sear, and suddenly you’re boiling your sirloin instead of getting that lovely crust for that amazing garlic butter sauce.
• Resting is Mandatory: I know you’re hungry after only 20 minutes of cooking, but you absolutely cannot skip the rest period. If you slice it too early, all the juices—the good stuff that makes the sauce richer—will run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat. Five minutes minimum, even for a quick steak!

Variations for Your Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

I absolutely love sticking to the classic, simple recipe for my Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak, but you know me—sometimes I just get bored, or maybe I’m missing one ingredient and need a substitute! The great thing about a recipe this straightforward is that it’s incredibly forgiving and easy to dress up or change based on what’s lurking in your fridge. It’s all about tweaking that amazing garlic butter sauce!

Don’t feel chained to the parsley and salt combo. Here are a few ways I like to give this sirloin steak a little personality boost on different nights:

Adding Brightness with Citrus

If your steak feels a little ‘heavy’ after all that butter—which almost never happens, but I can dream—a little pop of acid is your best friend. Right after you take the pan off the heat, when you’re stirring in the garlic and parsley, throw in the zest of half a small lemon. Seriously, just the zest! It brightens everything up without making the sauce runny. If you add juice, you risk curdling the butter, so stick strictly to the zest if you go this route. It’s a game-changer for cutting through the richness!

Switching Up the Herbs

While I adore fresh parsley for color, thyme brings this wonderful, savory, almost woodsy note that pairs unbelievably well with beef. For a more robust flavor profile—maybe if you’re serving this steak with a heavy side like potatoes—swap the parsley for a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. You’ll need to put the thyme in slightly earlier than the parsley, maybe right when the garlic starts smelling fragrant, just to give the woody herb time to release its oils into that hot butter.

A Little Deglaze Action

If you want to get a tiny bit fancy, right after you pull the steak out to rest, you can deglaze the pan to build a more complex sauce base before adding the garlic. Turn your heat down to low-medium, pour in maybe two tablespoons of dry white wine or a splash of beef broth. Scrape up all those lovely brown bits stuck to the bottom—that’s pure flavor, my friend! Let it bubble and reduce for about 30 seconds, and *then* drop the heat and add your butter and garlic. You end up with a thinner sauce texture, but the depth of flavor is intense. It’s my little secret when company is over!

Serving Suggestions for Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

So you’ve got this incredibly rich, juicy, garlicky sirloin steak sitting on your board, dripping with that glorious sauce—what’s next? You can’t just eat the steak alone; you need something to sop up every last bit of that garlic butter! Since this is inspired by Brazilian flavors, I always lean toward sides that are simple, comforting, and excellent at soaking up flavor, but honestly, this steak pairs well with almost anything.

You want sides that offer a nice balance. You need something starchy to catch the sauce, and maybe a little bit of freshness to cut through the richness of the butter and beef. Here are my top three picks:

The Ultimate Base: Fluffy White Rice

My absolute go-to, hands down, is plain, perfectly cooked white rice. It acts like a delicious, neutral sponge for this Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak sauce. I’m not picky, but if you want to make a slightly more adventurous rice that still complements the beef well, check out the recipe for my amazing Mexican rice recipe! Even if you just make the simplest white rice, warm, fluffy grains underneath that sliced steak and poured-over sauce is heaven. It’s traditional, and it works perfectly.

A Touch of Brazilian Texture: Farofa

If you really want to lean into the Brazilian inspiration for this dish, you have to try making farofa! Now, don’t let the name scare you. Farofa is essentially toasted manioc (cassava) flour, often mixed with bacon, onions, and herbs. It’s dry, slightly crumbly, and gives the whole plate a fantastic textural contrast to the smooth steak and sauce. If you can find manioc flour, it’s worth looking up a simple farofa recipe. It adds that authentic, savory crunch that makes the meal feel truly special.

Keeping it Light: Simple Green Salad

If you’ve had a heavy lunch or you’re feeling like you need something green on your plate—because we all know we should—a very simple side salad is perfect. The key here is to keep the dressing light and acidic. A vinaigrette made with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and maybe a tiny bit of Dijon mustard works wonders. You don’t want anything creamy that competes with the garlic butter sauce. That little bit of clean, sharp flavor wakes up your palate between bites of rich sirloin steak.

