What to Serve with Steak: 20 Sides That Work

The best sides for steak fall into four groups: potatoes, greens, salads and sauces, and one from each makes a complete plate.

Match them to the cut, too, since fat changes what tastes best. Marbled scotch fillet loves sharp salads and bitter greens, lean eye fillet welcomes creamy mash and a buttery sauce, and porterhouse suits almost anything.

Here are 20 sides for steak, grouped by type, with the cut each suits and a comparison table to help you choose.

Potatoes

Steak Frites Style Chips

Thin, double-cooked chips, crisp outside and fluffy inside, served beside a pan-seared steak, the pairing that makes steak frites a bistro classic. They suit porterhouse best, as its firm bite and strip of fat match the salty crunch.

Creamy Mashed Potato

Floury potatoes boiled, drained well and beaten with warm milk and butter until smooth. Mash suits lean eye fillet, adding the richness the cut lacks, and it catches every drop of sauce on the plate.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Small potatoes boiled until tender, pressed flat, brushed with oil and roasted hot until the edges shatter. They suit scotch fillet and rump, and the crunchy edges stand up to a punchy sauce. Boil them ahead.

Potato Gratin

Thinly sliced potatoes baked slowly in cream, garlic and cheese until tender and golden. Gratin is a dinner party side for eye fillet, and it can be baked ahead and reheated while the steak rests.

Vegetables and Greens

Cauliflower Mash

Steamed cauliflower blended with butter, cream and garlic into a silky, lighter alternative to potato mash. It is the mash served with herb crusted roast beef, and it suits rump or eye fillet, soaking up any sauce.

Garlic Green Beans

Green beans blanched for two minutes, then tossed in a hot pan with butter, sliced garlic and lemon. They suit every cut, add colour and are ready in the time a steak takes to rest.

Charred Broccolini with Lemon

Broccolini charred on a hot grill or pan, then finished with olive oil, lemon zest and chilli flakes. Its gentle bitterness cuts through a marbled scotch fillet, and it cooks on the BBQ beside the steak.

Creamed Spinach

Wilted spinach folded through a garlicky cream sauce with a grating of nutmeg, the classic steakhouse side. It pairs with lean eye fillet or a thick porterhouse, adding richness without fuss, and reheats gently if made ahead.

Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme

Swiss brown or field mushrooms roasted with garlic, thyme and butter until deeply browned and juicy. Their earthy flavour suits every steak, especially eye fillet, and they double as a side and a quick sauce.

Grilled Corn with Butter

Corn cobs grilled over a hot BBQ until charred in spots, then brushed with butter, salt and smoked paprika. Sweet, smoky corn suits rump and porterhouse on a summer BBQ night and cooks beside the steaks.

Salads

Roast Vegetable Salad

Roast pumpkin, red onion and capsicum tossed with greens, feta and toasted hazelnuts. Built for porterhouse, it doubles as a light main in a porterhouse steak and roast vegetable salad, and the vegetables roast ahead.

White Bean Puree

Cannellini beans blended with lemon, garlic and olive oil, then finished with fresh tarragon. Spread it under sliced steak for scotch fillet with white bean puree, where its lemony creaminess balances the marbling.

Rocket, Pear and Parmesan Salad

Peppery rocket, thinly sliced pear and shaved parmesan dressed with olive oil and balsamic. Sharp and fresh, it cuts through rich scotch fillet or ribeye and takes two minutes to put together, the easiest side here.

Tomato, Red Onion and Herb Salad

Ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, basil and parsley in a simple red wine vinegar dressing. It suits a summer BBQ with rump or porterhouse, and the tomato juices mingle with the steak's resting juices.

Classic Coleslaw

Shredded cabbage, carrot and red onion in a light, tangy mayonnaise dressing. Crunchy and cool against a hot steak, coleslaw is the BBQ staple for rump or porterhouse. Dress it an hour ahead so it softens.

Sauces

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Sliced mushrooms browned in the steak pan with garlic, then simmered with stock and cream until glossy. It suits rump and eye fillet, adding body to lean cuts, and a no-cream version keeps it lighter.

Pepper Sauce

Crushed peppercorns, brandy and cream reduced in the steak pan, steak au poivre style. It suits scotch fillet and porterhouse, since the heat cuts through marbling. For other pub classics, try Steak Diane or garlic butter steak.

Chimichurri

A sharp Argentinian sauce of chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, chilli and olive oil. It suits rump cap, rump and any BBQ steak, and the acidity lifts charred beef. Make it an hour ahead.

Red Wine Jus

Red wine, stock and eschalots reduced until glossy and finished with butter, exactly as for beef eye fillet with red wine jus. Lean eye fillet suits it best, since the savoury sauce fills out its mild flavour.

Béarnaise

A warm, buttery sauce thickened with egg yolks and flavoured with a tarragon, eschalot and vinegar reduction. Béarnaise is the classic partner for eye fillet and porterhouse, and its richness rounds out lean steak beautifully.

Sides Compared

Conclusion

The simplest formula for sides for steak is one potato, one green or salad and one sauce, matched to the cut. Start with porterhouse, chips and pepper sauce for a classic.

A sensible steak portion is about 250g raw per adult, so allow for that when you order your cut.