This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
This garlic butter Brazilian steak is juicy, tender, and packed with flavor—ready in just 15 minutes. The golden garlic butter sauce brings everything together for a fast and easy steak dinner that tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant.
Brazilian Steak
If there are two things I love about Brazilian food, they’re juicy Brazilian steak and cheesy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo). There’s just something irresistible about Brazilian steak—it’s meaty, tender, juicy, perfectly seared, and bursting with flavor in every bite. This golden garlic butter Brazilian steak recipe is incredibly easy to make, but it delivers that same mouthwatering, steakhouse-quality taste you’d expect from Fogo de Chão. You only need five simple ingredients: garlic, butter, parsley, salt, and black pepper—things you probably already have in your kitchen.
The best part? It takes just 15 minutes from start to finish. Quick, simple, and so satisfying. Even with a short ingredient list, the flavor is deep and rich. One bite and I was hooked—it honestly tasted just like the steak I’ve had at some of the most popular Brazilian restaurants. Be sure to check out my video guide and tips below to make the perfect steak every time!
What Cut Of Meat For Brazilian Steak
You can use different cuts of beef for this recipe, like skirt steak, flank steak, or flap meat. These cuts are super tender and packed with flavor, making them perfect for grilling or searing. Skirt steak and flank steak are favorites for their texture, but flap meat gives you that same tenderness at a more budget-friendly price. No matter which cut you choose, they all soak up the garlic butter sauce beautifully, giving you a juicy, flavorful steak every time.
Flap Meat
This recipe is one of the best flap meat recipes you’ll find. Flap meat, also known as flap steak, is a fantastic choice for this dish. Cut from the bottom of the sirloin steak, it offers a deliciously beefy flavor and is known for its tenderness. You’ll love the price — it’s more affordable than cuts like skirt or flank steak, and you definitely get great bang for your buck with a similar texture and taste.
Flap meat also absorbs marinades beautifully, and when paired with garlic butter, it becomes a juicy, flavorful steak. Whether you call it flap steak or flap meat, it’s a great option for a tender, satisfying meal at home.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Garlic
- Salt
- Flat meat – You can also use skirt steak or flank steak. If you can’t find those, flat iron steak or sirloin steak work too, though you might need to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness.
- Ground black pepper
- Canola oil – You can also use vegetable oil as a substitute.
- Unsalted butter
- Flat-leaf parsley
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak
Peel the garlic cloves and give them a good smash with the side of your knife. Sprinkle a little salt on it, then just mince it up—doesn’t have to be perfect!
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and season it generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up some oil in a big skillet over medium-high heat until it’s nice and hot. Throw the steak in and let it sear for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side for that perfect medium-rare. Once it’s browned, take it off the skillet and set it aside to rest while you whip up that garlic butter.
In a smaller skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Toss in the garlic and keep swirling the pan every so often until the garlic gets a light golden color, which should take about 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
If you want, slice the steak up and divide it onto four plates. Drizzle that yummy garlic butter over the top, sprinkle with some fresh parsley, and serve it up!
Secrets To The Best Brazilian Steak
- For the juiciest, most flavorful steak, go with cuts like skirt steak, flank steak, or flap meat. My favorite is flat meat as it’s so tender and affordable. These cuts are super tender and soak up that garlic butter sauce like a dream. If you can’t find those, flat iron steak or sirloin will work too.
- Before seasoning, make sure to pat your steak dry with paper towels. It’s key for getting that perfect sear and avoids steaming the steak in the pan. A dry steak means you’ll get that beautiful, brown crust that makes it so delicious.
- After searing, let the steak rest for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute. It makes the steak more tender and flavorful—don’t skip this step!
- When making the garlic butter, keep the heat low and let the garlic turn golden, not brown. If it cooks too fast, it can get bitter and mess up the flavor. Just keep swirling the pan to cook it evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can make the garlic butter ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just reheat it gently before serving.
Yes. Grill over high heat (about 450°F/230°C) for 2-3 minutes per side for that perfect medium-rare. Then, finish it off with the garlic butter!
For medium-rare, shoot for an internal temperature of 130-135°F (54-57°C). A meat thermometer is your best friend here! The steak should feel a little firm but still tender and slightly pink in the center.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat it gently in a skillet with a little splash of oil or butter to keep it nice and moist.
