Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce — A Pub‑Style Favorite You Can Make at Home

 

 

If you love the comfort of a good pub meal, this Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce is everything you crave — hearty, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to make at home. Tender, juicy steak paired with golden, crispy chips is already a winning combination, but when you add a rich, creamy peppercorn sauce spooned over top it just brings the whole dish together in an incredibly delicious way.

This is a recipe that feels indulgent without being complicated. Sized for two it makes the perfect cozy supper which is perfect for a date-night treat or anytime you want to serve something special without fuss. Using just a handful of ingredients and a few easy steps, the end result is a restaurant‑quality plate that’s full of flavor and comfort.

Whether you’re a steak lover, a chip enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates a good homemade sauce, this dish is guaranteed to hit the spot. It’s warm, comforting, and wonderfully satisfying — the kind of meal that makes you slow down and savor every bite. A true trifecta of deliciousness!

 

Steak or beef for that matter, is not something we eat really frequently in my house. Its become very expensive in recent months.  I did happen to spy a package of already sliced strips of Flank steak for stir fry that had been marked down in the grocery store the other day and so I snapped it up. It was $8 and just enough for two people.

I had originally wanted to do a beef and vegetable stir fry and went looking through my books for inspiration. I change my mind completely when I spied this recipe for Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce in a book I have by Nicky Corbishley called Quick & Easy, Delicious 30 Minute Dinners.

The flavors really appealed to me. It was completely opposite of a vegetable stir fry, but the heat wants what the heart wants. Her unique take on steak and chips sounded delicious!

I did make a few changes.  She used a whole steak that she fried and then cut into strips. As I said I used steak already cut into strips.  I also added some brandy to the sauce for additional flavor.

The end result was a rich and indulgent supper dish that Eileen and I both really enjoyed. Strips of perfectly cooked steak, served over hot chips with a delicious peppercorn sauce spooned over top.  What a treat this was!  I served it with a salad on the side.

 

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED TO MAKE

STEAKY CHIPS WITH PEPPERCORNSAUCE

For the peppercorn sauce:

• 1/2 TBS butter
• 1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) beef stock
• 2 TBS brandy
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

You will also need:

• 10 1/2 ounces (300g) steak in strips (I used flank steak, 1/2 inch thick strips)
• a small knob of butter
• salt and black pepper to taste

You will also need:

• 1/2 of a (2.4 pound/1 kg) bag of your favorite frozen French fries (chips)

 

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

You want a steak that will fry nicely and be tender. You don't want a braising steak. I used flank steak strips.  Bring them to room temperature before beginning. Mine were 1/2 inch thick.

I used salted butter.  

I used Better than Bouillon Beef concentrate that I had reconstituted. I really like the Better than Bouillon stock concentrates.

Use a fresh and aromatic peppercorn. No need to use pink or any other color. Black will do. Crush them coarsely. 

Using brandy is not essential, but I had it and felt it would enhance the sauce. I was right. It added a lovely chef's kiss of flavor.

Use heavy, double or whipping cream.  Full fat.

Use a nice chunky frozen French fry or make your own from scratch. I used Cavendish, crispy fries. We like them.

 

HOW TO MAKE STEAKY CHIPS WITH PEPPERCORN SAUCE

You will be surprised at how quickly this goes together.

1. Cook your chips according to the package direction. I always cook mine in the air fryer as they get nice and crisp. (My air fryer has the proper timings printed right on the lid. It takes about 18 minutes at 356*F, shaking the basket halfway through.)
2. While the chips are cooking make your peppercorn sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. (Use a small saucepan with a heavy bottom.)
3. Once the butter begins to foam, add the shallots, peppercorns and salt. Cook for several minutes to soften. (Do not allow them to brown. The peppercorns should become quite aromatic.)
4. Add the brandy and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce until almost evaporated. (This should not take very long at all.)
5. Add the beef stock. Again bring to the boil and reduce by half to 1/4 cup (60ml). Whisk in the heavy cream, heat through and keep warm while you cook the steak. (Don't allow to boil after you add the cream.)
6. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high. Once it begins to foam, place the steak strips in fat side down. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (You want a nice sear without cooking them all the way through.)
7. Sear on the one side, flip over and then quickly sear on the second side. Remove from the heat. (Do NOT overcook.)
8. Divide the hot chips between two heated serving plates. Top each with 1/2 of the steak strips. Spoon half of the peppercorn sauce over each and serve immediately. (This is really delicious!  I served with a salad on the side!)

