Description
Cowboy Butter Steak Sliders combine tender, juicy grilled ribeye steak with savory caramelized onions and a flavorful homemade cowboy butter. Served on buttery slider buns with melted Havarti cheese, these sliders offer a perfect balance of smoky, tangy, and rich tastes, ideal for a casual gathering or game day.
Ingredients
Scale
Steak and Seasoning
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless steak such as ribeye, filet, or sirloin
- Neutral oil, as needed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Caramelized Onions
- 3 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- Butter, a few tablespoons for cooking onions
Slider Ingredients
- 9 slider buns
- 3/4 pound sliced Havarti cheese
Cowboy Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chives, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Steaks: Trim excess fat and silver skin from the steaks if needed. Rub the steaks on all sides with neutral oil, then season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. For thicker cuts, apply more seasoning.
- Seasoning Penetration: Wrap the seasoned steaks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to penetrate deeply into the meat.
- Make Cowboy Butter: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter while whisking continuously. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, paprika, cayenne, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Remove from heat and stir in the minced chives and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reserve Butter: Spoon out a few tablespoons of the cowboy butter into a small bowl to use during grilling. Set the remaining butter aside for brushing the slider buns later.
- Preheat Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, creating an indirect heat zone.
- Bring Steaks to Room Temperature: Remove steaks from the fridge and allow them to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling for more even cooking.
- Grill Steaks: Place steaks over direct heat and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, avoiding charring by moving them to indirect heat if flames flare up. Brush both sides with reserved cowboy butter while cooking. After 5-6 minutes, transfer steaks to indirect heat and continue cooking until reaching your preferred doneness.
- Rest Steaks: Remove steaks from the grill and let them rest on a plate tented with foil for 10 minutes to retain juices before slicing.
- Caramelize Onions: Place a cast iron skillet on the grill over direct heat. Add a few tablespoons of butter and, once melted, add the thinly sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deeply caramelized and softened, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare Slider Buns: Preheat your oven to broil and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Split the slider buns and brush the inside of each bun generously with the remaining cowboy butter.
- Assemble Sliders: Place a slice of Havarti cheese on both the top and bottom halves of each bun. Add the caramelized onions over the bottom buns, followed by a few strips of sliced grilled steak.
- Broil Sliders: Arrange the assembled bottom buns on the baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.
- Finish and Serve: Place the top buns over the melted cheese and steak, slice the sliders if desired, and serve immediately for a rich, flavorful bite.
Notes
- For best results, use ribeye or sirloin steaks with good marbling for juiciness.
- Allowing the steak to rest after grilling is crucial to keep it tender and juicy.
- You can prepare the cowboy butter ahead and store it refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- If no grill is available, you can sear the steaks in a cast iron skillet and finish cooking in the oven.
- Adjust cayenne and red pepper flakes in the cowboy butter to your preferred level of heat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cowboy butter steak sliders, grilled steak sliders, caramelized onion sliders, Havarti cheese sliders, summer grilling recipes
