Steak frites
Steak frites
A bistro plate: a pan-seared steak, a pile of fries, and a pan sauce if you have the nerve.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Steak frites.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

About
Steak frites is not a recipe so much as a standard: a steak cooked hard and fast, fries that stay crisp, maybe a shallot-butter pan sauce. Bistro cuts are often bavette or entrecôte. At home a sirloin still makes the plate. The fries matter as much as the meat.
Ingredients
- Beef, two steaks, room temperature400 g
- Potato, cut for fries600 g
- Butter30 g
- Shallot1
- Dry White Wine (optional)40 ml
- Neutral oil, for fries400 ml
- Salt7.4 ml
- Black pepper4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Soak fries in cold water 20 minutes, dry hard. Fry at 160°C 5 minutes, drain, then 180°C until gold. Salt.
25 minStep 2
Salt and pepper the steaks. Sear in a ripping-hot pan 2–3 minutes a side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Rest.
8 minStep 3
Shallot in the fat, splash of wine, butter. Slice steak or leave whole. Fries. Sauce.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Shallot → A little onion
Sweeter, still a pan sauce.
Tips
- A thermometer helps more than guessing. 52–54°C in the centre is a pink bistro steak.
- Frozen fries are an honest Tuesday. Say so.
History & culture
French and Belgian brasserie furniture. A weeknight if you are organised; a treat if you are not.
The pairing is 19th–20th-century urban. It does not need a medieval origin story.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: LuvsMG481 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steak%20frites%20-%20yummy.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Steak frites take?
50 min all in — 20 min prep, 30 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 2 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Shallot → A little onion. Sweeter, still a pan sauce.
Any tips from this recipe?
A thermometer helps more than guessing. 52–54°C in the centre is a pink bistro steak. Frozen fries are an honest Tuesday. Say so.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes

Pot-au-feu
Pot-au-feu
Boiled beef, marrow bones and winter vegetables — the broth is dinner and so is the meat.
3 hr 55 minMediumNo chilli

Lomo saltado
Lomo saltado
A Peruvian-Chinese stir-fry: beef, onion, tomato, soy and fries — on the same plate as rice.
40 minMedium🌶️

Yakitori
焼き鳥
Chicken on a stick, salted or lacquered in tare, cooked hot — a bar snack that is also dinner.
35 minEasyNo chilli

