Bourbon Grilled Steak Tips
Fire up the grill for this easy grilled steak tips recipe! Tender beef tips are infused with an easy bourbon marinade and grilled to perfection for a restaurant-worthy meal. This tasty beef recipe is quick to prepare and loaded with flavor! This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
I love steak tips. My family goes crazy for the signature marinated steak tips from our local butcher, so I wanted to create my own homemade copycat version. These bourbon-infused steak tips turned out tender and delicious and were a cinch to make. I love any excuse to take my cooking outdoors. This girl loves to grill! Not to mention, clean-up is a breeze! Pair these steak tips with green beans or grilled asparagus and you’ve got a well-rounded meal ready in under 20 minutes. However, if you have a good grill pan or indoor grill, then you can grill these tasty bourbon marinated steak tips all year long!
What Are Steak Tips?
If you’ve never had steak tips, then you’re in for a treat. Steak Tips/Beef Tips are often cut from the Sirloin. However, Steak Tips can be cut from any part of the cow. You may find them packaged in grocery stores as Sirloin Tips or Tenderloin Tips. It seems that the difference in cut preferences varies by region.
My local butcher cut the steak tips from the Shoulder Petite Tender (Latin name is the Teres Major muscle) that comes from the chuck section. It can be referred to as the poor man’s Filet Mignon and works beautifully for tips in this recipe. They come out juicy and fork-tender! My top two favorite cuts for Steak Tips are from the Sirloin Flap and the Shoulder Petite Tender.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The bourbon marinade is easy to make and enhances the savory umami flavor of the beef.
- It’s a perfect recipe for meal prep since it’s easy to store and reheat.
- It can be grilled indoors or outdoors.
- Steak tips are a delicious source of high-quality lean protein.
Recipe Ingredients
- Steak Tips – Sirloin tips from the flap, or tender tips sliced from the Teres Major.
- Olive Oil – Helps transfer the fat-soluble flavors into the meat and retain moisture.
- Bourbon Whiskey– Adds incredible flavor and aids in tenderizing the meat.
- Soy Sauce– Is rich in glutamates which elevates umami and acts as a brining agent for juicy, tender beef.
- Brown Sugar– Adds sweetness to balance the flavors and enhances the browning of the meat.
- Dijon Mustard – Adds a tangy mustard flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients.
- Fresh Garlic – Infuses the beef with fresh garlic flavor.
- Tabasco Sauce – Adds a pop of flavor and hint of spice. To avoid heat, go with green Tabasco.
- Black Pepper – Helps to enhance all the flavors in the dish.
Recipe Steps
Step 1. Prepare the marinade. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Bourbon, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, Tabasco, and black pepper.
Step 2. Marinate the steak tips. Pour the marinade into a sealable bag with the steak tips and squeeze out all the excess air. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 3. Grill the steak tips. Remove the steak tips from the refrigerator and place them onto a plate. Preheat the grill to medium-high and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Marinate the beef for at least 1 hour before cooking for maximum flavor (2 hours is recommended). Time Saver Tip: you can marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight so it’s ready to go the next day.
- Thread steak tips onto skewers with fresh vegetables for simple and delicious beef kabobs.
- After grilling steak tips, allow them to rest before serving.
- For a gluten-free version of this marinade, you can use Tamari instead of soy sauce.
Steak Grilling Tips
Grilling Tips provided by Beef.It’sWhat’sForDinner
- Prep Pays Off– Some grill experts emphasize the importance of bringing steaks to room temperature before grilling, but we don’t recommend it for food safety reasons. Likewise, our cooking chart is based on the meat going directly from chill to grill. Pull the meat from the fridge, and getting started right away.
- Fire It Up– Make sure that your grill is clean, this prevents flare-ups, and the rack is well-oiled to prevent sticking. If you’re using charcoal, follow the directions for how much you’ll need and how to build the charcoal pile. For gas grills, refer to your owner’s manual and set the grill to medium-high.
- Grill, Baby, Grill– Use an ovenproof or instant-read thermometer to monitor doneness, and let it go- don’t flip the steaks too much! One flip is usually all you need but take care to avoid charring or burning and be ready to turn down the heat (or move to a cooler spot on the grill) if necessary. Keep in mind the internal temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes after coming off the grill.
- Rest & Relax– Here’s another step that novice cooks often overlook: resting the meat before serving. It’s seriously worth the wait because it prevents all those tasty juices from draining onto your plate. For most grill-friendly cuts, about five minutes is enough.
Storing & Reheating
Storing. Steak tips will keep up to three days covered in a fridge. I like to make these for meal prep along with a pot of rice and a green vegetable.
Freezing. You can freeze cooked steak tips, but they will lose some of their integrity. To thaw, just place them in the refrigerator overnight and follow the reheating instructions below.
Reheating. The best way to reheat steak tips is to heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then make a pocket out of aluminum foil and place the beef tips in the foil with about ¼ cup of beef stock. Fold the foil pocket nice and tight and place it in the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes. Be sure to check the temperature of the beef with a thermometer before you pull it out to serve.
FAQ
Grilling time will depend on the size of your steak tips. The fool-proof method for perfectly cooked steak is to use an instant-read thermometer and check the internal temperature of the meat. This is the best way to ensure that the beef is properly cooked to your personal preference. For medium-rare the temperature should read 145°F, the temperature for medium steaks should read 160°F, and well done is 170°F.
Marinating steak tips not only gives a burst of flavor to the meat, but it serves as a tenderizing agent as well. Most steak tip cuts are already tender, so a long marinating time isn’t required.
Steak tips are not the same as stew meat. Steak tips are cut from more tender cuts of beef, while stew meat is from tougher beef cuts that require longer cooking times to break down the muscle fibers to tenderize the meat.
Allowing meat to rest after cooking allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. This way you don’t lose those flavorful juices when the meat is cut.
This recipe can be made alcohol-free by eliminating the bourbon and doubling the soy sauce.
More Grilled Steak Recipes
Grilled New York Strip Steak with Peach Chimichurri
Mediterranean Grilled Sirloin Steaks
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Bourbon Grilled Steak Tips
Equipment
- grill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs steak tips cut from the flap or Teres Major sliced into 2-3" pieces
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Bourbon whiskey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce use the regular, not low-sodium, for best flavor
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Bourbon, soy sauce, dijon mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, Tabasco, and black pepper.
- Pour the marinade into a sealable bag with the steak tips and squeeze out all of the excess air. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove the steak tips from the refrigerator and place them onto a plate. Preheat the grill to medium-high and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness. Allow steak tips to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I was grilling filet mignon tails for a small gathering. I typically do a simple s&p seasoning, but wanted something different. Followed this recipe exactly, except granulated rather than fresh garlic, and added a tablespoon of red miso paste … oh, and sriracha instead of Tabasco. This was nothing short of amazing. Rave reviews by all. Will certainly be making again.
Thanks for the review John! I love the addition of red miso paste! I’ll definitely try that with the sriracha!
Was super excited to try this!
I used Jameson Black Barrel Irish whiskey since that was all I had.
I used my air fryer since I do not have a grill. Cooked at 400 for about 8 mins, shaking them halfway through. Came out perfect! Served it with mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. Will be definitely making it again!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Ariel! This is definitely one of my favorite steak recipes! 🙂
Outstanding flavors and easy to make.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Kathy!