Effin' Tasty Steak Bites Recipe

Prepare the beef and marinade

Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then cut across the grain into 1-inch bite-sized cubes. Place the cubes in a medium bowl or resealable bag.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, and smoked paprika until the sugar dissolves and mixture is homogenous.

Pour the marinade over the steak cubes, toss to coat thoroughly, then cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Do not marinate longer than 4 hours to avoid overly salty or mushy meat.

Remove the marinated beef from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off; drain excess marinade and pat cubes dry with paper towels (dry surface = better sear). Reserve marinade if you want to briefly spoon over finished bites (optional) but do not use reserved raw marinade as a sauce unless boiled.

Cook the bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon slices until crisp, turning as needed about 7–9 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Reserve 1 tsp of rendered bacon fat for extra flavor in the sauce (optional).

Chop the cooled bacon finely or crumble it. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, crumbled bacon, and the reserved teaspoon of bacon fat (if using). Mix until smooth.

Season the sauce with salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, then stir in chopped chives if using. Taste and adjust horseradish (add more 1/2 tsp at a time) or lemon to balance heat and acidity. Refrigerate until ready to serve; sauce can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat until very hot (2–4 minutes). An alternative is a grill pan. This is crucial for a hard sear.

Add the high smoke-point oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat. Add the steak cubes in a single layer without crowding — work in two batches if necessary. Let the cubes sear without moving for 1.5–2 minutes to develop a deep brown crust.

Toss or flip the cubes and sear the opposite sides for another 1–2 minutes for medium-rare to medium (internal temp ~125–135°F / 52–57°C). For medium-well, add another 1–2 minutes. Because the cubes are small, total cook time per batch will generally be 3–5 minutes depending on desired doneness.

During the last 30 seconds of cooking, add the butter and fresh thyme or rosemary to the pan and baste the steak bites with the melted butter and herb-infused fat using a spoon to add gloss and flavor.

Transfer seared steak bites to a warm plate or sheet pan and lightly sprinkle with coarse sea salt or flaky finishing salt. Let rest 2–3 minutes so juices redistribute.

If you cooked in batches, return all rested bites to the pan briefly (15–20 seconds) just to rewarm and combine flavors, then remove from heat.

Serve the steak bites hot with the bacon horseradish sauce on the side for dipping or spoon a small amount over the bites. Garnish with additional chopped chives if desired.