These hot honey garlic steak bites are built for big flavor without an all-day cook. The sirloin gets a short smoke for wood-fired flavor, a hard sear for crust, and then a quick toss in a buttery hot honey garlic glaze that turns glossy and sticky in the skillet.
Original client project: I created this recipe and produced the cook for Lone Star Grillz using the El Fuego Trio. You can view the Lone Star Grillz recipe page here.
Ingredients
Steak bites
- 3–4 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- Lone Star Grillz Texas Bold Rub, or your favorite steak seasoning
Hot honey garlic glaze
- 1 stick butter
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Lone Star Grillz Texas Bold
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
Garnish
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds, optional
- Jalapeño slices, optional
How to make hot honey garlic steak bites
- Make the glaze. Combine the butter, garlic, honey, hot sauce, Texas Bold, Worcestershire and optional red pepper flakes in a grill-safe pan.
- Preheat the smoker. Run the pellet side of the El Fuego Trio at 225–250°F.
- Season the steak. Toss the sirloin cubes with avocado oil and season generously.
- Smoke briefly. Arrange the steak bites on a wire rack and smoke for about 20–30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches roughly 90–110°F.
- Heat the glaze and prepare the sear. Put the glaze pan on the upper rack to melt and warm while you get the charcoal side hot and preheat a cast-iron skillet.
- Sear hard. Sear the steak bites for about 60–90 seconds per side until a good crust develops.
- Glaze. Reduce the heat slightly, add the hot honey garlic mixture, and toss continuously for about 1–2 minutes until the steak is coated and glossy.
- Finish to temperature. Aim for 130–135°F for medium-rare or around 140°F for medium.
- Garnish and serve. Finish with green onions, sesame seeds and jalapeño slices if you like.
Why the smoke-then-sear method works
The short smoke adds wood-fired flavor without overcooking the small pieces of steak. The final cast-iron sear creates the crust, while adding the glaze at the very end keeps the honey from burning before the beef is ready.
Backyard BBQ tips
- Cut the steak into evenly sized cubes so the pieces finish at about the same time.
- Do not over-smoke the steak bites; this first stage is mainly for flavor.
- Get the skillet very hot before searing so you develop crust quickly without pushing the center too far.
- Keep the glaze moving once it hits the hot pan because the honey can scorch if it sits too long.
More beef recipes
If you want another live-fire beef cook, try the Santa Maria Tri-Tip Sandwiches. For a low-and-slow option, check out the Overnight Brisket.
Everyday BBQ: BBQ for the everyday family.
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