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

Oh, you made too much Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak? Congratulations, you’re in for a treat tomorrow! I rarely have leftovers because that garlic butter sauce is borderline addictive, but when I do, I have a very specific way I handle storage so that the steak isn’t dry and sad the next day. You’ve worked hard for that flavor, so don’t mess it up with bad storage!

The biggest mistake people make is just tossing the whole plate in one container. We need to separate the solids from the sauce because they reheat at totally different rates. The steak will dry out if it’s drowning in cold butter sauce, and the sauce will separate if it gets too hot too fast alongside the meat.

Storing Your Steak and Sauce Separately

As soon as the steak has cooled completely—and I mean completely—slice the leftover sirloin steak against the grain, just like you did the first time. Place the sliced steak into an airtight container. Make sure to gently blot any excess surface moisture, but don’t worry about rubbing it dry; just get rid of the pooling liquid.

Now, for the garlic butter sauce. Transfer the remaining sauce from the skillet into a tiny, separate airtight container. Because it’s mostly butter and garlic, it will solidify once chilled, which is totally normal! Keep the steak and the sauce stored separately in the refrigerator for up to three days. Honestly, the flavor of the garlic permeates the meat even more overnight, which is sometimes even better the next day!

The Best Way to Reheat Your Steak and Sauce

When dinnertime rolls around tomorrow, resist the urge to blast this in the microwave—we are keeping this steak tender! This is primarily a stovetop job. Start by putting your reserved garlic butter sauce container on the stove over very, very low heat. You just want it to melt gently back into a liquid. Don’t let it boil or smoke; just warm it up until it’s fluid again.

Next, take your sliced steak and lay it in a non-stick pan over low heat. Add just enough of the warmed garlic butter sauce to coat the slices lightly—you don’t need to drown it like the first night. Gently turn the pieces over once or twice, just enough to warm the meat through. You are looking for warmth, not for it to cook further. If the steak gets steaming hot, it’s going to tighten up and get chewy. Once it’s warm—maybe two to three minutes total—take it off the heat immediately and spoon any remaining sauce over the top. Serve it up with fresh rice or a quick side salad. Keeping that low heat ensures your leftover Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak tastes almost as amazing as the first time around!

Frequently Asked Questions About Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak

It’s wild how many questions pop up when people try this recipe for the first time! Usually, they are wondering about the steak swap or just wanting extra reassurance that the quick method really works. I totally get it—you want that perfect sear and a delicious result every time you fire up that skillet. Don’t worry, I’ve got the answers right here to make sure your Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak dream comes true tonight!

Can I use a different cut of steak besides sirloin for this Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak?

Absolutely, you can! While I love the lean thickness of sirloin steak for this high-heat sear, flank steak or even a nice ribeye will work wonders. If you switch to flank steak, remember it’s thinner, so you’ll need to cut the initial searing time down by about a minute per side so you don’t cook it past medium. Since ribeye has more fat, you might need to use slightly less butter overall when you start the sauce, just because the steak itself renders more fat during the sear. But yes, feel free to experiment!

How do I ensure my Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak stays juicy?

This is the million-dollar question! Honestly, it boils down to two things you cannot skip. First, you have to get that pan screaming hot for the initial sear—the high heat locks the juices in fast. Second, and this is huge, you must let the steak rest for five full minutes after you pull it off the heat before you slice it. Resting allows the juices that were driven to the center during cooking to redistribute throughout the meat. If you slice too soon, all that delicious moisture just pools on your cutting board instead of staying in your gorgeous sirloin steak!

Can I make the garlic butter sauce ahead of time?

You totally can! I sometimes mix up a big batch of herb butter—without the parsley, though—and keep it tucked away in the fridge. Just melt your butter, cook your garlic until fragrant (but don’t burn it!), swirl in your herbs, and then pour the whole mixture into a small sealed jar and pop it in the fridge. When you cook your steak, you’ll still need to melt that cold butter/garlic mixture down again on low heat, and you’ll probably want to add a fresh splash of butter to make sure you have enough liquid to spoon over the final slices. It saves a couple of minutes right at the end!

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