5 Easy 3-Ingredient Steak Sauces
Welcome to Snapshot Cooking, the home of Kitchn’s easiest recipes. These mini recipes are so simple you can practically cook from the before-and-after snapshot itself.
Every year on Valentine’s Day, my husband and I splurge on a nice cut of steak. We season it with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and either cook it hot and fast in our cast iron skillet on the stovetop or head outside to the grill. To finish it off, we top it with a sauce — my secret to easily elevating any steak dinner at home.
I’m a firm believer that if you start with a high-quality piece of meat and it’s cooked properly, steak really doesn’t need much to make it taste great. But trust me — once you add a sauce to the equation, you may never go out to a steakhouse again. These simple sauce recipes call for just three ingredients, come together in minutes, and make your steak applause-worthy. All you need now is a green salad and a glass of red wine on the side.
5 Snapshot Recipes for 3-Ingredient Steak Sauces
- Each recipe calls for three ingredients, all of which can be found at most grocery stores.
- We assume you have pantry staples like olive oil, salt, and pepper, so those aren’t included in our ingredient count.
3 Basics Methods for Cooking Any Cut of Steak
Mustard Cream Sauce
Sauté 1 finely chopped small shallot in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup heavy cream and simmer over medium-low heat until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
Red Wine Balsamic Sauce
Pour 1 cup dry red wine and 1 cup balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened and reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Garlic Mushroom Sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound thinly sliced cremini mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 more tablespoons unsalted butter and stir until just melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Smoky Herb Sauce
Place 2 cups packed fresh soft herb leaves such as parsley, cilantro, basil, or a combination in a food processor with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon, and drizzle of olive oil. Pulse until well-combined but still a bit rough in texture. Season with salt and pepper.
Black Pepper Blue Cheese Sauce
Crumble 4 ounces blue cheese into a food processor. Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and a splash of water. Blend until smooth, adding a splash or two more water, if needed.