Learn

Inspiration Easy, versatile steak ideas for family meals

Easy, versatile steak ideas for family meals

Steak can be a quick, flexible ingredient that adds rich flavour and satisfying nourishment to a range of family meals. When life is busy and time is tight, choosing versatile ways to prepare and stretch steak can help turn simple ingredients into delicious shared dinners. By using steak as a flavour enhancer rather than the only focus of the meal, you can create options that balance protein with vegetables, grains, and global influences for meals that appeal to all ages.

Here are a variety of family-friendly ideas that showcase how steak can be incorporated into balanced, crowd-pleasing meals:

Stir fries and bowls

Beef stir-fry served with noodles or rice and plenty of seasonal greens is a quick, satisfying dinner. These dishes are ideal for using up leftover vegetables and make it easy to customise flavours to your household’s taste.

Tacos and wraps

Spicy steak tacos with toppings such as avocado and fresh lime crema bring bold flavour to weeknight dinners and make assembling plates fun for everyone at the table. Street-style soft tacos with tender beef and vibrant garnishes are another easy hand-held option.

Hearty platters

Serving steak with homemade wedges and a vegetable sauce on a platter invites everyone to choose their own combinations and makes a satisfying mid-week meal. Pairing steak with warm grains and salads also creates balanced plates.

Global inspirations

Infusing meals with international flavours expands the way steak can be enjoyed. Asian-inspired noodle dishes, Thai-style beef salads with fresh herbs and citrus, and Vietnamese rice paper rolls with beef offer lighter, flavour-forward options that still feel hearty.

Barbecue and skewers

Grilled kebabs, whether spiced with coriander or coated in sticky sauces, are a colourful and social way to cook steak outdoors. For those who enjoy summer barbecuing, pairing steak with homemade sauces and seasonal side salads promotes shared meals and seasonal produce.

Classic and comforting

Simple steak and salad combinations or steak served atop a warm grain salad provide comforting, balanced meals. Incorporating herbs and fresh greens offers freshness, while still delivering rich flavour.

My kids love steak. It’s a guaranteed empty plate and happy parent. When life is busy and time is short, it’s my secret weapon. Nothing is quicker and more versatile, and I’ve learnt ways to stretch it further so a precious steak can feed my family of four.

Growing up in a large household has taught me a thing or two about how to feed a hungry crowd. Magic happens when demand is high and ingredients scarce. Platters of delicious meals would be conjured and gobbled down. Colourful stir-fries, steaming bowls of noodle soup and fresh rice paper rolls. Meat was a champion flavour enhancing, vegetables added bite and rice or noodles were the carrier of choice. When it came to meat, less was definitely more but with no compromise on taste.

The principle of using meat as flavouring has fed my family well. Here are some of my favourite recipe ideas. Light on meat but heavy on satisfaction. Happy eating!

Beef Stir-Fry Asian Noodle Bowl

Try this quick and delicious Japanese-inspired noodle bowl for a healthy lunch or hassle-free dinner option. Just serve with your favourite Asian greens such as bok choy or edamame beans for a flavour packed meal! It's the perfect clean-out-the-fridge type of meal!

Spicy Beef Tacos

These Spicy Beef Steak Tacos with Avocado and Lime Crema are a flavour explosion! Ready in less than half an hour, these tacos are the perfect stress-free meal solution to weeknight dinners.

Steak and Wedges with Homemade Vegetable Sauce

This recipe is perfect for a mid-week meal and we love serving it on a platter which is fun for kids and adults alike, to pick from.

Asian Beef with Noodles

You'll love the punchy Asian flavours in the marinade; they add a delicious boost to the dish. Use strips of beef sirloin or rump or if you have cooked steak in the fridge, cut into strips and add to the stir-fry to heat through before serving.

Coriander-Spiced Kebabs

Spice up the steak kebabs at your next barbecue with this recipe, its a tasty way to add colour to your plate.

Sticky Ginger Beef

Sticky pull-apart beef loaded onto your favourite flat breads doesn’t get much better than this. Serve with crunchy sliced vegetables, a drizzle of hoisin sauce and a scatter of toasted peanuts.

Easy Thai Beef Salad

Skip the take-out and make this Easy Thai Beef Salad that tastes just like it came from a restaurant. On the table in just over 20 minutes this recipe a great option when you feel like a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love.

