Surf and Turf Steak with Garlic Butter Shrimp
My husband's birthday falls in January, and every year I used to panic about making something that felt special without turning the kitchen into a disaster zone. This is the recipe that finally made me stop panicking.
Two skillets, one oven, and about 45 minutes total. The steak goes in first, the shrimp come together in under 5 minutes, and the garlic butter ties everything into something that looks like you planned it for weeks.
Surf and Turf Steak with Garlic Butter Shrimp
Seared ribeyes and garlic butter shrimp on one plate, built for a night that deserves more than takeout.
Ingredients
Steak
- 4 ribeye steaks, about 1 inch thick , room temperature
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp neutral oil , avocado or canola
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
Garlic Butter Shrimp
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined , tails on or off
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter , divided
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes , optional
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Steak
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Tips & Notes
- Bringing steaks to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking helps them cook more evenly from edge to center. Cold steaks straight from the fridge overcook on the outside before the center reaches temperature.
- If you only have one skillet, cook the steaks first, tent loosely with foil while they rest, and use the same pan for the shrimp. Wipe out the excess burnt bits but leave the fond.
- For shrimp, size matters. Large or extra-large shrimp hold up better in the butter and give you more time before they overcook. Anything smaller than 26 to 30 count per pound can go rubbery in seconds.
- A reliable instant-read thermometer is the single most useful tool in this recipe. Guessing on steak doneness is how a good dinner turns into an expensive mistake.
Nutrition per serving · estimated
Why Two Pans Actually Make This Easier
It is tempting to want to do everything in one pan, but keeping the steak and shrimp separate gives you control over each one. Steak needs a screaming hot surface and oven time. Shrimp need medium-high heat and about 3 minutes total.
When you try to cook them together, one always suffers. The steak cools the pan down at exactly the wrong moment, or the shrimp sit in residual heat too long while you wait on the beef. Two pans means two things cooked right.
What to Serve Alongside This
This plate is rich, so sides that cut through the butter work best. Roasted asparagus with lemon, a simple arugula salad with shaved parmesan, or garlic mashed potatoes if you want to lean into the indulgence.
If you are making this for a date night or birthday dinner, a loaf of crusty bread on the table for the leftover garlic butter in the pan is not optional. That pan sauce is too good to leave behind.
