We recently hosted a big summer steak and fries party, which was absolutely epic — and exactly my type of meal. And while the grilled steak was so freakin’ delicious, the bourbon butter I made to baste the steaks 1,000 percent stole the show. Put this fun and easy recipe on your radar for your next dinner party this summer!
I made this bourbon butter with Pendleton Whisky Bourbon, a premium whisky that is all about living life to the fullest. I had the honor of doing an epic collab between Over the Fire Cooking and Pendleton Whisky at Memphis in May, where I cooked up some killer pairings that showcase the unique flavors of Pendleton’s lineup, including Bourbon, Rye, and Midnight. This bourbon butter recipe is keeping that fire alive!
Post Sponsored by Pendleton Whisky.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Bourbon Butter
- Grilled Steak with Bourbon Butter Ingredients
- Ways to Use Bourbon Butter
- How to Make Bourbon Butter & Grilled Steak
- What to Serve with Grilled Steak with Bourbon Butter
- Leftovers and Reheating
- Better with Butter
- FAQs
- This sauce is FYR!
- Bourbon Butter for Grilled Steaks Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Bourbon Butter
What I love most about open fire cooking is the chance to bring people together and experience some really amazing food. Grilled steaks are great for this type of meal. It’s no secret that I love using butter and other smoked sauces on steak to level up the flavor. This bourbon butter may be my new go-to!
The Pendleton Whisky Bourbon has notes of caramel, vanilla and rye spice, and that good stuff really enhances the steaks. We paired everything with fries and a blue cheese salad to sit around the campfire after, but you could go with whatever sides you want!
Looking for other recipes with Pendleton? Check out my posts on Whisky Brined Chicken Wings, Smoked Party Ribs, Hot Smoked Salmon and Steak with Peppercorn Cream Sauce.
Grilled Steak with Bourbon Butter Ingredients
- Steak: Ribeyes or New York strip steaks are ideal for this dish, but you could pick your favorite cut. We’ll season them with steak rub. My Cowboy Butter Rub works well here since we’re already butter-forward in this recipe, but grab your favorite!
- Bourbon Butter: This sauce is the star. We’ll flavor melted butter with minced garlic, red chili flakes, chopped parsley, Pendleton Whisky Bourbon, black pepper and kosher salt to taste.
- Sides: Like I said, I went with French fries and blue cheese salad, but you could serve whatever makes your taste buds happy.
Ways to Use Bourbon Butter
This bourbon butter recipe gave me so many other ideas on what to serve with it. Here are a few suggestions! If you try something you love, let me know in the comments.
- Grill veggies like zucchini, asparagus or bell peppers and drizzle them with bourbon butter.
- Grill chicken and toss it with this bourbon butter at the end.
- Make your bourbon butter in a cast iron skillet and sauté shrimp in the mixture.
- Drizzle the bourbon butter over some freakin’ delicious grilled scallops!
- Spike the bourbon butter with clover honey to make bourbon honey butter. Then, serve it as a dipping sauce with jalapeño cornbread.
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How to Make Bourbon Butter & Grilled Steak
First up, slather your 4 steaks in melted butter and season generously with 1/2 cup of your favorite steak rub. Then, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 375 degrees Fahrenheit) for direct grilling.
Place a cast iron skillet on the grill. Then, add in all your ingredients for the bourbon butter: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon red chili flakes, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1.5 ounces Pendleton Bourbon, 1 teaspoon black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Let the bourbon mixture melt together.
Next, add your steaks to the grill. Cook these bad boys until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F (about 10-18 minutes).
With a basting brush, baste the outside of the steaks with the bourbon butter as you flip them to get a nice crust. Once the steaks are done, pull them off the grill and let them rest.
Finally, slice up the steaks and top with more bourbon butter. Serve with fries and salad on the side and enjoy! I also couldn’t resist drizzling some Ranch sauce on top of the steaks. So, if you have extra from your salad, go for it.
What to Serve with Grilled Steak with Bourbon Butter
This grilled steak with bourbon butter was so freakin’ delicious with fries and blue cheese salad. But, I bet it would be awesome with some classic campfire or steakhouse sides as well. Baked potatoes, crusty bread, grilled veggies or a Caesar salad would round out the meal nicely.
If you looking for a cocktail to go with it, use some more of that Pendleton Bourbon to make a Gold Rush, an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. I sometimes like to make Manhattans with maple syrup instead of simple syrup. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Leftovers and Reheating
Wrap any leftover steak in aluminum foil, then place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, keep the steak wrapped in the foil and place on your grill at medium heat to gently warm up. You could add some more bourbon butter into the foil packet while you’re warming it up to make sure the meat stays tender and juicy.
If you’ve got leftover bourbon butter, store it in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, place butter in a small saucepan or cast iron skillet on the stovetop or the grill at medium low heat.
Better with Butter
FAQs
Use a meat thermometer! I prefer digital thermometers since they provide quick and accurate readings, making it easy to ensure your meat reaches the perfect internal temperature. They are especially handy for grilling, where precision is key.
There are so many options here! You could add honey for a sweeter flavor, or change out the parsley for cilantro to give it a different flavor profile. You could also do a browned butter version for a nuttier, more complex flavor. Just be careful when you brown butter — as soon as you start to smell that nutty aroma and you see the color change, take it off heat so you don’t burn it.
Anywhere your spirit feels wild and free. Or a rodeo. OK, but seriously, Pendleton is easy to track down at your local liquor store! Check out the company’s store locator to find your favorite flavor near you.
Get stoked for life
This sauce is FYR!
Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure.
Bourbon Butter for Grilled Steaks
Ingredients
Steak:
- 4 Favorite Steaks Ribeye or NY Strip ideally
- ½ cup Cowboy Butter Rub or Favorite Steak Rub
- Melted Butter as needed
Bourbon Butter:
- ½ cup Melted Butter
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 1.5 oz Pendleton Bourbon
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt to taste
Serving:
- French Fries
- Blue Cheese Salad
Instructions
- Slather your steak in oil and season generously with your favorite steak rub.
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat (around 375F) for direct grilling.
- Add a cast iron skillet with all the ingredients for the bourbon butter to melt.
- Next, add the steaks to the grill and cook until 120F internal (about 10-18 minutes). With a basting brush, baste the outside of the steaks with the bourbon butter as you flip them to get a nice crust. Once the steaks are done, pull off and let rest.
- Finally, slice the steaks up and top with any more bourbon butter. Serve with fries on the side and enjoy!
Notes
- Grill veggies like zucchini, asparagus or bell peppers and drizzle them with bourbon butter.
- Grill chicken and toss it with this bourbon butter at the end.
- Make your bourbon butter in a cast iron skillet and sauté shrimp in the mixture.
- Drizzle the bourbon butter over some freakin’ delicious grilled scallops!
- Spike the bourbon butter with clover honey to make bourbon honey butter. Then, serve it as a dipping sauce with jalapeño cornbread.
