Grilled steak with creamy peppercorn sauce is the ultimate restaurant-quality meal that you can easily recreate in your own backyard or kitchen. This dish features perfectly grilled steaks with beautiful char marks and a juicy, tender interior, topped with a luxurious French-inspired sauce made from crushed peppercorns, cream, cognac, and beef stock. The peppercorn sauce adds incredible depth with its bold, spicy kick balanced by rich creaminess that complements the beefy flavor without overpowering it. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, hosting a dinner party, or simply want to treat yourself to something extraordinary, this combination of smoky grilled meat and velvety sauce delivers steakhouse elegance with surprisingly simple techniques. The key is good quality steak, proper grilling, and a sauce that comes together in minutes but tastes like you spent hours perfecting it.
Serving Quantity: Serves 4 people
Cooking Time: 35 minutes (including 10 minutes prep time, 15 minutes grilling time, and 10 minutes making sauce and resting)
1. Ingredients for Steak
- Four steaks (ribeye, New York strip, or filet mignon, 8 to 10 ounces each, 1 to 1.5 inches thick)
- Two tablespoons olive oil
- Two teaspoons coarse salt
- One teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- One teaspoon garlic powder
- Half teaspoon onion powder
2. Ingredients for Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
- Two tablespoons unsalted butter
- Two shallots, finely minced
- Three cloves garlic, minced
- Two tablespoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- One-quarter cup cognac or brandy
- One cup beef stock or broth
- One cup heavy cream
- Two teaspoons Dijon mustard
- One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Half teaspoon salt
- Two tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Optional: one tablespoon green peppercorns in brine, drained
3. Prepare the Steaks
Remove your steaks from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling to bring them to room temperature. This ensures even cooking from edge to center. Pat the steaks completely dry on both sides with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, so make sure they’re as dry as possible. Drizzle both sides of each steak with olive oil and rub it in with your hands to coat evenly. The oil helps seasonings stick and promotes better browning.
4. Season Generously
In a small bowl, mix together the coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle this seasoning mixture generously over both sides of each steak, pressing it in gently with your fingers so it adheres to the meat. Don’t be shy with the seasoning. A good steak needs bold seasoning to bring out its natural beefy flavor. The coarse salt creates a beautiful crust while the pepper adds flavor that complements the peppercorn sauce.
5. Preheat Your Grill
Preheat your grill to high heat, around 450 to 500 degrees. For gas grills, turn all burners to high and close the lid for 10 to 15 minutes. For charcoal grills, wait until the coals are covered with white ash and glowing hot. Clean the grill grates thoroughly with a wire brush, then oil them lightly using tongs and a paper towel dipped in oil. A clean, hot, oiled grill is essential for preventing sticking and creating beautiful grill marks.
6. Grill the Steaks
Place the seasoned steaks on the hottest part of the grill. Close the lid and cook without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes. Resist the urge to flip them early. They need time to develop that beautiful caramelized crust. After 4 to 5 minutes, the steaks should release easily from the grill. Flip them and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. For medium, cook 5 to 6 minutes per side. Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness, aiming for 130-135 degrees for medium-rare, 135-145 degrees for medium.
7. Rest the Steaks
Once your steaks reach the desired temperature, remove them from the grill and transfer to a cutting board or plate. Tent them loosely with aluminum foil and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This resting period is absolutely crucial. During cooking, the juices get pushed to the center of the meat. Resting allows those juices to redistribute throughout the steak, ensuring every bite is juicy and tender. If you cut into the steak immediately, all those precious juices will run out onto your plate.
8. Crush the Peppercorns
While the steaks are resting, prepare your sauce. Place the whole black peppercorns in a small zip-top bag or between two layers of parchment paper. Use a heavy skillet, meat mallet, or rolling pin to crush them coarsely. You want them broken into large pieces, not ground into powder. The coarsely crushed peppercorns provide bursts of spicy flavor throughout the sauce without making it overwhelmingly peppery. If using green peppercorns, drain them and set them aside to add later.
