We served these medium rare steak appetizer bites with horseradish aioli sauce and they were a hit! The steak bites are tender and juicy and one of the easiest appetizers that you can put together. Use filet mignon or New York strip steak for the best flavor, and serve them at room temperature for a no-hassle appetizer.

Beef Steak Bites with Fresh Horseradish Aioli Sauce

There’s something just irresistible about a perfectly cooked medium-rare filet Mignon or New York steak. But it comes at a heavy price tag. That’s why we love these steak appetizer bites! They’re much more budget-friendly and one or two steaks will stretch into twelve servings if you serve them as appetizers.

These steak appetizer bites are even more dreamy, pan-seared, and basted with butter and herbs, then dipped in a creamy horseradish sauce that gives them a punch of flavor.

Why This Recipe Works

Our medium rare steak appetizer bites are cooked to perfection, using a simple method and basic ingredients that really let the flavor of the steak shine.

And is there anything better than horseradish aioli for beef? The combination is irresistible and will please any palate!

These steak appetizers are:

Perfect enjoyed at any temperature- even as a cold steak appetizer- that means you can prep them in advance of a party.
a delicious and flavorful party-starter.
the perfect dippers for horseradish aioli or your favorite steak sauce of choice (creamy peppercorn sauce , chimichurri, and chipotle aioli are quite yummy too!)
gluten-free and low-carb

Ingredients for Medium Rare Steak Bites

Less than ten ingredients is all you need to make fabulous steak appetizer bites at home!

Before we get to the ingredient list, let’s talk about the best steak for these beef appetizers.

The Best Steak for Appetizers

We used New York steaks that were a little over one-inch thick in this recipe. But just about any steak, including rib eye, Filet Mignon, porterhouse, tenderloin, etc. will work as steak bites, as long as the steaks are about an inch thick or thicker.

You will need:

Steaks. Make sure they are at least 1-1/2-inches thick
oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
butter
garlic, grated
fresh thyme leaves
Horseradish Aioli Sauce

To keep this steak appetizer bites recipe as simple as possible, the steaks are seasoned well with only salt and pepper and then pan-seared on a screaming hot cast iron griddle.

A last-minute basting of butter, garlic, and fresh thyme leaves adds additional amazing flavors.

How to Make Medium Rare Steak Appetizer Bites

You’ll need a good skillet, preferably a cast iron. For the best steak appetizer bites, make sure the pan is very hot before you start searing the steak.

For the full printable recipe card with all of the details, scroll to the bottom of the page. Here’s a quick summary of how to make these meaty, beef appetizers:

Heat the skillet and prepare the steaks: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until it begins smoking. While the pan is heating up, trim and season the steaks.
Sear the steaks: Add the steaks to the hot skillet. According to Cooks Illustrated, turning the steaks frequently during the cooking time will produce a much more evenly cooked steak. If you use this method, just keep turning the steaks with some tongs every two minutes.
Baste the steaks: Add the butter and herbs, then spoon the melted butter over the steaks. Cook the steaks until they are done to your preference. We wanted our steak bites on the rare-ish side so we cooked them to 125°F on our instant-read thermometer.
Cut into steak pieces: When done, place the steaks on a plate and cover them lightly with foil so they can rest. Slice them into 1-inch cubes and insert a wooden pick into each steak bite. Serve the beef steak appetizers with a side dish of fresh horseradish aioli sauce.

Recipe Tips for Medium Rare Steak Appetizer Bites

For the Fresh Horseradish Aioli: You can make the aioli in advance and keep it refrigerated for up to one week. Our aioli sauce is smooth, creamy, and does not have the sharp, vinegary taste that you find in commercial horseradish products. It is easy to put together and perfect for the rare steak bites.
You can make these appetizers a day in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator.
We recommend taking the steaks off the heat before they reach your desired temperature. The steak will continue to cook for a couple of minutes after you remove it from the stove.
When you take it off the heat before it reaches the final internal temperature then you have some insurance against over-cooking the steak. See the Beef Temperature Doneness Chart below:

Beef Temperature Doneness Chart

Doneness level	Pull Temp	Temperature
Rare	115-125°F	120-130°F
Medium rare	125-130°F	130-135°F
Medium	130-140°F	135-145°F
Medium-well	140-150°F	145-155°F
Well-done	155°F +	155-160°F

Temperature chart for steak and pull temps

For the best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer and check the meat intermittently or use a leave-in meat thermometer so you don’t have to open the oven frequently. The above links are affiliate links from ThermoWorks . They make the best thermometers we have ever used and we highly recommend them.

These delicious steak appetizers with horseradish aioli are an irresistible combination of tender, meaty steak with a zesty horseradish kick!

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Our black rice sushi rolls are simple to make at home and the black rice gives this recipe a unique spin! Fresh ahi tuna, pickled ginger, and fresh veggies make these sushi bites a delicious party starter.

Juicy grilled ribeye marinated in a fusion of bold flavors makes this dish spectacular. Sake, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil with fresh ginger and garlic create a fantastic marinade that infuses the ribeye with tons of flavor.

Tender and juicy, you’ll love each bite of these Asian teriyaki meatballs. Enjoy them as party appetizers or as a main course served with your favorite sides. They’re easy to make and oven-baked in a special teriyaki sauce that turns into a delicious glaze.

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Medium Rare Steak Bites

Perfectly seared beef steak bites dipped in a garlic-horseradish aioli sauce. These bites are one of the easiest appetizers to put together. They are cooked rare and are juicy, tender. Cut into bite-size chunks they are perfect with the aioli sauce.

4.74 from 41 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

2 New York steaks at least 1-½ -inches thick, or 3 Filet Mignon steaks
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh Horseradish Aioli Sauce

Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it begins smoking.
While the skillet is heating, trim and discard the fat from the edges of the steaks, blot the steaks dry with paper towels. Brush one side of each steak with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the steaks to the hot skillet, seasoned side down. Brush oil on the upper side of the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, using tongs, turn steaks over and cook the other side for 2-minutes. Continue to flip for 6 minutes, add the butter, garlic and thyme leaves to the pan and spoon over the top of the steaks as you continue to cook and turn them.
Cook to the desired doneness and remove from the skillet when the internal temperature reaches 125°F for rare, 135°F for medium rare or 145°F for medium. (Keep in mind the steak will continue to cook while resting. See notes below). Lightly cover the steaks with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and cut the steaks into 1-inch cubes, insert a wooden pick into each cube and arrange them on a serving plate. Garnish the plate with fresh herbs and serve the beef steak appetizers with a side dish of the fresh horseradish aioli sauce

Notes

Nutrition is based on two steak bites of 1 oz. each per serving

One-half tablespoon of aioli sauce is: 40 calories and 4.5 grams fat

If you want to ensure the steaks are cooked to your desired doneness, remove them from the heat when the internal temperature is 10 degrees lower than what you actually want it to be. For example, if you like your steak rare at 125° then take them off the heat when the temperature reads 115°F. They will continue to cook after you take them off the heat.