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Red wine steak sauce is a delicious finishing sauce made with red wine, beef broth, shallots, garlic, and butter. It’s the perfect steak accompaniment and is ready in just 15 minutes.
I whip up this red wine reduction sauce anytime I serve beef wellington or baked filet mignon. In fact, the wellington version was posted here way back in 2019!
The Best Red Wine To Use
The best red wine to use is one you’d want to drink. If it’s awful going down the hatch, it’s gonna be awful in a red wine steak sauce.
I usually grab a bottle of dry Pinot Noir or Merlot when cooking, as both tend to be a little softer than Cabernet Sauvignon and less spicy than Shiraz.
A great way to maximize the wine is to whip up a batch of red wine mushrooms to serve on the side of your steak. One bottle of wine = two recipes.
For more input on the bottle to grab, check out my best wines with steak article.
How To Make Red Wine Steak Sauce
Only 15 minutes stand between you and this red wine sauce. Once you sauté the aromatics, add the wine and simmer until it reduces and the flavor becomes more concentrated.
As the wine and beef broth simmer, the liquid reduces and the flavor becomes more concentrated. The finished sauce should lightly coat a spoon rather than pour like broth. Cold butter added at the end — a French technique called monter au beurre — gives the sauce a smoother, richer finish.
Uses For Red Wine Reduction Sauce
I serve red wine reduction sauce most often with steak and roasted beef. If you’re still deciding on the cut or cooking method, my How to Cook Steak guide covers the basics before you get started.
If you want the red wine sauce built directly into the recipe, try my Sous Vide Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce. The sauce cooks with the short ribs before being reduced again with the beef juices at the end.
For something sweeter and more concentrated, balsamic glaze is another option for steak, especially when you’re serving it with roasted vegetables or tomatoes.
More Sauces For Steak
If you’re deciding which sauce works best with your cut, my Prime Rib Sauces guide compares several options. Other favorites include Horseradish Sauce and Mushroom Sauce.
Red Wine Steak Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp beef drippings or unsalted butter (*Note 1)
- ¼ cup finely diced shallots
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup dry red wine ( *Note 2)
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1½ cup beef consommé or stock ( *Note 2)
- 1 tbsp butter
- sea salt, to taste ( (*Note 2))
Instructions
- Add the beef drippings (or butter) to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the drippings are warm, add the shallots and saute for 1 minute stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add the red wine and thyme and bring the mixture to a rapid simmer over high heat. Simmer until the wine is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3-4 minutes. Tip- You should no longer smell the wine.
- Add the beef consommé (or beef stock) and rapidly simmer until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Remove the thyme spring and discard. Whisk in the butter until smooth.
- Taste and add salt, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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