Street-Style Beef Tacos

Tacos make for an easy to prepare lunch, dinner or even a snack for hungry teens. The fresh ingredients topped with juicy pieces of tender beef will make your mouth water just thinking about this recipe.

Cumin Lamb Stir-Fry

With red pepper flakes, cumin, and pepper this stir-fry packs a real flavour punch. Our take on a classic dish from Xinjiang, China requires a generous scatter of coriander to serve.

Lamb, Pumpkin & Cashew Pizza with Lemon Aioli

Gourmet pizza? Yes please, this recipe is full of delicious ingredients that together are truly stasifying.

Barbecue Fajitas with Avocado Salsa

Fajitas are a great way to stretch your meat budget and are delicious made with either beef or lamb. Steaks that would serve 4 will feed 6-8 if made into fajitas. The spice mix can be made ahead of time and stored.

Thai Beef Salad

On the table in 30 minutes, this Thai Beef Salad is a great option when you feel like a lighter meal full of fresh, tangy & spicy flavours. Bulk it up with egg or rice noodles for a more filling meal.

Steak, Cheese & Onion Melts

This is taking a steak sandwich to the next level. This dish suits being a lunch or dinner and you can choose whether to have a sandwich lid or just eat it open with a knife and fork.

Beef & Grain Salad

This salad ticks all the boxes its nutritious, filling and extremely tasty!

Beef Fajitas

Tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth slices of steak with capsicum and onion. Is there anything better? Serve with tortillas and lime.

Vietnamese Beef Pho

This iconic Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup is quintessential comfort food. Making pho noodle soup takes a little time but it's well worth the wait. And remember, as it freezes well you can cook up a big batch and enjoy the steamy hot soup throughout the week.

Beefy Breakfast Burrito

Don’t know how to fill that morning craving? Look no further than this delicious, protein packed beefy breakfast burrito! Sliced sirloin steak sits lovingly alongside capsicums, mushrooms, avocados, and feta.

Beef Stir Fry with Black Bean Sauce

Whip up dinner in a flash with this classic Black Bean Beef Stir Fry. Using simple ingredients, this delicious noodle recipe will be ready and served in no time, quicker than ordering a takeaway! Makes for great leftovers too.

Rosemary Seared Steak and Warm Potato Salad

This substantial salad teams fragrant rosemary and garlic with a tangy mustard and sweet cider vinaigrette potato salad, and fresh greens. The sweetish dressing contrasts well with the herby beef.

Lamb Kebabs with Minty Pesto

This recipe combines tender New Zealand lamb with fresh homemade mint pesto to create the perfect zing.

Beef Medallions with Zesty Grain Salad

This fresh and zesty salad is quick to put together and perfect for any meal. Whether you use freekah, brown or wild rice, quinoa or barley – this salad will work equally well with the grain of your choice.

Beef bulgogi

Beef Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish that offers tender and juicy steak marinated in a mildly sweet soy, sesame, garlic, and ginger marinade. Intensely flavourful, and tantalizingly delicious, Bulgogi cooks super fast, so once the steak is done marinating, it’s 10 minutes to dinner!

Sirloin Steak, Zucchini & Pearl Barley Salad

The mixture of flavors in this salad make it refreshing yet satisfying. It can be prepared ahead of time, making it ideal for lockdown lunches or dinners.

Simple Beef Ramen Bowl

Hailing from Japan, this hot culinary trend is popular for a reason. Quick and easy to prepare, this vegetable packed beef stock is loaded with flavour.

Beef Bowl

Packed with colourful vegetables, and slices of tender scotch fillet. This is your new salad go-to. The mayonnaise and sesame seed mix add the perfect finishing touch.

Wok fried diced beef steak with black pepper sauce

This delicious black pepper sauce is sure to keep the whole family happy. Pair with rice or vegetables for a winning meal.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Steak

Fresh and bursting with flavour, these beef and vegetable packed rice paper rolls won’t disappoint. The dipping sauce combines sweet and spicy flavours, complementing the tender beef perfectly.

Thai Beef Salad with Coconut Green Nam Jim

Nam jim is a chilli-based Thai dressing with a balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and sour flavours. This recipe sees a coconut green nan jim dressing added to tender sirloin steak and an authentic Thai-style salad.