Cajun Steak Bites Meal Prep
A proper homemade Cajun seasoning, steak seared hot and fast until charred, and a butter glaze added right at the end so it doesn’t burn.
Creamy sweet potato mash and garlic greens round out the plate, plus an optional pan sauce built straight from the fond left behind by the steak.
Five containers, all the components cooked in one pan, nothing wasted.
Cajun Steak Bites Meal Prep
CAJUN STEAK BITES · BEEF · MEAL PREP · MEDIUM
Real char, without overcooking the steak
Patting the steak fully dry and searing it hot and fast in batches is what gets that charred edge, crowd the pan and you'll steam it instead.
The butter goes in right at the end to glaze the steak, not earlier, since it burns quickly over high heat and holding it back is what keeps the glaze clean instead of bitter.
Deglazing the same pan for the optional sauce means almost nothing goes to waste, and it takes barely two minutes on top of everything else.
Cajun Steak Bites Meal Prep
Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 8 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 1 g Chilli Powder
- 0.5 g Dried Oregano
- Salt & Pepper
Steak Bites
- 750 g Lean Steak Rump, Sirloin, Scotch (Rib-Eye)
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 1 batch Cajun Seasoning
- 14 g Unsalted Butter
- Salt & Pepper
Sweet Potato Mash
- 800 g Sweet Potato Peeled & Chopped
- 14 g Unsalted Butter
- 125 ml Low-Fat Milk
- Salt & Pepper
Garlic Greens
- 300 g Broccolini, Green Beans or Kale
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 wedge Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper
Optional Pan Sauce
- 60 ml Beef Stock
- 10 g Dijon Mustard
- 5 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 g Unsalted Butter
Method
Cajun Seasoning
- Mix all of the Cajun seasoning ingredients in a bowl. This makes one batch for this recipe.
Season the Steak
- Pat steak cubes dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, toss with Cajun seasoning. Set aside while you prepare the mash.
Make the Sweet Potato Mash
- Boil sweet potato in salted water for 15–18 minutes or until tender. Drain well and mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add a touch of maple syrup or honey for a subtle sweetness. Keep warm.
Cook the Greens
- Blanch broccolini in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain. Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté the garlic until fragrant, then toss in the greens. Finish with lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Sear the Steak Bites
- Heat a large pan over high heat until just smoking. Add steak in batches and sear for 2–3 minutes until golden and slightly charred. Add butter at the end to glaze and toss. Remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes.
Optional Pan Sauce
- Deglaze the pan with beef stock, Dijon, and Worcestershire. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, whisk in butter until glossy. Spoon over steak when serving or portioning.
Portion
- Add a scoop of mash to each container. Top with steak bites and garlic greens. Drizzle with the sauce, if using, and garnish with parsley.
Which cut of steak works best for this?⌄
Rump, sirloin or scotch fillet (rib-eye) all work well diced into bites. Any lean cut that's good for a quick, hot sear will do the job here.
Is the pan sauce worth making, or can I skip it?⌄
It's optional but barely adds any extra time since it's built in the same pan right after the steak comes out. Worth doing if you've got the two minutes to spare.
Can I use regular mashed potato instead of sweet potato?⌄
Yes, regular potato mashes the same way and pairs just as well with the Cajun seasoning. You'll lose a bit of the natural sweetness that balances the spice.
Why sear in batches instead of all at once?⌄
Too much steak in the pan at once drops the temperature and stops it from developing that charred edge. Batches keep the pan hot enough to actually sear.