9. Sauté Aromatics
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt completely. Once the butter is foaming, add the minced shallots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and crushed black peppercorns. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and the peppercorns are toasted. The aromatics should smell incredible at this point. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.
10. Deglaze with Cognac
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the cognac or brandy. Return the pan to the heat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. If you’re comfortable with it, you can carefully tilt the pan to ignite the alcohol, flambéing it. Otherwise, just let it simmer vigorously for about 2 minutes until the harsh alcohol smell mellows and the liquid reduces by about half. The cognac adds incredible depth and a subtle sweetness to the sauce.
11. Add Stock and Cream
Pour in the beef stock and bring it to a simmer. Let it bubble gently for about 3 minutes, reducing by about one-third. This concentrates the beef flavor. Add the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until well combined. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The sauce should be creamy and pourable, not too thick or too thin.
12. Season and Finish the Sauce
Taste the sauce and season with salt and additional black pepper if needed. Remember that your steaks are already seasoned, so don’t oversalt the sauce. If using green peppercorns, stir them in now. They add a milder, slightly briny flavor that complements the black peppercorns beautifully. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley for a pop of color and fresh flavor. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a splash of beef stock. If too thin, let it simmer for another minute or two.
13. Plate the Steaks
Place each rested steak on an individual dinner plate or arrange all the steaks on a large serving platter. The steaks should have developed a beautiful brown crust on the outside. If you want to showcase your grilling skills, you can slice the steaks against the grain into thick slices and fan them out on the plate. This presentation shows off the perfectly cooked interior with that desirable pink center.
14. Sauce and Serve
Generously spoon the hot creamy peppercorn sauce over each steak, letting it cascade down the sides and pool slightly on the plate. The rich, peppery sauce should coat the meat beautifully. Alternatively, you can serve the sauce on the side in a small pitcher or gravy boat for people to add as much as they like. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of fresh parsley and perhaps a few whole peppercorns for visual appeal. Serve immediately while the steaks are still warm.
15. Serving Suggestions
Grilled steak with creamy peppercorn sauce pairs beautifully with classic steakhouse sides. Serve it with garlic mashed potatoes that can soak up the extra sauce, crispy roasted potatoes, or twice-baked potatoes. Creamed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, or grilled asparagus make excellent vegetable accompaniments. A crisp wedge salad with blue cheese dressing or a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette provides freshness. Don’t forget crusty bread to mop up every last drop of that incredible sauce. A full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec complements the rich flavors perfectly.
16. Indoor Cooking Alternative
If you don’t have access to a grill, you can cook the steaks indoors with excellent results. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over high heat until it’s smoking hot. Add a tablespoon of high-smoke-point oil like avocado or grapeseed oil. Sear the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then transfer the entire skillet to a preheated 400-degree oven to finish cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until they reach your desired doneness. This method creates a beautiful crust and allows you to make the sauce in a separate pan.
17. Nutrition Information Per Serving (with sauce)
- Calories: 725
- Total fat: 56 grams
- Saturated fat: 28 grams
- Cholesterol: 220 milligrams
- Sodium: 1,180 milligrams
- Total carbohydrates: 8 grams
- Dietary fiber: 1 gram
- Sugars: 3 grams
- Protein: 48 grams
18. Helpful Tips for Perfect Grilled Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
- Bring steaks to room temperature before grilling for the most even cooking from edge to center.
- Pat steaks completely dry before seasoning and grilling to achieve the best sear and crust.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness rather than guessing based on time alone.
- Let steaks rest for at least 5 minutes after grilling so the juices redistribute and stay in the meat.
- Crush peppercorns coarsely rather than grinding them fine for better texture and flavor distribution in the sauce.
- Be careful when adding alcohol to a hot pan as it can flame up, so add it off the heat for safety.
- Reduce the stock before adding cream to concentrate flavors and prevent a watery sauce.
- Taste the sauce before serving and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind the steaks are already seasoned.
- Make extra sauce as it’s so delicious people will want to drizzle it over their side dishes too.
- Save any leftover sauce to use over chicken, pork chops, or even roasted vegetables for another meal.