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Use a type of steak that you would be comfortable grilling or frying and eating whole. This is not the recipe to use a braising steak cut.
• Bring your steak to room temperature before frying.
• Don't overcrowd your steak in the skillet or it will steam rather than fry. A single layer is best. Work in bunches if you have to.
• Cook the steak at a high heat to achieve a nice sear.
• Use a chunky style oven chip and cook them in the air fryer for maximum crispness.
• Use a good quality peppercorn and grind it yourself for the best flavor.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS?

WHAT ARE THE BEST KINDS OF STEAK TO USE FOR THIS?

On this day I used flank steak strips that I bought reduced in cost at the shops. You can use any kind of steak that lends itself to quick cooking with a tender result. Sirloin. Rib eye. Rump. I do not recommend using any of the braising cuts.

MUST I USE FROZEN OVEN CHIPS?

Not at all. If you are really keen and have the time, by all means make your chips from scratch. If using frozen chips I recommend using chunky ones and cooking them in the air fryer. They get nice and crisp in the air fryer.

DO I NEED TO USE BRANDY?

It does give the peppercorn sauce a lovely flavor, but if you would rather not use it, leave it out and replace it with an equivalent amount of beef stock.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Certainly. This recipe that I am sharing was cut down in size from a larger recipe.

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH THIS?

A tossed mixed salad goes lovely on the side.

 

A FEW MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES USING STEAK

Steak has become very expensive, but once in a blue moon I get a hold of some on offer and here are a few different ways I like to cook it!

PAN SEARED STEAK WITH GARLIC BUTTER - A good steak, a hot pan, and a few simple ingredients — that’s all it takes to make a restaurant‑quality supper right at home. The steak is seared until it forms that gorgeous golden crust, the kind that locks in all the juices and flavor. Then comes the magic: a bubbling spoonful of butter infused with fresh garlic and rosemary, basted lovingly over the meat until it glistens. The result is tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned steak with rich, aromatic garlic butter in every bite.

GARLIC STEAK BITES & POTATOES - Everything you want in a weeknight dinner: quick, hearty, flavour‑packed, and wonderfully comforting. Tender strips of marinated steak are seared until beautifully caramelized, then tossed with golden, crispy potatoes and a buttery garlic‑herb sauce that coats every bite. It’s simple food done exceptionally well. The steak marinates briefly in a soy and sriracha mixture, giving it a savory depth with just a whisper of heat. Meanwhile, the potatoes cook until their cut sides turn perfectly golden — the kind of crispness you only get when you leave them undisturbed in the pan.

 

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Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Steaky Chips with Peppercorn Sauce

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A delicious entree that is quick and easy to make. A bit of an indulgence, perhaps, but oh so tasty!

Ingredients

For the peppercorn sauce:

• 1/2 TBS butter
• 1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) beef stock
• 2 TBS brandy
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

You will also need:

• 10 1/2 ounces (300g) steak in strips (I used flank steak, 1/2 inch thick strips)
• a small knob of butter
• salt and black pepper to taste

You will also need:

• 1/2 of a (2.4 pound/1 kg) bag of your favorite frozen French fries (chips)

Instructions

1. Cook your chips according to the package direction. I always cook mine in the air fryer as they get nice and crisp.
2. While the chips are cooking make your peppercorn sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Once the butter begins to foam, add the shallots, peppercorns and salt. Cook for several minutes to soften.
4. Add the brandy and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce until almost evaporated.
5. Add the beef stock. Again bring to the boil and reduce by half to 1/4 cup (60ml). Whisk in the heavy cream, heat through and keep warm while you cook the steak.
6. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high. Once it begins to foam, place the steak strips in fat side down. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
7. Sear on the one side, flip over and then quickly sear on the second side. Remove from the heat. (Do NOT overcook.)
8. Divide the hot chips between two heated serving plates. Top each with 1/2 of the steak strips. Spoon half of the peppercorn sauce over each and serve immediately.

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