Homemade Steak Sauce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 40 servings
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

A steak sauce can take dinner from an ordinary affair to a restaurant-worthy meal. This tomato-based sauce recipe brings together all of the familiar flavors we find in the bottles on the supermarket shelves into a delicious homemade version. The combination of onion, garlic, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar is simmered until blended and thick, perfect to spoon on top or serve alongside that cut of meat.

Although there are several ingredients, you most likely have them in your pantry and fridge. But this is also the type of recipe where you can adjust the ingredients to your own liking or depending on what you have on hand. Although perfect with steak, this sauce also pairs nicely with oven-baked chicken drumsticks, roasted pork tenderloin, as a condiment on hamburgers and hot dogs, and as a dip for french fries. You can serve this steak sauce warm or at room temperature. 

Homemade Steak Sauce
The Spruce

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

  • 1 clove garlic, smashed

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon mustard

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Homemade Steak Sauce Ingredients
    The Spruce
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

    Olive oil in pan
    The Spruce
  3. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent in appearance but not brown.

    Sautéing onion
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  4. Add the smashed garlic and sauté for 15 seconds until fragrant.

    Smashed garlic
    The Spruce
  5. Place the remaining ingredients in the skillet and simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until it reaches a thickened consistency.

    Making steak sauce
    The Spruce 
  6. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool completely. Strain to remove the onion and garlic.

    Straining steak sauce
     The Spruce
  7. Serve on the side with any type of beef steak.

    Steak sauce
     The Spruce
  8. Enjoy.

Tips

  • This recipe makes quite a bit, so feel free to halve or even quarter the recipe as needed.
  • If making ahead of time, cool completely and store the steak sauce in a jar or plastic airtight container for up to one week. You can also freeze the sauce for up to six months; place completely cooled sauce in a freezer-safe container or divide it into smaller portions before freezing.

Recipe Variations

  • If you like your steak sauce to have a little kick, add a teaspoon or so of prepared horseradish, or you can use a dash or two of hot sauce.
  • You can use this homemade steak sauce as a marinade for steak, but it will need to be thinned out first. Add some beef broth, water, or olive oil a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a good consistency for marinating.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
18 Calories
1g Fat
3g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 40
Amount per serving
Calories 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 123mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 42mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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