7 Delicious Steak Sauces to Make Your Next Steak Dinner Extra Special

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to dining at home, a lovely thick ribeye steak with beautifully rendered fat, or a good-quality piece of fillet cooked rare, is one of my favourite little luxuries.

And let’s face it, who can afford to eat steak in restaurants these days? You’re looking at £30 as a starting point for a decent cut, often considerably more, and that’s before you’ve even thought about ordering sides, sauces or a glass of wine.

For me, at least, ordering steak in a restaurant has become a little too expensive to justify on a regular basis, particularly when I know I can cook a really good steak at home with relative ease.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely not trying to dissuade anybody from dining out. I wholeheartedly support the hospitality industry and eat out as often as I can realistically afford to. But when it comes to creating a little restaurant-style luxury in my own kitchen, a beautiful steak with all the trimmings is very hard to beat.

And the best thing? Steak is actually one of the easiest things to cook, provided you start with a decent cut of meat and don’t overcomplicate things. A few minutes in a hot pan, a little butter, some seasoning and a proper rest, and you’re pretty much there. Which leaves me plenty of time to concentrate on making some really delicious sides.

But there’s one thing I absolutely insist on having with my steak, and that’s a really frikking good sauce.

Now, I’m not above keeping things simple. In fact, when I really can’t be arsed, I’ll happily whip up a generous helping of garlic butter, packed with fresh parsley, and let it melt all over a hot ribeye. Frankly, there are worse ways to spend an evening.

But every so often, I’m in the mood for something a little more special. Something rich, punchy, buttery, creamy or full of flavour that takes a perfectly good steak and turns it into a proper occasion.

So, whether you love a classic peppercorn sauce, something fresh and herby or a rich, glossy red wine reduction, here are seven delicious homemade sauces for steak that prove you really don’t need to spend a fortune in a restaurant to enjoy a seriously good steak dinner.

1. Classic Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

Rich, creamy and a proper steakhouse classic.

If there’s one sauce that immediately makes me think of a good steak restaurant, it’s peppercorn. There’s something about that combination of cream, cracked black pepper and a generous splash of brandy that works beautifully with beef.

The trick is to get enough warmth and peppery bite without completely overwhelming the steak. This version is indulgent, wonderfully savoury and surprisingly easy to prepare.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
30ml brandy
100ml beef stock
150ml double cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt, to taste

Method

Melt the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook gently for 2–3 minutes until softened.
Stir in the crushed peppercorns and cook for another 30 seconds to release their flavour.
Pour in the brandy and allow it to bubble for a minute or two until reduced by roughly half.
Add the beef stock and simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced.
Stir in the double cream and Dijon mustard, then simmer gently for another 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Taste before adding salt, as the stock may already provide plenty of seasoning.

Best served with: Sirloin, fillet or ribeye steak.

My tip: If you’ve cooked your steak in a frying pan, make the sauce in the same pan while the meat rests. Those lovely browned bits left behind will give the sauce even more flavour. Just remove any excess fat first.

2. Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce

Fresh, punchy and absolutely packed with flavour.

Not every steak sauce needs to be creamy or rich. Sometimes, particularly with a fatty cut like ribeye, I want something sharp, herby and full of freshness.

That’s where chimichurri comes in.

Originating in Argentina and popular across South America, chimichurri is a wonderfully vibrant combination of parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and herbs. It cuts through the richness of beef beautifully and is particularly good with steak cooked over charcoal.

Best of all, there’s absolutely no cooking involved.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: None

Ingredients

1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried chilli flakes, or more to taste
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Finely chop the parsley and place it in a bowl with the minced garlic.
Add the oregano, chilli flakes, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Stir everything together until thoroughly combined.
Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Leave the chimichurri to stand for at least 15–20 minutes before serving, allowing the flavours to develop.
Spoon generously over sliced steak just before serving.

Best served with: Ribeye, rump, bavette or flank steak.

My tip: Chop the herbs by hand rather than blending everything into a smooth paste. A good chimichurri should have texture, with little pieces of parsley and garlic suspended in the oil.

3. Rich Red Wine and Shallot Sauce

Glossy, deeply savoury and just a little bit sophisticated.

This is the sauce I’d make if I wanted to create a proper restaurant-style steak dinner at home.

