If you’ve ever wondered how to make Steak Tartare at home, this recipe is for you! This recipe is light, fresh, and classic with a couple of modern twists. This truly is the ultimate Steak Tartare recipe! It’s packed with flavor and easier to make at home than you could imagine.

Steak tartare is not a dish reserved for fancy restaurants, this is an easy recipe to make at home. It feels elegant and elevated and is so perfect for the holidays or for a dinner party.

If you’re looking for a delicious appetizer with the ‘wow’ factor, this easy Steak Tartare recipe is it!

The Best Steak Tartare Recipe

This is a recipe that I’ve spent years perfecting in restaurants and I’ve finally distilled it down into a simple recipe that you can make at home. After spending time in France this summer where steak tartare abounds, I’ve condensed all the recipes I’ve tried into the perfect Steak Tartare recipe.

So, what makes this recipe so good? It’s the perfect blend of texture in a sauce that is both rich and a little tangy from the egg yolk and dijon mustard. It’s got the perfect amount of shallot, capers, and cornichons without being overly acidic.

The kicker? Top the steak tartare with crispy onions for the ultimate flavor bomb. During the holidays we always have a can of fried onions laying around from green bean casserole, right? This is the perfect opportunity to use some!

I cannot undersell that this Steak Tartare is restaurant quality and rivals any tartare I’ve had an any restaurant in any country. Make this easy appetizer for the holidays and wow all your guests!

Important note: Raw eggs and beef are not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems.

What is Steak Tartare?

Steak Tartare, also known as Beef Tartare, is a lovely dish that’s made with chopped high-quality meat and served raw. The finely minced beef is seasoned and tossed with egg yolk, dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, shallots, capers, and cornichons.

The resulting dish is both light and rich and packed with flavor.

The dish evolved from the French Polynesian tradition of raw meat consumption combined with Georges Auguste Escoffier’s revamp of the classic French tartar sauce as the dishes’ condiment resulting in the version known as Steak Tartare.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easy – While steak tartare sounds fancy, it’s deceptively easy to make at home! All you really need is a sharp knife and a steady hand. The key to great tartare is to finely dice the beef.

Impressive – Are you having a dinner party or holiday gathering? This recipe is the perfect appetizer! It’s a show stopping and delicious recipe that will have your guests raving.

Festive – This is the perfect holiday appetizer. It’s festive, delicious, and perfect for Christmas or New Years!

How to Make Steak Tartare

Invest in a high-quality knife! The key to a great steak tartare recipe is in the texture and that’s achieved by finely dicing the beef with a sharp knife.

Tools Needed

• Sharp Knife
• Composite Plastic Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beef. I used quality prime beef filet (tenderloin) that was grass fed for this recipe.
• Egg yolk. Egg yolk creates the base of the sauce and binds everything together.
• Dijon mustard. My favorite dijon mustard is from Trader Joe’s because it has the BEST flavor.
• Olive oil. Use a quality, flavorful olive oil. My favorite is Graza.
• Lemon. I use a bit of lemon juice in the sauce and top the tartare with lemon zest for brightness.
• Worcestershire. A couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce add a nice savory flavor.
• Mix-ins. Minced shallot, capers, and cornichons are classic and add the perfect flavor, texture, and bite.
• Herbs. A bit of chopped parsley and chives add flavor and freshness.
• Crispy fried onions. Optional, but the crunchy onion adds so much flavor and texture.

The Process

1. Dice the beef. Pat your beef dry with paper towels and place the beef on a plate. Transfer the plate to the freezer for 10 minutes. Finely dice the beef into 1/4″ dice. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Mix the sauce. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, dijon, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice until smooth. While whisking quickly, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified and the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Chop the ingredients. Very finely mince the shallots and chop the cornichons and capers. Mince the parsley and chives.
4. Mix the tartare. Mix the diced beef, chopped accoutrements, sauce, and chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve. Use a ring mold to mold the steak tartare on a plate and top with crispy onions, lemon zest, and more herbs.