This recipe is only 431 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this juicy steak with delicious side dishes like Crispy Roasted Potatoes, Skillet Dinner Rolls, and Brown Butter Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots for a complete meal. They also pair well with the following recipes for a truly Brazilian meal:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak
Ingredients
- 6 medium cloves garlic
- kosher salt
- 1.5 lb skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil , or vegetable oil
- 2 oz unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the side of a chef’s knife. Sprinkle the garlic lightly with salt and mince it.
- Pat the steak dry and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a heavy-duty 12-inch (30 cm) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the steak and brown well on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest while you prepare the garlic butter.
- In an 8-inch (20 cm) skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, swirling the pan frequently, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Lightly salt to taste.
- Slice the steak, if you like, and transfer it to 4 plates. Spoon the garlic butter over the steak, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Video
Notes
- For the juiciest, most flavorful steak, go with cuts like skirt steak, flank steak, or flap meat. These cuts are super tender and soak up that garlic butter marinade like a dream. If you can’t find those, flat iron steak or sirloin will work too.
- Before seasoning, make sure to pat your steak dry with paper towels. It’s key for getting that perfect sear and avoids steaming the steak in the pan. A dry steak means you’ll get that beautiful, crispy crust that makes it so delicious.
- After searing, let the steak rest for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute. It makes the steak more tender and flavorful—don’t skip this step!
- When making the garlic butter, keep the heat low and let the garlic turn golden, not brown. If it cooks too fast, it can get bitter and mess up the flavor. Just keep swirling the pan to cook it evenly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Do you think thin sliced beef chuck steak (diesmillo) will work for this recipe? if yes, is there any extra step needed? they’re on sale at nearby aldi this week :) Thank you for sharing. Your dishes are always delicious!
Hi Adele, I think so, but I didn’t use it…just follow the instructions to cook the steak.
Hi I’m making this recipe tonight. Do I really need to hand mince the garlic? I always use a garlic press to save time. I’m not sure if the texture of the garlic makes a difference in this dish though. I also wondered if it would be good using fresh basil in lieu of parsley? (I’m not a huge parsley fan)
Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying it and will leave a rating once I do! :)
Sure, you can use garlic press, I think it works fine. Basil sounds like a great idea. Let me know how this Brazilian steak turns out!
This turned out great! I did use a garlic press instead of mincingand I put the fresh basil on top. It was delicious!
That’s awesome, I am so happy!
How many servings?
Two.
Do you have the nutritional values for this? I am tracking what I eat and need to imput the numbers.
Yum! Looks perfect!
Fantastic recipe. I picked up some clearance skirt steak, and wanted something besides fajitas or Carne asada. Simple ingredients, complex flavors. I served mine with asparagus, refried Chipotle red beans and a nice tomato jalapeño white rice.
This recipe seduced me to make it because it was so simple.
I made it as directed but added shrimp. I made sure the shrimp were prepped before I timed them into the meal (frozen and deveined but I removed the tails).
The garlic butter sauce was great. Next time I will try to get the garlic minced to the finest degree possible so as to be more decadent if I want – perhaps garlic balls or Brazilian garlic cheese bread.
I decided on broiling white mushrooms as a vegetable. It was a good idea because my husband knows how to judge a meal so tried them first. They were hot from the oven and sweet in the way that mushrooms are when they don’t have seasoning to mess them up. He followed them with the shrimp. I was like, “Exactly.” The shrimp were perfect, sweet and not overcooked. Then, the saltiness and tenderness of the garlic butter Brazilian steak over rice. I went light on the parsley, only to taste. I didn’t hear a word until he’d finished. He said two times how good the steak was when once is always enough. He thought the whole meal was divine.
That’s awesome that you had an amazing meal with my recipe. Try more recipes on my site. They are all easy and amazing! :)
Can you use flat iron steak for this?
I think so.
Why does this call for unsalted butter? It obviously has plenty of salt in the finished product, so why go to the hassle of requiring unsalted butter? It tastes like shit, frankly, and we never use it in our house. Is there a benefit to using it that I’m not aware of?
Thanks,
Dan
Unsalted butter tastes like shit? Well, salted butter is basically the same butter with salt! So, are you saying pure butter tastes like shit or this dish tastes like shit? The reason why unsalted butter is used in this recipe is because you can control the amount of salt used in the recipe and not have to rely on the salt in the butter. Most cooks or chefs would use unsalted butter. It’s how butter should be.
Rasa Malaysia: You told him!!! Good for you!!! Keep it up, some dumb men don’t know shit about cooking!!!!!
:)
Lmao I love you Rasa
Awww thanks!
I tried it last night. It was juicy and delicious.
Awesome, thanks for trying my Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak.