Steak Loaded Baked Potatoes (Grilled, Garlic Herb Butter)

A baked potato cooked on the grill can go wrong in two ways. Wrapped in foil, it steams and comes out with a soft, damp skin. Left too long over high heat, it chars outside while the center stays hard. Steak bites have their own trap: crowded into a pan that is not hot enough, they turn gray and release their juices instead of browning.

These steak loaded baked potatoes solve both. Large russets go straight onto the grates with oil and coarse salt, over steady medium-high heat with the lid closed, until the skin is dark and crackly and the inside is fluffy all the way through. Near the end, a cast iron griddle goes on the same grill to sear small cubes of seasoned steak hard and fast. Each potato is split, mashed with sour cream and cheddar, piled with steak and finished with a roasted garlic herb butter.

Ingredients

For the potatoes

• 4 large russet potatoes (about 12 oz / 340 g each) – their thick skin crisps on the grill and the starchy flesh turns light and fluffy.
• 2 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 tbsp kosher salt – the coarse grains stick to the oiled skin and season it.

For the steak bites

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) sirloin steak or beef tenderloin medallions, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes – see the table below for other cuts.
• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp smoked paprika – or about 1 tbsp of your favorite steak seasoning.

For the garlic herb butter

• 4 tbsp (55 g) butter, melted.
• 6 roasted garlic cloves, mashed – mellow and sweet, without the bite of raw garlic.
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme.
• 1/4 tsp black pepper and a pinch of salt.

For loading

• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream.
• 1 cup (4 oz / 115 g) shredded sharp cheddar.
• 3 tbsp chopped chives.

How to Make It

1. Prepare the potatoes – 5 minutes

Heat the grill to about 400 to 425°F (200 to 220°C). Scrub and dry the potatoes, then pierce each one 6 to 8 times with a fork. Rub them all over with the olive oil and coat every side with the kosher salt. The skins should look evenly glossy and speckled with salt.

2. Grill the potatoes – lid closed, 50 to 60 minutes

Place the potatoes directly on the grates and close the lid. Turn them every 15 minutes so they color evenly. If you have a whole head of garlic to roast for the butter, wrap it in foil with a drizzle of oil and set it on the grill at the same time. The potatoes are done when the skin is dark and crisp, a fork slides into the center with no resistance, or a thermometer reads about 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C).

3. Season the steak – 5 minutes

While the potatoes cook, toss the steak cubes in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Every piece should be fully coated, with no bare spots.

4. Make the garlic herb butter – 3 minutes

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash them with a fork. Stir in the melted butter, parsley, thyme, pepper and a pinch of salt. The butter should be golden and full of herbs, with soft bits of garlic throughout.

5. Sear the steak bites – high heat, 5 to 7 minutes

For the last 10 minutes of the potato cooking time, set the griddle over the hottest part of the grill and let it heat for 5 minutes. Spread the steak in a single layer, leaving space between the cubes, and sear without moving them for about 2 minutes. Turn and keep searing, tossing now and then, until browned on all sides. Each cube should have a deep brown crust. The center of a larger cube should read 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

6. Load and serve – 5 minutes

Slice each potato open lengthwise and push the ends toward the center to open it up. Add a spoonful of sour cream, a handful of cheddar and some chives, then mash it all into the fluffy flesh with a fork. Pile the steak bites on top and spoon the garlic herb butter over everything. The cheese should melt into the hot potato, and the butter should run down into the center.

Why the Potatoes Go On Without Foil

Foil traps the moisture that escapes from the potato as it cooks. That steam softens the skin, so a foil-wrapped potato comes out tender but pale and limp. Cooked bare on the grates, the skin dries out as the potato heats, and the oil and salt help it turn crisp and deeply browned, a bit like a potato chip around a soft center.

Piercing the skin lets some of that steam escape, and turning the potatoes every 15 minutes keeps the side touching the grates from burning. Closing the lid matters too: it turns the grill into an oven, so the heat surrounds the potato and cooks it through instead of only scorching the bottom.

