Food and Recipes Entertaining Ideas & Tips 18 Juicy Steak Recipes That Pack A Punch By Southern Living Editors and Jorie Nicole McDonald Jorie Nicole McDonald Jorie Nicole McDonald leads editorial video efforts for Southern Living. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she creates engaging visual content for the website and various social media platforms. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 2, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn A classic country dinner almost always has one thing: steak. It’s perfect for date night, family functions, dinner parties to just your average Sunday supper. Steak is a savior of dinners that otherwise would have been a disaster had it not been for your perfectly cooked meat. From frying it up in your cast iron to smothering it in gravy, let’s just say that we Southerners know how to do it right. Whether you enjoy your steak medium rare or well done, there is a recipe on this list for you. We have our classic Country-Fried Steak and plenty of meat and potatoes as well as several lighter options that are sure to make those who are trying to trim the fat happy. We’ll also share with you a few of our favorite steak cooking tricks to help ensure that every bite of steak melts in your mouth. We hope you’re hungry! 01 of 18 Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak Photo: Hector Sanchez This is the best way to cook a thick, juicy bone-in steak restaurant-style without smoking up the house. Use your grill to heat the cast-iron skillet; the skillet surface area promotes a more assertive flavor and better sear than grill grates, yielding a steak with the proper steak house crust. 02 of 18 Watermelon-Braised Pork Shoulder Steaks Stephen DeVries; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen Believe it or not, steaks are not just beef. These pork shoulder steaks are flavored with a blend of miso, mirin, Sambal sauce, and juicy summer watermelons. 03 of 18 Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners This Steak-and-Bell Pepper Salad is a delicious, satisfying, and healthy meal for the entire family. It's like your traditional steak salad, but with pops of brightness from the bell pepper. 04 of 18 Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables Victor Protasio; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Cleanup is easier than ever with this recipe. All the flavorful ingredients cook together on one sheet pan. The butter, full of tyme, lemon zest and mustard, adds a nice touch. 05 of 18 Easy Steak Fajitas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Everyone can customize their fajitas. Set out an assortment of toppings such as fresh cilantro, sour cream, jalapeños, and fresh tomatoes. 06 of 18 Grilled Steak Salad with Walnut Dressing Becky Luigart-Stayner This is a classic salad that would be perfectly paired with a sprinkle of blueberries. The walnuts in the dressing are sauteed to make them rich in flavor. 07 of 18 Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries Greg DuPree Prep this recipe a few minutes in the morning, and you'll come home to dinner on the table in less than an hour. The curly kale and potatoes make this dish a full meal that checks all the boxes. 08 of 18 Pepper Steak Southern Living Sometimes simplicity is key, and this recipe calls for three basic ingredients that pair beautifully together: steak, peppers, and rice. This dinner can be made in advance to feed your family for a whole week. 09 of 18 Flank Steak and Cucumber Salad Jacob Snavely We love a quick pickle, and this dish pairs them with a hearty flank steak. This recipe shows off Asian flavors with chili paste, lime, soy sauce, and sesame oil. 10 of 18 Beef-and-Brussels Sprouts Stir-fry Photo: Greg Dupree A ripping-hot skillet works as well as a wok to sear food fast. Just be sure to use one that can take the heat, preferably cast-iron or a large, heavy-bottomed stainless. 11 of 18 Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos Alison Miksch This dinner comes together with the toss of a few of your favorite veggies and steak on a sheet pan. To bring the flavor of this dish to the next level, pour some of the drippings into your sour cream. 12 of 18 Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis We'll be the first to tell you that you don't need lettuce to have a truly delicious salad. Filled with field peas, this steak salad will become the staple of sweltering summer nights. 13 of 18 Cast-Iron Steak Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Believe it or not, the first step to this Cast-Iron Steak Salad takes you to the microwave. It gets those potatoes tender and then the recipes takes just 30 minutes to come together. 14 of 18 Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Herb Sauce Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley This weeknight dinner might just convince the kiddos to eat all their veggies with a little help from this delightful herb sauce. Yes, this sauce is great on meat, but you can stretch it to cover potatoes and vegetables easily. 15 of 18 Air Fryer Steak Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Is there anything and air fryer can't do? Just make sure that your meat rests after cooking so your steak is as tender as can be. 16 of 18 Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steak Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns The secret to a perfectly crusted steak is a very hot skillet. Make sure to have your hood fan on and cut your steaks at a diagonal too. Those things ensure that every bite of steak will be brilliant. 17 of 18 Country-Fried Steak Southern Living Country-Fried Steak is one recipe that could have songs written about it. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Southerner who doesn't crave this nostalgic dish. 18 of 18 Beef Fajitas Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Kelly This Tex-Mex take on a classic dish might just become your new favorite steak supper. The bold marinade packs the meat with unforgettable flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit