12 Healthy Steak Recipes That Take 20 Minutes (Or Less!)
Time is of the essence when trying to get a healthy meal on the table fast after a long day. But although you want something quick, you also want something delicious—enter steak. Steak, especially the lower-fat cuts—think sirloin, skirt, or flank steaks—that you'll see in these recipes, can cook very quickly in a hot pan. Add the perfect rub pre-sear, a quick steak sauce, or a speedy side dish and you have a restaurant-worthy meal in minutes.
Lean steak is surprisingly healthy. Any cut that contains less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3.5 ounces can be considered lean, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, a registered dietitian on our medical expert board tells us. Plus, it's an excellent source of niacin, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, and selenium, and is a good source of phosphorus, riboflavin, choline, and iron.
Once you've mastered these quick, healthy steak recipes you'll wonder why you're paying the big bucks for a steakhouse meal! Plus, don't miss 5 Tips for Cooking a "Legendary" Steak Straight From Texas Roadhouse.
Coffee-Rubbed Steak
Coffee enhances the flavors of steak beautifully. Even Courteney Cox agrees, after sharing the "world's greatest steak" on Instagram from her famous musical pal, Brandi Carlile. Coffee, chili powder, salt, and pepper combine for a quick rub and after a brief sear, this steak is ready to go. Be sure to let it rest for the juiciest bite.
Get our recipe for Coffee Rubbed Steak.
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Steak In a Red Wine Pan Sauce
Learning to make a basic pan sauce will be life-changing—and that's no exaggeration. After searing the steak, use red wine to "deglaze" the pan, i.e. scrape up the caramelized bits. After the wine reduces by three-quarters you "mount" the sauce with a little butter. This tiny bit of extra fat will leave your sauce silky smooth.
Get our recipe for Steak In a Red Wine Pan Sauce.
The Easiest Steak Taco
Here's a lovely hack for speedy steak tacos. Use good 'old taco seasoning as a quick rub for the fastest, healthiest tacos ever. Taco Bell, who?
Get our recipe for The Easiest Steak Tacos.
Steak Frites
Head to France in your mind with this lovely Steak Frites recipe, really just steak with french fries. You can use any cut of steak you like here, but the texture and beefiness of skirt or hanger steak most closely capture the cuts of steak commonly used in the classic French brasseries of Paris, according to the recipe. The seared steak gets that je ne sais quoi with a little compound butter made with butter, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, chives, mustard, and Worcestershire. And, yes, technically the frites part will take longer than 15 minutes, but not if you use your handy, dandy air fryer!
Get our recipe for Steak Frites.
Steak With Blue Cheese Crust
Blue cheese and steak go together like peanut butter and jelly. Mixed with bread crumbs and herbs, blue cheese forms a crunchy, melty crust on top of beef, which may be guilt-inducing in its deliciousness but ultimately contributes only about 40 calories to the dish (compared to Outback's blue cheese crust, which adds about 400 calories and 30 grams of fat to their dish Victoria's Filet), says the recipe. As if you needed a good reason… This blue cheese-crusted steak recipe will save you over 600 calories and almost twenty bucks!
Get our recipe for Steak with Blue Cheese Crust.
Grilled Flank Steak With Chimichurri
Chimichurri—a bright herbal sauce that plays the role of steak sauce in Argentina—is one of the most delicious (not to mention healthy) condiments on the planet, reads the recipe. It's like the pesto of South America and it is amazing on steak. Make extra because it's great on eggs, potatoes, and veggies too!
Get our recipe for Grilled Flank Steak With Chimichurri.
Easy Grilled Steak with Red Wine Butter
If you feel guilty about putting a little slab of butter on steak, please don't! Flavored butter adds calories yes, but the flavor is concentrated so you won't use too much. Red wine-rosemary-infused butter is divine, but also try blue cheese, chives, and black pepper or minced sundried tomatoes and olives.
Get our recipe for Easy Grilled Steak with Red Wine Butter.
Low-Calorie Philly Cheesesteak
No, this isn't a traditional Philly cheesesteak, it's so much better. A yogurt-based cheese sauce takes the place of traditional Cheez Whiz or provolone. Peppery arugula and fresh tomatoes pair perfectly with the seared steak and fragrant blue cheese.
Get our recipe for Low-Calorie Philly Cheesesteak.
Philly Cheesesteak With Caramelized Veggies
If you're craving a traditional Philly cheesesteak, it's easy to lighten that up. This version uses skirt steak, provolone, and sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and onions for about 500 calories less than a greasy flattop-cooked version.
Get our recipe for Philly Cheesesteak With Caramelized Veggies.
Healthy Poor Man's Steak with Garlic Gravy
Okay, we're cheating here with ground sirloin shaped into a "steak," but once you try this recipe, you'll never go back to basic burgers. Plus, this quick pan-gravy will be a keeper you'll want to smother every steak with.
Get our recipe for Healthy Poor Man's Steak with Garlic Gravy.
Sweet and Spicy Beef Stir-Fry
The trick to keeping this dish to 15 minutes is to let the steak marinate while cooking the veggies. Plus, be sure to mind your mise en place, which is just a fancy French term for having everything cut and measured before you start stir-frying to avoid burning anything.
Get our recipe for Sweet and Spicy Beef Stir-Fry.
Thai-Inspired Beef Lettuce Wraps
For this quick and tasty recipe, use any of the leaner cuts of steak flank, skirt, or sirloin. Then wrap up the crisp, thinkly sliced carrots, onions, and cilantro with the steak in the lettuce leaver and squirt with some lime. Lunch or dinner is served!
Get our recipe for Thai-Inspired Beef Lettuce Wraps.
Now that you've got a few easy steak recipes in your back pocket, you'll never have to spend the big bucks for a fancy steak dinner again. With a few simple tips, you can cook a legendary steak dinner in no time at all. And don't forget to grab a thermometer to check the doneness of your steak be the best accuracy.
