Surf and Turf an easy, indulgent dinner of pan seared NY Steak and Shrimp served in a rich butter sauce. Great for special occasions!
Rich, flavorful Surf and Turf is a restaurant-quality recipe that’s surprisingly easy to make. Although Surf and Turf is classically made with Filet Mignon and lobster, this shrimp and New York steak version is a more cost-conscious Dinner Recipe that’s still just as delicious and elegant. It’s also made in the same pan so there is minimal clean up!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Surf and Turf Recipe
My Surf and Turf recipe is great to serve for a dinner party, holiday, date night, or any special occasion. The steak and shrimp are easily seared in the same saute pan and cooked quickly. Both are seasoned with simple salt, pepper, and thyme, cooked separately, then topped with a beef broth and butter sauce made with the pan drippings. That’s all it takes for a richly flavored, extra special dish.
Surf and Turf is a dish that combines steak (the turf) and seafood (the surf). The seafood is usually some type of shellfish. Anything from lobster, prawns, and crab legs, to this more affordable shrimp version. The robust beefy flavor of the steak combined with the slight sweet undertones of the shrimp makes an unbelievable combination.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter: Butter will be used to fry up the steaks with a creamy flavor that goes very nicely with the rest of the meal. Use equal parts salted butter if necessary.
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme: Thyme adds a subtle, earthy flavor to the steaks which gives it a nice herby hint that pairs well with seafood. You can use a teaspoon of dried thyme if you don’t have fresh thyme. Substitute with an Italian herb blend or French herb blend like Herbs de Provence if thyme isn’t available.
- 2 New York Steaks: NY steaks are known for their excellent flavor. If NY steaks aren’t available, you can use whatever steak cut is available as long as it is less than an inch in thickness.
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is needed for seasoning. You can use equal parts sea salt or Himalayan pink salt if preferred.
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Pepper adds a nice heat that cuts through the richness of the steak and butter. Freshly ground pepper works best for a more intense flavor but you can use preground if preferred.
- ½ pound Shrimp: Pick out large shrimp for the best experience. Whether you use thawed-from-frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp, be sure to rinse them in water to remove any unnecessary fishy flavor.
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil: Oil helps to cook the shrimp to just the right level of perfection.
- ½ cup Beef Broth: This will be used to deglaze the pan and make the base of the sauce.
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter: A little extra butter is added to the sauce at the end to finish it with extra flavor that will impress.
How to Make Surf and Turf
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Heat Skillet
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a cast-iron skillet on high heat.
- Season and Sear Steak
Pat the steaks dry with paper towel, season with salt and pepper all over, then sear on each side for 3 minutes until browned. Then place the entire skillet into the oven for 4 minutes for rare, 6 minutes for medium, or 9 minutes for well done. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer for precision.
- Rest Steak
Once done, remove the skillet from oven and place both steaks onto a plate. Tent them with foil while they rest.
- Cook Shrimp
Meanwhile, let the pan cool for 5 minutes so the oil doesn’t splatter, then add in olive oil and turn the heat to high. Cook shrimp for 1 minute on each side.
- Make Sauce
Now, remove shrimp from the pan and put them in a single layer on the steak. Remove the skillet from heat, and add beef broth to the skillet. Stir well to remove bits from the bottom of the pan and let reduce heat to medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened. Finally, turn off the heat, add in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir until melted.
- Serve
Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and steak, garnish with fresh parsley (optional), and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Can This Be Made Ahead?
No, this needs to be made fresh. You could technically make the steak before but the fish shouldn’t be refrigerated once cooked. While the shrimp would last a day or two in the fridge, cooking and serving fresh is safer.
Nutritional Facts
Sides for Surf and Turf
Making Surf and Turf (NY Steak and Shrimp) at home lets you have a gourmet dining experience without the high costs of ordering it at a restaurant. Serve it with classic steakhouse sides like Baked Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Almondine or Creamed Spinach.
For a full five star dinner, start the meal with a fresh salad, like Wedge Salad, soup like Clam Chowder, and some buttery warm Dinner Rolls.
How to Store
- Store: If you have any leftover Surf and Turf, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Stored in an airtight container the shrimp and beef will both keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Let it thaw out in the freezer before reheating the Surf and Turf in a pan.
How to Peel and Devein Shrimp
If you’ve bought shell-on shrimp it’s plenty easy to peel and devein yourself!
- Remove the head and the legs from the shrimp, if they’re still attached.
- Peel off the outer shell starting from the head end. If you’d like you can leave the tail on for presentation.
- Cut about ¼ inch deep along the outer edge of the shrimp’s back.
- Use the tip of your knife or a fork tong to remove the black vein that runs along the back.
Frequent Questions
This term is a playful way to say that the meal combines both steaks from the land (the turf) and shellfish from the sea (the surf). This meal is usually considered to be a dish for special dinners, but doesn’t have to be!
Chicken is never included in a Surf and Turf meal. If you’d like to add chicken you can, but then it is no longer Surf and Turf.
New York Strip Steak is a slightly less expensive cut of meat than a typical tenderloin, but it’s still quite delicious. This beef cut is chewier and has a bolder flavor than Filet Mignon, which you’d often find in Surf and Turf dishes. However, cooked in butter to the right temperature it’s still tender and juicy.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Steak:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 New York steaks , about 24 ounces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Shrimp:
- 1/2 pound shrimp , 13-15 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
To Finish:
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a cast-iron skillet (just bigger than your steaks) on high heat.
- Season steaks all over with salt and pepper, then add to hot skillet.
- Sear the steaks on each side for 3 minutes until browned, then place in the oven for 4 minutes for rare, 5-6 minutes for medium, or more for well done.
- Remove from oven, remove steaks from pan, and place onto a plate tented with foil to rest.
- Let the pan cool for 5 minutes then add in olive oil on high heat.
- Cook shrimp for 1 minute on each side.
- Remove shrimp from pan.
- Add beef broth, stir well to remove bits from the bottom of the pan and let reduce, on medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Turn off heat, add in remaining tablespoon butter and stir until melted.
- Serve sauce over steaks and shrimp.
Nutrition
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Variations on Surf and Turf
- Garlic Butter Sauce: For a rich garlic butter to serve over the steak and shrimp add in a tablespoon of minced garlic (about 2 cloves garlic) along with the beef broth and butter. Cook the pan sauce together and serve the garlic butter over the Surf and Turf.
- Liquid: Other than garlic sauce there are other kinds of cooking liquids you could try in the butter sauce. Try mixing in a quarter cup of white wine, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar to change up the taste.
- Turf: For the turf portion of the recipe you can try using different varieties of seafood. Try sauteing crab, lobster tail, scallops, or jumbo shrimp.
- Seasonings: For some extra flavor try adding extra seasoning to Surf and Turf like steak seasoning, parsley, sea salt, or garlic salt to the steak before searing.
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