There’s something wonderfully luxurious about a glossy red wine reduction spooned over a beautifully cooked piece of fillet. It looks impressive, tastes fantastic and really isn’t particularly complicated.

The secret is patience. Allowing the wine and stock to reduce concentrates the flavour, while a little cold butter stirred in at the end gives the finished sauce that lovely sheen.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
200ml dry red wine
200ml good-quality beef stock
1 small sprig fresh thyme
1 tsp red wine vinegar
20g cold unsalted butter, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the shallots and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened, without allowing them to brown.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Pour in the red wine, add the thyme and bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer until the wine has reduced by approximately half.
Add the beef stock and continue simmering for 8–10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to a rich, lightly syrupy consistency.
Stir in the red wine vinegar and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve for a smooth finish, pressing gently on the shallots to extract their flavour.
Whisk in the cold butter a few pieces at a time until the sauce becomes glossy.
Season to taste and serve immediately.

Best served with: Fillet, sirloin or chateaubriand.

My tip: You don’t need an expensive bottle of wine, but use something you’d happily drink. A decent Merlot, Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon works beautifully. And don’t boil the sauce once you’ve whisked in the butter, or it may lose its lovely smooth finish.

4. Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce

Bold, indulgent and definitely one for cheese lovers.

I appreciate that blue cheese isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but personally, I think it’s an absolutely brilliant partner for steak.

The salty, tangy flavour of the cheese works particularly well with the caramelised exterior of a well-seared piece of beef, while the cream mellows everything into a gloriously rich sauce.

You can make this with Stilton for a stronger flavour, or Gorgonzola Dolce if you prefer something a little softer and creamier.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
150ml double cream
75g Stilton or Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
A small squeeze of lemon juice, optional

Method

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook gently for around 30 seconds, taking care not to let it brown.
Pour in the double cream and warm gently.
Add the crumbled blue cheese and stir continuously until melted into the cream.
Stir in the Dijon mustard and add a generous twist of black pepper.
Allow the sauce to simmer very gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Taste and add a tiny squeeze of lemon juice if you’d like to balance the richness.
Serve warm, either spooned over the steak or in a small jug alongside it.

Best served with: Ribeye, sirloin or rump steak.

My tip: Resist the temptation to add salt before tasting. Blue cheese can be extremely salty, particularly Stilton, and you might find the sauce doesn’t need any additional seasoning.

5. Garlic and Wild Mushroom Sauce

Earthy, creamy and wonderfully comforting.

There are few flavour combinations I enjoy more than steak, mushrooms and garlic.

This is a lovely sauce for autumn and winter, particularly when you’re craving something a little more comforting without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

I like using a mixture of chestnut mushrooms and whatever interesting wild mushrooms I can get my hands on, but don’t feel you have to hunt down anything exotic. Even an ordinary pack of chestnut mushrooms will make a really delicious sauce.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

200g mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
20g butter
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
50ml dry white wine
150ml double cream
50ml beef or vegetable stock
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5–6 minutes, allowing them to develop a lovely golden colour. Avoid stirring constantly, as they need contact with the hot pan to brown properly.
Reduce the heat slightly and add the remaining butter, shallot and garlic.
Cook for another 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Pour in the white wine and allow it to bubble until reduced by roughly half.
Add the stock, double cream, thyme and Dijon mustard.
Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt and black pepper, then stir through the chopped parsley just before serving.

Best served with: Sirloin, ribeye or fillet steak.

My tip: Don’t overcrowd the mushrooms. If your pan is too small, cook them in batches. You want beautifully golden mushrooms, not pale, soggy ones.

6. Classic French Béarnaise Sauce

Silky, buttery and a proper French bistro favourite.

Now, I’ll admit that béarnaise requires a little more attention than some of the other sauces on this list. But if you’re making a really special steak dinner, I think it’s worth the effort.

A close relative of hollandaise, béarnaise combines warm butter and egg yolks with a sharp reduction of vinegar, shallots and tarragon.

The result is a beautifully silky sauce with a lovely balance of richness and acidity. It’s particularly delicious with fillet steak, although I’d happily eat it with almost any cut.

The key is gentle heat. Get that right, and you’re halfway there.

