Perfect Grilled Steak with Herb Butter features a homemade steak seasoning and buttery herb finish. This easy sizzling grilled steak recipe is mouthwatering!
“I’ve been grilling steaks for 45 years and this is without a doubt the best recipe ever. My family raves about it!”
My husband and I were lounging on the deck after the kids went to bed a few nights ago, cold drinks in hand, enjoying the quiet summer evening when I suddenly realized that Father’s Day is this weekend! I’ve been waiting for some big summer kick off to happen, but without me noticing, it’s arrived along with a day to celebrate our dudes.
A craft from the kids is likely in the cards, plus a big, juicy steak. Perfect Grilled Steak with Herb Butter, to be specific!
Watch How to Make It
Perfect Grilled Steak with Homemade Herb Butter
Thick-cut steaks are rubbed with a generous layer of homemade steak seasoning then grilled and smothered with thick-cut compound herb butter, which is fancy talk for butter mixed with fresh herbs, garlic, and steak seasoning.
You are going to want to put this butter on EVERYTHING.
How Do you Grill the Perfect Steak?
The trick for perfect grilled steak is to create two heat zones on your grill – one side will be screaming hot with a high flame, while the second side will be unlit and cooler. Sear the steaks on the hot side to get a flavorful, golden brown crust and those coveted grill lines, then move them over to the cooler side to finish cooking all the way through. This creates a sizzling steak on the outside, and tender, buttery steak on the inside.
YUM.
Hey you know what? Steaks on the grill with sweet corn on the side? THIS is the kickoff to summer I’ve been waiting for!
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Pin ItPair it with Scalloped Potatoes
Step 1: Make the Steak Seasoning
Start by making the homemade steak seasoning. Trust me – this homemade version is light years better than anything you have pre-mixed in your cupboard. Add rock salt, whole black peppercorns, minced dried garlic, minced dried onion, fennel seeds, and red chili pepper flakes to a mortar then grind it up with the pestle.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, add the ingredients to a heavy duty Ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out then crush with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy bottomed skillet.
How to Grind Spices
It’s hard to beat freshly ground spices for flavoring steaks and other cuts of meat, and as I mentioned, a mortar and pestle is the way to do it. This one from ChefSofi Mortar and Pestle is made of granite and costs about $30.
Another option is an electric spice grinder, which could be useful if you find yourself grinding your own spices often. This one from Krups has a removable bowl that’s dishwasher safe and you can get it for around $40.
Step 2: Make the Herb Butter
Next make the Herb Butter. To a bowl add salted butter that’s been softened to room temperature, finely minced rosemary and thyme, chopped parsley, minced garlic, plus a big pinch of the homemade steak seasoning. That last addition is what totally makes the butter.
Mix to combine then scoop the butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log. Refrigerate until solid – overnight is great – or freeze for 20-30 minutes if time is of the essence.
Step 3: Prep the Steaks
These photos show 1lb Bone-In Strip Steaks cut 1-1/2″ thick but you can use whatever steak cut you like best. Ribeyes are a treat!
Pat the steaks very dry with a paper towel then drizzle both sides with a small amount of vegetable oil and rub with a generous pinch of steak seasoning. Don’t be afraid to add a lot – this is a TON of meat.
Step 4: Grill the Steaks
As I said, the best way to get sizzling steaks on the outside and juicy, buttery steak on the inside is to first sear the steaks over a hot, high flame, then move the steaks over to a cooler, unlit portion of the grill to finish cooking via indirect heat. Here’s how you do that:
- Step 1: Turn 1/2 to 2/3 of the burners on your grill to high (if you have 2 burners, light 1 – if you have 3 burners, light 2) then let the grill preheat for at least 10 minutes, or until it reaches 500 degrees. If you have a charcoal grill, heat your coals then move them to one side of the grill when they’re screaming hot.
- Step 2: Add the steaks to the lit portion of the grill then sear for 1-1/2 minutes on each side (if your steaks are thicker or thinner than 1-1/2″, adjust accordingly.) Move the steaks over to the unlit portion of the grill then continue cooking until they’ve reached your preferred level of doneness. My 1-1/2″ thick steaks took ~7 minutes to reach medium.
Grilling Tip
KEEP THE LID DOWN when you are searing and cooking so you don’t lose all the heat you’ve worked to build up!
Steak Temperatures for Doneness:
- Rare (cool red center): 125 degrees
- Medium rare (warm red center): 135 degrees
- Medium (warm pink center): 145 degrees
- Medium well (slightly pink center): 150 degrees
- Well done (little or no pink): 160 degrees
Let the steaks rest on a platter for at least 15 minutes, then top them with big fat slices of herb butter.
