Creamy Peppercorn Sauce for Steak (VIDEO)
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This 15 minute Peppercorn Sauce is one of my favorite sauces to upgrade any steak into a restaurant quality meal! It’s so creamy, savory, and luxurious – perfect for a weeknight meal or even the holidays!
Watch the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce recipe video below!
A Note from CJ
My Creamy Peppercorn Sauce will upgrade any steak!
I love how decadent and luxurious this sauce is – it’s so creamy from the heavy cream and flavorful from the alcohol, beef stock, and peppercorns. The best part is that it only takes 15 minutes – perfect for making while your steak rests!
Pair it with my Pan Seared Steak or Grilled Steak, with sides like Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Baked Mac and Cheese, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Cauliflower, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots, and Roasted Green Beans with Bacon for an amazing meal!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- steak – This creamy peppercorn sauce recipe works with any cut of steak! I like New York strip, ribeye, or top sirloin.
- coarsely ground black peppercorns – use freshly ground black pepper for black results – preground black pepper doesn’t have the same rich, aromatic flavor, as it’s already oxidized and lost flavor.
- cognac or brandy – you can use either cognac or brandy; if you can’t use alcohol, you can more beef stock (1/3 cup) to deglaze the pan and pick up any flavorful bits after searing the steak.
- green peppercorns – if using green peppercorns in brine, drain the brine and add cognac or brandy to infuse the peppercorns for an even more flavorful sauce.
How to Make Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
Cook Steak and Start The Peppercorn Sauce – Cook the steak in the oven to the desired temperature, then sear on all sides in 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium high heat, remove to rest to reach 130F internal for medium rare. Wipe out any excess fat or burned bits from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 30 seconds until softened over medium high heat, followed by the coarsely ground black pepper and toast for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Carefully pour the brandy or cognac to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol cooks off.
Add Beef Stock and Cream – Add beef stock to deglaze the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes over high heat or until reduced by about half. Add the green peppercorns and stir to combine, then add the heavy cream to the pan. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer and reduce the sauce until it can coat the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Serve directly onto the steak and enjoy!
My Pro Tip
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Wait to Season The Peppercorn Sauce: Do not season the sauce with salt until AFTER it has reduced down. Depending on the beef stock you use, you may not need any salt – always taste for seasoning at the end and only add salt if needed.
How to Tell if the Sauce is Done – You will know the Peppercorn Sauce for Steak is reduced enough if it can coat the back of the spoon without running!
Storage: You can make this sauce ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
If you tried this Peppercorn Sauce for Steak or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Peppercorn Sauce for Steak (VIDEO)
Ingredients
Steak
- 2 16 oz steaks, NY Strip, Ribeye, or Top Sirloin
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Peppercorn Sauce
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground
- 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon green peppercorns
- ½ tsp kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the steak in the oven to the desired temperature (I cook mine to 120F to end up with a medium rare steak), then sear on all sides in 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium high heat, remove to rest to reach 130F internal for medium rare. Wipe out any excess fat or burned bits from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 30 seconds until softened over medium high heat. Add the coarsely ground black pepper and toast for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the brandy or cognac to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol cooks off.
- Add beef stock to deglaze the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes over high heat or until reduced by about half. Add the green peppercorns and stir to combine.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer and reduce the sauce until it can coat the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve directly onto the steak and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Creamy Peppercorn Sauce recipe was originally published in December 2023, and updated in November 2025.
Yumm!!
This is the best!
This is awesome
I’ve been hunting for the perfect peppercorn sauce and now I’ve finally found it 😍
IG: jche2013
Awesome Recipes……have tried most of them !!