Serves: 2–3
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp dry white wine
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped, plus a little extra
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt

Method

Place the white wine vinegar, white wine, shallot, half the tarragon and cracked pepper in a small saucepan.
Simmer gently until the liquid has reduced to approximately 1 tablespoon.
Strain the reduction into a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool slightly.
Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over a low heat, then set aside.
Add the egg yolks to the cooled vinegar reduction and whisk together.
Place the bowl over a saucepan containing a little barely simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Whisk continuously for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, thick and slightly foamy.
Remove the bowl from the heat and gradually whisk in the warm melted butter, starting with just a few drops at a time before increasing to a thin, steady stream.
Continue whisking until the sauce is thick, smooth and beautifully glossy.
Stir in the remaining tarragon and season with a pinch of salt.
Serve immediately while warm.

Best served with: Fillet, sirloin or chateaubriand.

My tip: If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water. If it starts getting too hot while you’re making it, remove the bowl from the pan and continue whisking off the heat. Béarnaise is all about patience rather than high temperatures.

For food safety, use British Lion-stamped eggs or an equivalent approved source, particularly when serving people who may be more vulnerable to foodborne illness. Béarnaise is best prepared just before serving rather than made ahead and left standing.

7. Japanese-Inspired Miso Butter Sauce

Deeply savoury, slightly sweet and an absolutely brilliant change from the classics.

If you fancy something a little different from the usual steakhouse sauces, this is definitely one to try.

Miso butter has become one of my favourite ways to bring a little extra depth to meat and vegetables. The combination of salty, savoury miso and rich butter is ridiculously good, particularly when paired with beef.

Add a little fresh ginger, soy sauce and honey, and you’ve got a glossy, flavour-packed sauce that feels quite different from traditional European steak accompaniments.

It’s also incredibly quick to make.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

40g unsalted butter
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 tbsp water
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 spring onion, finely sliced, to garnish
A pinch of sesame seeds, optional

Method

Melt half the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Add the garlic and grated ginger, cooking gently for around 30 seconds until fragrant.
In a small bowl, mix the white miso paste with the water, soy sauce, honey and rice vinegar until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the saucepan and stir gently for 1–2 minutes until warmed through.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining cold butter until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy.
Taste and adjust with a little extra rice vinegar if you’d prefer a sharper finish.
Spoon over freshly cooked steak and finish with sliced spring onion and a scattering of sesame seeds.

Best served with: Ribeye, rump or sirloin steak.

My tip: White miso is generally milder and slightly sweeter than darker varieties, making it a lovely starting point for this sauce. Keep the heat low, as you don’t want the miso or honey to catch and burn.

A Few Tips for Making the Perfect Steak at Home

Of course, even the best steak sauce in the world isn’t going to rescue a badly cooked piece of beef.

I’m certainly not claiming to be a professional chef, but over the years I’ve picked up a few simple habits that make a noticeable difference when cooking steak at home.

Buy the Best Quality Steak You Can Reasonably Afford

You don’t need to spend a fortune, but I do think quality matters. Look for good marbling, particularly if you’re buying ribeye, as the fat contributes enormously to the flavour.

I also prefer a thicker cut of steak, ideally around 3–4cm, because it gives you a little more control over the cooking. Very thin steaks can go from rare to well done surprisingly quickly.

Get Your Pan Properly Hot

A good sear is essential for developing that delicious browned crust.

I generally use a heavy-based frying pan or cast-iron skillet, with a little high-smoke-point oil to get things started. Once the steak has developed some colour, I’ll often add butter, garlic and herbs towards the end of cooking.

The idea is to build flavour without burning the butter.

Don’t Forget to Render the Fat

If you’re cooking a ribeye or sirloin with a generous strip of fat around the edge, don’t ignore it.

I like to hold the steak on its side with tongs for a short while, allowing the fat to make contact with the hot pan until it starts turning golden and crisp.

There’s nothing particularly appealing about a lovely piece of steak surrounded by a thick strip of chewy, unrendered fat.

Use a Meat Thermometer

There’s a lot of advice out there about pressing steaks with your fingers to judge how well they’re cooked, but personally, I think a meat thermometer is far more reliable.

For reference, many steak lovers aim for the following internal temperatures:

Rare: 48–52°C
Medium rare: 54–57°C
Medium: 60–63°C
Medium well: 65–68°C
Well done: 70°C and above

These are approximate culinary doneness temperatures rather than food-safety recommendations, and the temperature will continue to rise slightly as the steak rests. Whole steaks should be properly seared on the outside; people at increased risk from foodborne illness should follow food-safety guidance on thoroughly cooking meat.