Juicy grilled steak perfection!! That salty-seasoned crust and compound herb butter are mind meltingly-delicious. Your quest for perfect grilled steak ends right here. Enjoy, enjoy!
Side Dish Ideas for Grilled Steak
- Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Orzo
- Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Baked Potatoes
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Gluten Free Potato Salad
- Best Baked Beans EVER
- Napa Sweet Corn Salad
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2, 1 lb bone-in strip steaks cut 1-1/2″ thick, or your steak of choice
- vegetable oil
For the Steak Seasoning:
- 3/4 Tablespoon rock salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
For the Herb Butter:
- steak seasoning, see above
- 1 stick salted butter, 1/2 cup, softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
Directions
For the Steak Seasoning:
- Add ingredients to a mortar and pestle then coarsely grind. Alternatively, add ingredients to a heavy duty Ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, then crush ingredients with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or heavy bottomed skillet.
For the Herb Butter:
- Add ingredients to a bowl then stir with a fork to combine. Scoop herb butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap then shape into a thick log and refrigerate until firm (if time is of the essence you can freeze for 20-30 minutes.) Can be done ahead of time.
For the steaks:
- Trim steaks of any big hunks of fat to avoid flare ups on the grill then pat dry with a paper towel. Rub each side with oil then season generously with the steak seasoning and press gently into steaks so it adheres – you should use most if not all of the seasoning.
- Light 2/3 or 1/2 of your grill burners (2 of 3 burners, or 1 of 2 burners, depending on how many burners you have) then heat on high for 10-15 minutes, or until the grill reaches 500 degrees. Add steaks to the lit side then sear on each side for 1-1/2 minutes (adjust accordingly if your steaks are bigger or smaller than 1lb cut 1-1/2" thick,) keeping the lid closed between flipping. Transfer steaks to unlit portion of grill then continue cooking for 7-10 minutes with the lid closed for medium doneness, or until they've reached your preferred level of doneness. Remove steaks to a platter then let rest for at least 15 minutes. Top with sliced herb butter then serve.
Notes
- Steak Temperatures for Doneness:
- Rare (cool red center): 125 degrees
- Medium rare (warm red center): 135 degrees
- Medium (warm pink center): 145 degrees
- Medium well (slightly pink center): 150 degrees
- Well done (little or no pink): 160 degrees
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
My husband fired up the grill. It was our first time using the grill in our new home, and this steak recipe was amazing! So good. I ended up having some leftover steak the next day with some lettuce and your Mediterranean salsa and garlic sauce recipe (from the chicken shawarma recipe I made a couple days ago.) Nowadays, whenever I make something new, my husband always asks, “is this another IowaGirl recipe?” ? Thanks again!
Ahh, I love it!! So glad you were able to break in the new (to you) grill with this recipe. Thank you so much for your nice note, and congratulations on the new house!!
I’ve been grilling steaks for 45 years and this is without a doubt the best recipe ever. My family raves about it!
Oh my gosh, what a compliment!! I am THRILLED to hear that, Henry!
Are rock salt and coarse sea salt the same thing?
Hi Christine! They’re not, but you could use maybe 1/2 Tablespoon coarse salt in its place.
Can this b done in the oven
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing dish.
I love steaks. It’s one of lazy dishes even on a bad day. I prefer air fryer steaks because of its crispy taste. I like the herb flavor you added. Will be trying some mints next. Thanks
Made steaks last night for our late Valentine’s Day dinner…I followed your directions exactly and my husband LOVED them! He wasn’t sure at first about putting butter on steak but he absolutely loved the steak this way..and me, too!
This steak looks really yummy and delicious :D
So, I have to be honest, I am not a steak person, never have been. My husband on the other hand, would have steak for dinner every night, but he also isn’t great at grilling his steak (he usually overdoes it). So when I found this recipe, I took over, and I did everything as written, and he said it was the best steak he had ever had. He also loved the addition of the herbed butter. We will be making this all summer long!
That is AWESOME!! So glad he loved the dish – thank you so much for your feedback, Emily!
Kristin, have you tried to sous vide the steaks in a ziplock bag with the butter and herbs, then removing and placing on grill to char the sides? Since doing this method I haven’t gone back! The bag keeps all the juices in while the steaks cook (and they probably even absorb half the butter as well). The result is unbelievable. I do 60 minutes at 60 degrees C (140F) in a slow cooker converted to a sous vide, then place for about 1 minute each side on a searing hot cast iron skillet.
Ok that sounds AMAZING!! My husband has been dying to sous vide something so we’ll have to give it a try. :)
I made this on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Valentines Day. This is a winning recipe every time.
So glad to hear that, Annie! Thanks for your feedback! :)
Damn! This is one of the best steaks I ever made. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Hi….! Thanks for this great guide but Will you please tell me should i use digital smoker to grill?