Strips of steak piled on top of thick, golden chips and smothered in a creamy peppercorn sauce. A special family dinner that’s requested again and again.
Nicky’s Notes
There’s a beach café near us that makes the most amazing steaky chips. When it closed for the winter I had to recreate them at home. To keep the dish quick, I use frozen oven chips so the whole meal can be ready in under 30 minutes.
If you prefer to make your own chips and have more time, that works beautifully too.
This recipe serves 4, but it’s easy to halve for two if you want a cosy date-night meal.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients for steaky chips
- Abbreviated Recipe
- Recipe Tips
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce Recipe
- 🍲 More fantastic date night recipes
📋 Ingredients for steaky chips
Full recipe with quantities and detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
Best steak for steak and chips
I recommend a good-quality thick steak (about 2–2.5 cm). Ribeye or sirloin work well because they have enough fat to stay juicy. They aren’t the cheapest cuts, but two steaks will stretch to serve four when sliced thinly.
- Ribeye has a central chunk of fat and marbling that adds flavour.
- Sirloin has leaner veins of fat and still grills beautifully.
Abbreviated Recipe
Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
Cook the chips in the oven. While they roast, oil and season the steaks and fry them, turning frequently. Rest the steak, then use the pan to make the peppercorn sauce — fry shallots and cracked peppercorns, add stock and Worcestershire sauce, reduce, then stir in cream. Slice the steak, pile on the chips and spoon over the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Bring steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so they cook evenly.
- This dish works brilliantly as a sharing centrepiece: serve the chips, sliced steak and sauce on one large tray with a big salad, and let everyone help themselves with tongs.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I use frozen oven chips to keep the meal quick, but you can substitute homemade oven or air-fryer chips if you prefer. A simple green salad complements this dish well.
- Air-fryer or homemade oven chips, or crispy smashed potatoes.
- A light butter lettuce or mixed-leaf salad.
- If you want an alternative sauce, try a classic Diane sauce, creamy mushroom sauce, blue cheese sauce, or a red wine jus.
Sauces and Dips
Diane Sauce
Sauces and Dips
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Sauces and Dips
Blue Cheese Sauce
Sauces and Dips
Red Wine Jus
📺 Watch how to make it
Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2lb 4oz) frozen oven chips
- 2 x 300g (2 x 10.5oz) rib-eye steaks (taken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Peppercorn sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 180 ml (¾ cup) beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 120 ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream
To Serve
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200–220°C fan (425–475°F). Spread the chips in a single layer on a large baking tray and cook according to the packet instructions (about 20–25 minutes).
- When the chips have roughly 15 minutes left, heat a large frying pan over high heat to cook the steaks and make the sauce.
- Rub the oil into the steaks and season both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks in the hot pan for about 6 minutes, turning every minute so they colour evenly. Remove them from the pan, cover and rest on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the shallots, crushed peppercorns and salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the shallots start to soften.
- Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil. Simmer quickly for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream and any resting juices from the steak. Bring together and then remove from the heat.
- Slice the steaks thinly, add them to the sauce to warm through, then divide the chips between plates or bowls. Top with the steak strips and spoon over the peppercorn sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Cooking for a crowd?
Serve everything on one large tray as a sharing centrepiece, with a big salad on the side so guests can help themselves.
Nutritional information is approximate and based on the recipe serving four.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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