Russets work best because they are high in starch and low in moisture. Their flesh separates into dry, fluffy flakes when cooked, which is exactly what you want for mashing with sour cream and cheese. Waxy potatoes such as red or Yukon Gold stay denser and creamier and do not give the same texture.

Choosing the Steak

Small cubes cook in minutes, so tender cuts work best. Tougher cuts that need long, slow cooking stay chewy when seared this quickly.

Whatever cut you choose, trim off thick pieces of fat and gristle before cubing, and cut all the pieces the same size so they finish together.

Getting a Good Sear

A crust forms only when the surface of the meat is dry and the pan is very hot. If the griddle is not hot enough, or the cubes are packed too close together, the steak releases its juices and simmers in them instead of browning.

Three habits help. First, preheat the cast iron for a full 5 minutes over the hottest part of the grill. Second, cook in two batches if your griddle is small, so there is space around every cube. Third, leave the steak alone for the first 2 minutes before turning it, so the crust can form.

Steak bites cook fast and can go from juicy to dry in a minute or two, so take them off the heat as soon as they reach temperature. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends cooking beef steaks to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. An instant-read thermometer pushed into the center of one of the larger cubes is the quickest way to check.

Make It Your Own

• No grill: bake the oiled and salted potatoes directly on the oven rack at 425°F (220°C) for 50 to 60 minutes, and sear the steak in a cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat.
• Different cheese: pepper Jack adds heat, smoked Gouda adds smokiness and blue cheese makes it richer.
• More toppings: crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions or a drizzle of steak sauce all fit here.
• Quick garlic butter: no roasted garlic? Gently cook 2 minced raw cloves in the butter for 1 minute instead.
• Leftovers: refrigerate the potatoes and steak separately and reheat them in the oven or an air fryer to bring back some crispness.

For more steak and potato ideas, try the steak grilled cheese, the beef tallow roasted potatoes or the garlic herb roasted potatoes. If you love cheesy potatoes, the potato cheese balls are a fun appetizer, and you can find more ideas among the dinner recipes.

Steak Loaded Baked Potatoes

Crispy grilled baked potatoes mashed with sour cream and cheddar, piled with seared steak bites and finished with a roasted garlic herb butter.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 920

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the potatoes

• 4 large russet potatoes about 12 oz / 340 g each
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

For the steak bites

• 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak or beef tenderloin medallions cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

For the garlic herb butter

• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 6 roasted garlic cloves mashed
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt a pinch

For loading

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
• 3 tbsp chives chopped

Method

 

1. Heat the grill to 400 to 425°F (200 to 220°C). Scrub and dry the potatoes, pierce each 6 to 8 times with a fork, rub with the olive oil and coat with the kosher salt.
2. Place the potatoes directly on the grates, close the lid and grill for 50 to 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the center reaches about 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C). Roast a foil-wrapped head of garlic on the grill at the same time if needed.
3. Toss the steak cubes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika.
4. Mash the roasted garlic and stir in the melted butter, parsley, thyme, pepper and a pinch of salt.
5. For the last 10 minutes, preheat a cast iron griddle over the hottest part of the grill for 5 minutes. Sear the steak in a single layer, undisturbed for 2 minutes, then turn until browned on all sides and 145°F (63°C) inside, 5 to 7 minutes total. Let rest 3 minutes.
6. Split the potatoes, add sour cream, cheddar and chives and mash into the flesh. Top with the steak bites and spoon the garlic herb butter over the top.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate the potatoes and steak separately in airtight containers for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer.

Make ahead: season the steak and make the garlic herb butter a few hours ahead and keep them refrigerated.

No grill: bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack at 425°F (220°C) for 50 to 60 minutes and sear the steak in a cast iron skillet over high heat.

Substitutions: ribeye, New York strip or flat iron instead of sirloin; pepper Jack or smoked Gouda instead of cheddar; 2 minced raw garlic cloves cooked in the butter for 1 minute instead of roasted garlic.

Nutrition is an estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.