Beef Salpicao (Filipino Garlic and Butter Steak Bites)

Tender chunks of rib-eye steak cooked to perfection and flavored with a delicious seasoning sauce and then smothered in butter. All done in less than 10 minutes! For a fuss-free, delicious dinner idea this Beef Salpicao is the best!

If there is a Filipino meal that makes me eat more than I intend to this is it – BEEF SALPICAO!

Now what is beef salpicao? Let me describe it this way – tender chunks of rib-eye steak cooked to perfection and flavored with a delicious seasoning sauce and then smothered in butter. Are you hungry yet?

My mouth is salivating just thinking of this dish again! Best of all, it’s done in less than 10 minutes and hardly any prep at all!

Despite the seemingly foreign-sounding name that doesn’t sound very Asian at all, it is in fact a Filipino dish! You’re probably wondering – how, why? I suspect that this beef dish or a variation of this came to the Philippines by way of Spain or Portugal. Ferdinand Magellan who discovered the Philippines was after all a Portuguese explorer though he was commissioned by the Spanish when he reached our islands.

Thereafter, the Philippines was colonized by Spain for nearly 400 years so we have a lot of Spanish/European inspired recipes which we have made into our own by infusing local seasonings and flavors!

And this is exactly what beef salpicao is! The original idea or recipe may have been imported but we made it our own by adding our own spin and sauces to give it an Asian flair. What comes out is a super tasty dish, indeed. I can seriously eat this every day!

While beef salpicao is a favorite for lunch or dinner, it can certainly be eaten in the morning and may be offered as a breakfast dish. After all, it is often paired with fried rice which is a popular side dish for Filipino breakfast! So make sure to have this with rice!

Love the flavors of garlic and butter that are prominent in this dish! You don’t even need to marinate the meat and yet it comes out so tasty because of its delicious seasoning sauce which has a yummy combo of both soy sauce and oyster sauces! How can you go wrong with that? 

Ingredients for Beef Salpicao

• 12 oz rib eye or sirloin steak (room temperature), chopped into 1-inch cubes (or sliced into strips, if preferred)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp butter

Instructions on how to make Beef Salpicao

• Lightly season the meat with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. 

• Heat the oil and minced garlic to medium. Cook the garlic until browned. Remove the garlic once browned. Set aside to use as garnish later. Add a little more oil to the pan, if needed. (I didn’t have to because my pan is non-stick).
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the beef cubes in one layer and sear on 1 side for about 1 minute. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes or until done to your liking. I like a little pink so I don’t overcook the steak so it comes out tender.

• Pour in the soy sauce and allow to boil briefly, about 10 seconds. Continue to stir-fry the beef to coat with the sauce.
• Add the butter. Continue to cook until the butter is melted, about a minute or less. Sprinkle half of the garlic. Remove the meat and its sauce to a serving plate. Top with the remaining garlic bits. Serve with Java Rice!

And of course, the fried rice that goes with this truly elevates the meal. It is such a perfect combo! 

Here are the fried rice recipes you can pair with beef salpicao. Yellow fried rice or Java rice is the popular favorite but any fried rice recipe is great, too like this Easy Garlic Fried Rice and this fabulous Pineapple Fried Rice. Enjoy this quick and easy dinner recipe!

Last updated on May 30th, 2025 at 05:02 pm