Steak Frites is a classic meal of "steak and fries" that's simple yet scrumptious. This version features succulent ribeyes basted in herb butter atop lightened-up roasted potatoes for a home-cooked dinner that's impressive and special for being so easy to make!

This content was sponsored by Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. All opinions and text are my own.

Have you ever whipped up a restaurant-quality meal at home that was deceptively quick and easy to make? A recipe fancy enough to serve to guests yet speedy enough for a weeknight dinner? A meal that would be well suited for a steakhouse or a European bistro but instead came out of your very own kitchen? Well, say hello to just such a recipe...Steak Frites!

Steak Frites History

Steak Frites is a French term that, quite literally translated, means "steak [and] fries." The English pronunciation of the phrase varies, but it's typically pronounced either "stayk freet" or "stayk freets." And while this delicious combo is enjoyed in cafes and bistros all over the world -- from Belgium to France to Brazil -- different regions put their own spin on the specifics of the beef + potatoes + pan juices concept.

The Steaks

I developed this Steak Frites recipe using Open Prairie® Natural* Meats Case Ready Beef Ribeyes (*minimally processed, no artificial ingredients).

I love the convenience of being able to grab high-quality, pre-packaged steaks straight out of the meat case at the grocery store. Not having to wait in line for the butcher saves me time, yet I still know exactly what I'm getting as far as consistent size and fantastic quality when it comes to Open Prairie Natural beef.

And since Open Prairie Natural beef comes from responsibly raised animals without the use of antibiotics or added hormones, I feel good about feeding it to my family! Plus, have I mentioned how juicy and tender these ribeyes turn out?

The Fries

To make my version of Steak Frites as quick and effortless as possible, I opted to roast my potatoes instead of frying them.

I've found that by cutting my potatoes into nice, small, uniform cubes, they cook up with minimal effort, yielding crispy, golden exteriors with fluffy, pillowy interiors. Plus, you don't have the mess (or extra calories) of frying in oil.

Most importantly, these faux "frites" are the perfect receptacle for soaking up the pan juices from the succulent steaks!

As far as variety of potato, I used russets, but Yukon Golds would work beautifully as well.

Other Ingredients

So in addition to the Open Prairie Natural ribeyes and the roasted potatoes, what else does this Steak Frites recipe require?

• Oil. I prefer olive oil to coat the cubed potatoes for roasting and avocado oil for pan-cooking the ribeyes. Avocado oil has a nice, high smoke point, which reduces the odds of smoking up your kitchen while your steaks sear. If you don't have avocado oil, just be sure to choose another oil with a comparably high smoke point, such as safflower or sunflower oil.

• Salt. You'll need salt for your potatoes, your steaks, and the herb butter. I prefer kosher salt to season the steaks and fine sea salt to flavor the potatoes and herb butter.
• Pepper. Once again necessary for seasoning each component of this Steak Frites recipe. I recommend freshly ground black pepper for the boldest flavor.
• Butter. Unsalted and at room temperature, which will allow you to flavor it into a decadent herb butter.
• Garlic + herbs. Also necessary for making herb butter. 😉 I pressed my garlic and used parsley, thyme, and rosemary, but you can tweak the herbs to your liking.

How to Make Steak Frites

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

You won't believe how quickly you can throw together this scrumptious, restaurant-quality meal!

Prepare the Herb Butter

Prepare the Frites

Prepare the Open Prairie Natural Steaks

A Note on Cooking Time

The exact cooking time for your steaks will depend not only on their thickness, but also on your stove, your pan, and your desired final temperature.

Just keep in mind that Open Prairie Natural steaks are 1-inch thick and will cook pretty fast. Mine took 4 to 6 minutes total in a heavy cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat.

Also remember that you can always add more time to an underdone steak, but you can't fix an overcooked one!

I highly advise inserting an instant-read thermometer into the side of the ribeyes, pushing into the center. Remove the steaks from the pan when they reach 125°F, assuming you're going for medium-rare (which I do recommend for this recipe).

And again, the temperature will continue to rise about 5 more degrees as the steaks rest.

Here are general temps for doneness levels of beef steaks:

Serving Size

For the nutritional calculations on the recipe card, the serving size of this Steak Frites recipe is one steak plus one potato per person.

Alternatively, for lighter appetites, you could double the potato part of the recipe, slice the steaks, and serve each person a quarter of the total potatoes plus half of a sliced steak.

Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

• For timing purposes, it’s important to have all ingredients ready to go before beginning to make the recipe.
• Make sure your potato cubes aren’t too big or they won’t finish cooking by the time the steaks are done.
• For the best sear, steaks should be cooked in a heavy pan that can reach and retain high temperatures. A cast iron skillet is the gold standard, but a carbon steel or heavy stainless steel fry pan will also work.
• After basting the steaks on both sides with butter, continue flipping them every minute until they reach your desired temperature. An instant-read thermometer is key here.
• You will have extra Garlic Herb Butter left over. Serve it with your Steak Frites, spread it on rolls, or make garlic bread with it. Or, if you prefer no leftover butter, you can make a half recipe of Garlic Herb Butter and use a little less on the steaks.

So the next time you're looking to throw together an impressive, gourmet, home-cooked meal in under an hour, look no further than Steak Frites! This recipe would be perfect for entertaining, for an at-home date night, or to celebrate any special occasion.

And you never even have to tell a soul how easy it was to make! 😉

Easy Steak Frites

Ingredients

FOR THE STEAKS:

• 2 Open Prairie® Natural* Case Ready Beef Ribeye Steaks
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

FOR THE GARLIC HERB BUTTER:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 medium garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE FRITES:

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled & cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Remove the steaks from the refrigerator, discard the packaging, and place on a sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line another large, rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.

PREPARE THE HERB BUTTER:

• In a small bowl, add the softened butter, minced garlic, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined and set aside.

PREPARE THE FRITES:

• Place the potato cubes in a large, plastic, zip-top bag (or a large bowl). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake (or stir in the bowl) until all pieces are evenly coated.
• Transfer potatoes to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes.

PREPARE THE STEAKS:

• After stirring the potatoes for the second time (after 30 minutes of cooking time), preheat a large and heavy skillet for 5 minutes over a burner set to medium-high.
• While the pan is preheating, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and generously season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides, flipping and pressing the seasoning into the meat, including the edges.
• Turn on the exhaust fan to high. Add 2 T. avocado oil (or another high-smoke point vegetable oil) to the hot skillet and lay the steaks (away from you) into the pan, being careful of splatters.
• Brown the steaks for 1 minute on the first side; flip and brown on the second side for 1 more minute.
• Flip again. Add 3 T. of the Garlic Herb Butter to the pan. Tilt the pan and baste the steaks with melted butter for 1 minute, then flip the steaks and continue basting for another minute. Continue basting and flipping the steaks every minute until they reach your desired temperature.
• Insert an instant-read thermometer (from the side into the center) and remove the steaks from the pan when their internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium rare (the steaks will continue to rise about 5 more degrees while resting).
• Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and top each one with an additional 1 T. Garlic Herb Butter, spreading it on top. Loosely cover the steaks with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• While the steaks are resting, check on your potatoes. Remove the potatoes from the oven once they’re tender and golden brown. Serve immediately with the rested steaks, pan juices, and extra Garlic Herb Butter, if desired.

Notes

• A cast iron skillet is ideal for pan-cooking steaks, but a heavy carbon steel or stainless steel pan will work as well. The pan or skillet should be large enough to have a bit of space (1 inch) between the steaks.
• Steaks should be cooked in an oil with as high of a smoke point as possible. If you don't have avocado oil on hand, safflower or sunflower oil have high smoke points as well.
  
• For timing purposes, it’s important to have all ingredients ready to go before beginning to make the recipe.
• Make sure your potato cubes aren’t too big or they won’t finish cooking by the time the steaks are done.
• This recipe was developed using ribeyes that weighed 12 ounces/each and were 1-inch thick.
• Keep in mind that 1-inch thick steaks will cook pretty fast…mine took 4 to 6 minutes total in a heavy cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to determine when your steaks are done.
• You will have extra Garlic Herb Butter left over. Serve it with your Steak Frites, spread it on rolls, or make garlic bread with it. Or, if you prefer no leftover butter, you can make a half recipe of Garlic Herb Butter and use a little less on the steaks.
• For the estimated nutritional calculations on the recipe card, the serving size of this recipe is one steak plus one potato per person. Alternatively, for lighter appetites, you could double the potato part of the recipe, slice the steak, and serve each person a quarter of the “frites” plus half of a sliced steak.

Nutrition

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