Tips for Making Steak Tartare

• Use the right cutting board. NEVER use a wooden cutting board. Wood boards are porous and you should never cut raw meat on them. Make sure to use a clean and sanitized composite plastic cutting board like the one linked above when making steak tartare.
• Visit the butcher. Now is not the time to pick up a pre-packaged steak from the grocery store. Visit a reputable butcher or the butcher counter of a quality store (I went to Central Market). Have them cut you a fresh piece of beef and let them know that it’s for a steak tartare recipe and that you’ll be eating it raw. They’ll be able to get you the perfect cut.
• Freeze the beef before cutting. Briefly freezing the beef before dicing it makes it easier to handle.
• Use quality ingredients. When consuming anything raw, always make sure you’re using the highest quality ingredients. Organic pasteurized eggs and prime grass fed filet are the way to go.
• Keep the beef cold. In an effort to prevent any food borne illness, keep the beef cold while you prep your ingredients and keep it cold before serving.
• Keep your work station clean. A clean work station is the best way to prevent any illness. Make sure your tools and bowls are clean and that your cutting board is sanitized. Wash your hands and wear gloves when handling raw meat.

How to Cut Beef for Tartare

1. Trim the fat: There shouldn’t be much since the steak is lean, but try to remove any tendons or large pieces of fat.
2. Freeze the steak: Allowing the steak to firm up in the freezer for at least 10 minutes will make cutting it so much easier.
3. Cut and mince the steak: Use a sharp knife to cut the frozen steak into ¼-inch slices, then into ¼-inch strips. Mince the strips into very fine pieces. Add it to a plate and chill in the fridge until it’s time to prepare the extra flavors.

Best Cuts of Beef for Tartare

While chefs may disagree on which cut of meat makes the best steak tartare, they all agree on one thing: It’s essential to start with the freshest meat from a quality source, such as your local butcher shop. DO NOT BUY GROUND MEAT.

Beef Filet (Tenderloin). Filet mignon, which comes from the beef tenderloin, is the most classic cut to use for steak tartare. It’s exceedingly tender and fairly lean with only faint lines of marbling making it the ideal texture to enjoy raw. Ask your butcher to cut from the center of the tenderloin.

Top sirloin. Also known as the Picanha cut that you’ll see at Brazilian steakhouses. Top sirloin is affordable, flavorful, and tender with a fat cap that just needs to be removed before dicing.

Flat iron. Flat iron is a somewhat newer cut that comes from the beef shoulder. It’s got nice marbling and flavor and is touted as the “second most” tender cut behind filet. If you use flat iron, make sure the butcher does not give you a piece with tendon or sinew running through it as it can be hard cutting around.

Whatever cut of steak you use for this steak tartare recipe, it will be delicious!

What to Serve with this Steak Tartare Recipe

In France, Steak Tartare is served as a main dish and and appetizer! It’s often served with a light salad made with arugula and french fries for a complete meal. Here are my favorite things to serve with steak tartare:

Salad. Enjoying steak tartare alongside a salad with some crunch is the best. It provides a nice flavor and texture contrast. Try either my Kale Caesar Salad or my Italian Chopped Salad.

Toasted bread. Toasted bread is one of my favorite ways to enjoy steak tartare! Try your hand at making sourdough from scratch, slice it thin, and toast with olive oil in the oven. So good!

French fries. The crispy potato and salt really pairs so perfectly with this steak tartare recipe. For that matter, you can also serve this steak tartare recipe alongside thick cut kettle chips for an easy serving vessel.

Steak Tartare FAQs

Is it safe to make steak tartare at home?

Yes! It really is safe to make at home as long as you’re following common sense practices. Follow my tips in the blog post above (using the right cutting board, etc) and you can easily and safely make steak tartare at home.

Is it safe to eat raw beef and egg yolks?

As with all food, there is always a risk to food-borne illness. Make sure you’re using the freshest beef possible and that the eggs you use are quality and pasteurized.

Can I use supermarket steak for steak tartare?

Don’t use steak from a supermarket. Use a butcher, preferably one you know and trust. Tell your butcher you intend to eat it raw. Have them cut it fresh for you and eat it the same day.

Can I store leftover steak tartare?

Unfortunately, no. Steak tartare must be eaten all in one go so only prepare as much as you know you will eat.

Can I make steak tartare in advance?

Do not prepare steak tartare more than 2 hours in advance.

We love this Steak Tartare recipe as part of our holiday traditions and I hope you’ll give it a try too. It’s one of our favorite recipes, and I know you will love it just as much as we do! If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Appetizer Recipes to Try Now

Cranberry Baked Brie
Potato and Onion Pierogies
Fried Coconut Shrimp
Smoked Salmon Dip

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