Garlic butter steak and shrimp with juicy seared steak, plump shrimp, and a glossy garlic butter sauce all in one pan. ♡
This easy garlic butter steak and shrimp turns date night into a 25 minute one pan affair. Sirloin gets a hard sear for that steakhouse crust, then the same hot pan crisps up shrimp before everything bathes in a garlic butter sauce that begs for crusty bread. For more ideas, see our Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs.
Surf and turf at home that beats the chain restaurant version twice over. Let’s make it together.
Ingredients
Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp
- 1.5 lbs sirloin steak, 1 inch thick
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
How to Make Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp
- **Temper.** Pull steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat very dry, then season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and smoked paprika.
- **Sear steak.** Heat a cast iron pan over medium high until smoking. Add olive oil and steak. Sear 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare (130F internal). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- **Cook shrimp.** Pat shrimp dry and season with remaining salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pan and cook shrimp 90 seconds per side until pink and opaque. Move to the steak plate.
- **Make sauce.** Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and minced garlic. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- **Finish.** Stir in lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Return steak and shrimp to the pan and spoon the garlic butter over everything for 30 seconds.
- **Rest.** Slice steak against the grain and plate with shrimp. Spoon extra garlic butter on top and shower with parsley.
Why This Recipe Works
Patting both steak and shrimp completely dry is what gets the deep brown crust on each. Surface moisture turns to steam in a hot pan and steam steams instead of sears, so a paper towel pat down is the cheapest most effective trick to nailing real restaurant browning at home.
A cast iron pan held over medium high until smoking is the temperature that gets there. Lower heat gives gray meat, while a screaming hot pan flashes the surface proteins into the maillard reaction in 2 minutes flat. The steak goes in dry, no oil, and the rendered fat from the meat becomes the searing medium.
Deglazing the pan with butter and garlic at the end ties the whole dish together. The fond stuck to the bottom of the pan is concentrated meat flavor, and butter melted into garlic lifts that fond off and turns it into sauce. A splash of lemon at the very end keeps the butter from feeling heavy. For more ideas, see our Crispy Honey Garlic Shrimp.
Tips
- Pull steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Use sirloin or ribeye cut 1 inch thick for the right sear time.
- Pat shrimp dry too. Wet shrimp steams instead of crisping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a hot pan for 90 seconds. Microwaving makes the shrimp rubbery.
- Common mistake: do not crowd the pan. Sear steak first, remove, then cook shrimp.
Variations
- Add a splash of white wine to the garlic butter for an extra layer of flavor.
- Use scallops instead of shrimp for steak and scallops.
- Stir in a tablespoon of dijon mustard with the butter for a tangy edge.
- Add red pepper flakes for a spicy garlic butter version.
- Top with crumbled blue cheese in the last minute for a steakhouse twist.
- Serve over creamy mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree to catch the sauce.
Looking for more recipes? Try our Sheet Pan Greek Lemon Chicken Potatoes or Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken next.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Cooking steak straight from the fridge: Rest at room temperature 30 minutes first. Cold steak cooks unevenly with a cool center.
- Wet steak going into the pan: Pat very dry with paper towels. Surface water steams the surface and stops browning.
- Cooking shrimp with the steak: Sear them separately. Different cook times, and overcrowding kills the crust on both.
- Skipping the rest: Rest steak for 5 minutes after cooking so the juices redistribute. Cutting early means juice on the plate not in the meat.
Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp
Ingredients
Method
- **Temper.** Pull steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat very dry, then season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and smoked paprika.
- **Sear steak.** Heat a cast iron pan over medium high until smoking. Add olive oil and steak. Sear 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare (130F internal). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- **Cook shrimp.** Pat shrimp dry and season with remaining salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pan and cook shrimp 90 seconds per side until pink and opaque. Move to the steak plate.
- **Make sauce.** Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and minced garlic. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- **Finish.** Stir in lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Return steak and shrimp to the pan and spoon the garlic butter over everything for 30 seconds.
- **Rest.** Slice steak against the grain and plate with shrimp. Spoon extra garlic butter on top and shower with parsley.
Notes
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition data and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source.
