French

Serving

Steak Frites

Name: Steak Frites
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 thick-cut ribeye or strip steaks (about 1 inch thick); 2 lbs Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into sticks); 4 tbsp high smoke-point oil (like peanut or canola); 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 clove garlic (crushed); flaky sea salt

A seared, perfectly rested steak — crusty outside, rosy within — served alongside a mountain of crispy golden fries. Bistro perfection.

60 minutes

Serves 8

Main

21 min prep

33 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Peanut

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

6 steps

1
Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain and dry them completely with paper towels.
2
Heat a deep fryer or a heavy pot with oil to 325°F (160°C). Blanch the fries in batches for 5-6 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove and drain.
3
Increase the oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). Fry the potatoes a second time for 2-3 minutes until golden and shatteringly crisp. Toss immediately with salt and keep warm.
4
Pat the steaks dry and season very generously with coarse salt and black pepper.
5
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add a little oil, then sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium.
6
In the last minute of cooking, add the butter, thyme, and crushed garlic to the pan. Tip the pan and baste the steaks continuously with the foaming, aromatic butter. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving with the hot frites.

Steak Frites — plated and served — Serving moment. How Steak Frites looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

66/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 64

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 62

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

185

Calories

2 g

Protein

19 g

Carbs

11 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Steak frites is a French bistro staple built on the double-fry technique for the potatoes, which developed in Belgium and northern France as a way to get fries with a crisp, shattering crust and a soft interior. Pairing that with a simply seared steak, finished in the pan with butter and herbs, turned two separately simple techniques into a single defining bistro dish.

Listahan note

This version fries the potatoes twice, once at a lower temperature to cook them through and once hotter to crisp the outside, rather than frying once at a high heat that would brown the outside before the inside is cooked.

Technique cues

Soaking the cut potatoes in cold water for thirty minutes removes surface starch that would otherwise make the fries stick together and brown unevenly.
The first fry, at around 325°F, cooks the potato through without coloring it; the second fry, at a higher 375°F, is purely for building the crisp crust.
Basting the steak with foaming butter, thyme, and garlic in the last minute of cooking works flavor into the crust without needing a longer, drying sear.
Resting the steak for five minutes after cooking lets the juices redistribute through the meat instead of running out onto the cutting board the moment it's sliced.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Prep any side dishes while Steak Frites finishes with the Russet potatoes — the hands-off cook time is the window to use. Plan around the fry; that's the slow part.
Make-ahead: Steak Frites reheats well, so cooking it a day ahead and finishing it just before serving is a reasonable way to spread out the work. This one leans on the Russet potatoes. Everything else is quick — the fry is the one step that takes real time.
Leftover move: Leftover Steak Frites reheats well covered on the stove or in the oven with a splash of liquid; avoid the microwave, which can dry out a dish reheated this way faster than a covered, gentler reheat. This one leans on the Russet potatoes. Everything else is quick — the fry is the one step that takes real time.
Cleanup rhythm: Deglaze the pan used for Steak Frites with a splash of water or broth right after cooking — it lifts the browned bits before they dry on and saves scrubbing later. This one leans on the Russet potatoes. Plan around the fry; that's the slow part.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

2 thick-cut ribeye or strip steaks

Flavor support

Purpose: thick-cut ribeye or strip steaks supports the balance of Steak Frites and should taste integrated.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

2 lbs Russet potatoes

Structural base

Purpose: lbs Russet potatoes defines the shape and texture of the dish.

Handling: Wash, trim, and cut evenly so the pieces cook at the same pace.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

4 tbsp high smoke-point oil

Richness and texture

Purpose: tbsp high smoke-point oil rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

3 tbsp unsalted butter

Richness and texture

Purpose: tbsp unsalted butter rounds the texture and helps the dish feel complete.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use unsweetened dairy-free alternatives only where they still provide enough fat and body.

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Flavor support

Purpose: sprigs fresh thyme supports the balance of Steak Frites and should taste integrated.

Handling: Prep before heat is high so the cooking step can move without rushing.

Adaptation: Use the closest fresh equivalent and expect a modest shift in flavor or texture.

Technique notes

Dry the steak thoroughly before it hits the pan — any surface moisture steams instead of sears, and a good crust depends on that first dry contact with hot metal.
Salt the fries the instant they come out of the fryer, while the surface is still hot and slightly oily, so the seasoning actually sticks.
Serve the frites immediately, freshly fried; they lose their crackling crust within minutes as steam trapped inside works its way back to the surface.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Swap the unsalted butter for a neutral dairy-free butter or oil and a full-fat plant milk (oat or coconut work best for body) — the texture shifts slightly but the dish holds together. This one leans on the Russet potatoes.
Nut-aware direction: Leave off any nut topping — toasted seeds give a similar crunch without the risk. This one leans on the Russet potatoes.
Lower-sodium direction: Use a low-sodium or no-salt-added version of the flaky sea salt, then season to taste with fresh herbs, citrus, or vinegar at the end instead of more salt. This one leans on the Russet potatoes.
Weeknight shortcut: For a faster version, prep the longest-cooking component a day ahead so the night-of cook is mostly assembly and finishing. This one leans on the Russet potatoes.

Serve alongside

Fresh fruit
Cucumber slices
Plain rice crackers
Cold water
Sparkling water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days when the drink is brewed, blended, or mixed ahead.
Stir or shake before serving over fresh ice.
Do not freeze unless the recipe is meant to become pops or granita.

Equipment

Pitcher or blender
Measuring cup
Long spoon

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