Ultimate Steak Tartare Recipe (Beef Tartare)
The Ultimate Steak Tartare Recipe – Classic European steak tartare is made with chopped raw steak, raw egg yolk, capers, and spicy mustard. This no-cook beef tartare recipe is easy to prepare, and delicious to enjoy as a summer appetizer or light dinner dish.
Disclaimer: Be sure to use fresh high-quality beef and serve this dish immediately. Do not make it ahead. It is advised that pregnant women should not eat raw meat. Learn more about food safety from foodsafety.gov.
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 uncooked beef is mixed with eggs and seasonings and enjoyed either at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Most people think of tartare as a standard French recipe, yet it was actually brought to France by Russian and Eastern Europeans.
Another misconception is that beef tartare is something that people only eat at high-end bistros. They don’t realize it is easy to make at home and just as safe to consume. We’ll show you step-by-step how to make the perfect homemade Steak Tartare recipe in a snap!
Why We Love This Steak Tartare Recipe
Our classic European-style steak tartare recipe is made with good-quality beef filets, shallots, capers, and egg yolk to create a silky texture. The egg helps to hold the chopped beef and other ingredients altogether.
We also include a generous dollop of spicy whole-grain mustard for a bit of bold and tangy flavor.
This no-cook dish is ready in only 20 minutes. It is basically all simple prep work, and then everything is mixed together. That’s it!
Homemade authentic beef tartare is perfect for serving as an appetizer or enjoying a light summer dinner. Pair with your choice of healthy and/or hearty side dishes for a deeply flavorful and fun meal!
Ingredients You Need
- Beef filets – use high-quality meat, preferably from the butcher counter
- Shallots – minced shallots or sweet onion if you prefer
- Capers – minced capers or cornichons
- Egg yolk – save the egg white in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to cook with
- Spicy whole grain mustard – or use a 50/50 combo of whole grain mustard and Dijon mustard
- Fresh parsley – chopped
- Olive oil – or go for another preferred neutral-tasting oil
- Lemon – zested and juiced
- Seasonings – salt and pepper
How To Make The Best Steak Tartare
Pro Tip: Before getting started, make sure that your steak is nice and cold. You can even put the meat (sealed properly) in the freezer for a few minutes to get chilled.
- Then, trim the excess fat chunks off of the steaks and finely chop the filets with a sharp knife into ¼ inch pieces.
- Mince the shallots and capers. Zest and juice the lemon. In a measuring cup, add the egg yolk, lemon juice, and spicy mustard and whisk to combine.
- Next, set out a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped steak, minced shallots and capers, egg yolk/mustard/lemon mixture, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Mix to combine.
Pro Tip: Mix well… BUT BE GENTLE. You just want to incorporate the ingredients, not mush them together.
- Taste, then add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
- Serve the steak tartare immediately. You can briefly refrigerate to get a slight chill, but only for about 15 minutes before you eat.
Get the Complete (Printable) Steak Tartare Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
For traditional plating, press the beef tartare into a ramekin or a small bowl, and then carefully flip it out onto small serving plates in the shape of a disk.
Garnish the tartare with extra parsley and/or capers, if you like. You can also rest an extra egg yolk on top, but be aware this will make the tartare texture extra dense and silky.
Classic beef tartare is often enjoyed with baguette slices, crunchy crostini, toast points, plantain chips, or even simple salty potato chips.
This light, refreshing, and savory tartare pairs well with any number of summer dishes. Serve with a green salad, French Red Potato Salad for a fun play of “meat and potatoes,” Bake Turnip Fries, French Fries, or fresh or grilled veggies. You can even use a little tabasco sauce on top to spice it up.
Recipe Variations
- Spice – Add in a drizzle of Sriracha or other hot sauce, crushed red pepper, or minced chili peppers for some extra heat.
- Horseradish – Stir in a little bit of prepared or fresh grated horseradish to add a nice bit of sharp flavor. This plays well with the silky, savory flavor of the steak tartare.
- Relish – Diced pickle relish is terrific to mix in to give the dish a bit of tangy-sweetness.
- Truffle oil – Elevate your steak tartare with a drizzle of truffle oil for a rich, decadent twist.
- Toast – Serve your tartare on a small toasted baguette slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used high-quality raw beef filets (AKA filet mignon), but you could also use top-round filets, sirloin, or whole beef tenderloin, or New York Strip. Still, slice the meat into very small chunks rather than grind it up with a meat grinder.
To get just the right minced beef, start by cutting the steaks into fine strips. Cut the thin strips into halves or thirds. Then cut the steak ribbons crosswise.
No, you should not make this recipe in advance. You can chop the steak beforehand, and keep tightly wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator until ready to prepare and serve the tartare. Use the chopped beef within a day or so of prepping.
Looking For More Fabulous No-Cook Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Best Tuna Tartare Recipe
- Salmon Tartare
- Kitfo (Ethiopian Steak Tartare Recipe)
- Hawaiian Ahi Poke Recipe
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles) with Tomatoes and Capers
Check the printable recipe card for the nutrition information including calories, protein, fat, cholesterol, and sodium percentages.
Ultimate Steak Tartare Recipe (Beef Tartare)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds beef filets
- ½ cup minced shallot
- ¼ cup minced capers
- 1 large egg yolk + extra egg yolks for serving, optional
- 3 tablespoons spicy whole grain mustard or 2 tb whole grain mustard + 1 tb Dijon
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim all excess fat chunks off the steaks. Then finely chop the filets into ¼ inch pieces. Do this by cutting the steaks into fine strips. Cut the strips in halves or thirds. Then cut the steak ribbons crosswise.
- Mince the shallots and capers. Zest and juice the lemon. In a measuring cup, add the egg yolk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and spicy mustard. Stir to combine.
- Set out a mixing bowl. Add the chopped steak, minced shallots, capers, egg yolk mixture, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Mix well.
- Taste, then add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
- Serve immediately. For traditional plating, press the steak tartare into ramekins, then flip it out onto small serving plates in the shape of a disk. Garnish with extra parsley and/or capers. You can also rest an extra egg yolk on top, but be aware this will make the tartare texture extra dense and silky.
I was super hesitant about making this at home for the first time, but this recipe turned out amazingly!
I did have some issues finding good steak to use – the butcher I went to wasn’t able to sell me anything fresher than 2 weeks. I did some digging and researching, and ended up quick-searing 2 top sirloin filets from the grocery store on all sides – probably about 10 seconds each side. I put the seared filets in the freezer, and then cut off the cooked edges prior to dicing and preparing the tartare. I would highly recommend this method – it still turned out great, but gave me a lot of peace of mind about decreasing the risk of foodborne illness!
I also love the new ways of cooking new things