Always Let Your Steak Rest

I know how tempting it is to cut straight into a beautiful steak when it comes out of the pan, but give it a few minutes.

Resting allows the juices to settle, helping keep the meat succulent when you slice into it.

For a thicker steak, five to ten minutes is usually a reasonable starting point, depending on its size.

And conveniently, that gives you just enough time to finish your sauce.

What to Serve with Steak and Homemade Sauce

For me, a steak dinner isn’t complete without a couple of really good sides.

Sometimes I’ll keep things traditional with chunky homemade chips, sautéed mushrooms and a simple green salad. Other times, particularly if I’m making a rich peppercorn or blue cheese sauce, I’ll go for crispy roasted potatoes and something fresh to cut through all that richness.

Here are a few of my favourite combinations:

Peppercorn sauce: Triple-cooked chips, tenderstem broccoli and roasted tomatoes.
Chimichurri: Crispy potato wedges, chargrilled peppers and a rocket salad.
Red wine sauce: Dauphinoise potatoes, roasted shallots and buttery green beans.
Blue cheese sauce: Skinny fries, sautéed spinach and roasted mushrooms.
Wild mushroom sauce: Garlic roasted potatoes and tenderstem broccoli.
Béarnaise sauce: French fries, asparagus and a simple dressed green salad.
Miso butter sauce: Sesame greens, crispy smashed potatoes and stir-fried mushrooms.

You certainly don’t need to make several elaborate sides every time. In fact, one beautifully cooked steak, a generous spoonful of sauce and some really good chips can be an absolutely fantastic dinner.

Can You Make Steak Sauces in Advance?

One of the things I love about cooking steak at home is that you can get most of the preparation out of the way before you even turn on the hob.

And, depending on which sauce you’re making, some can be prepared ahead of time.

Peppercorn sauce: Make it earlier in the day, cool promptly and refrigerate, then reheat gently until piping hot. You may need to loosen it with a splash of stock or cream.

Chimichurri: This is particularly good made a few hours ahead because the flavours have time to mingle. Keep it refrigerated and bring it out shortly before serving.

Red wine sauce: Prepare the reduction in advance and refrigerate it, then reheat and whisk in the cold butter just before serving for the best glossy finish.

Blue cheese sauce: Best made fresh, although it can be reheated very gently if necessary. Avoid boiling, as the texture can become grainy.

Mushroom sauce: Can be made ahead, cooled and refrigerated. Reheat gently until piping hot, adding a little cream or stock if it has thickened too much.

Béarnaise sauce: Definitely one to make fresh. The delicate egg-and-butter emulsion doesn’t take kindly to refrigeration and reheating.

Miso butter sauce: The miso mixture can be prepared in advance, leaving you to warm it and whisk in the butter when you’re ready to eat.

For make-ahead sauces, refrigerate promptly, use within 48 hours and reheat only once. Always follow safe storage and reheating practices, particularly with sauces containing cream or meat stock.

Bringing a Little Steakhouse Luxury Home

There’s something really satisfying about sitting down to a beautifully cooked steak dinner at home, particularly when you’ve made everything yourself.

You can choose exactly the cut you fancy, cook it precisely how you like it, open a nice bottle of wine and enjoy a meal that might easily cost considerably more in a restaurant.

And while I’ll always enjoy the atmosphere, service and sheer pleasure of a really good restaurant, there’s absolutely something to be said for putting together your own little steakhouse experience without leaving the house.

For me, the sauce is often what makes the difference between a nice steak dinner and a really memorable one.

A classic peppercorn will always have its place, and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of a proper red wine reduction. But there’s also something rather lovely about experimenting with fresh chimichurri, creamy blue cheese or a punchy miso butter.

So next time you’re treating yourself to a good piece of beef, don’t just reach for the usual accompaniments.

Make yourself a really frikking good sauce.

After all, if you’re going to have steak for dinner, you might as well do it properly.

Joanne Brook-Smith is a writer and editor with two decades of publishing experience. She launched Crave Magazine during the Covid period to create a fresh, inspiring space for food, travel and lifestyle content.

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