The Best Steak Sandwiches Are All About The Condiments

The difference between a mediocre steak sandwich and a truly excellent one is not just about the quality of the steak — it's about the condiments you choose. While you might opt for this meal because you're craving some tasty red meat, the true hero of this sandwich is the sauce or preparation that transforms it into a mouthwatering masterpiece. You can perfectly season and sear your steak and place it between some bread, but if you don't top it with flavor-boosting condiments, your taste buds are missing out.

So, what makes the best condiment or sauce for your steak sandwich? The options are seemingly endless, as many flavors complement steak. Sure, there are obvious choices like hot sauce and mayo, but if you really want to amp up the flavor, try some more unique pairings. For instance, elevate your steak sandwich with a kick of wasabi cream sauce. This sauce might clear your sinuses a bit, similar to the type of heat you get from horseradish, but its creaminess helps cool it down. You can buy a bottle of wasabi cream sauce, but it only requires a few ingredients to make your own — sour cream or heavy cream, wasabi paste, citrus juice, and optionally some cilantro, green onion, or soy sauce. Loads of other condiments will help you make the best steak sandwich, too. They might not all be pre-bottled, but are easy enough to make yourself.

For an unbeatable mouthwatering steak sandwich, try making an open-faced steak sandwich with chimichurri sauce. Hailing from Argentina, chimichurri is a fresh, vibrant sauce made from herbs, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. It is believed to have originated with 19th-century gauchos or livestock herders in South America who were looking for a way to improve — you guessed it — the flavor of beef. Toasting the bread will help prevent it from becoming too soggy from the sauce. You can also use a food processor to finely chop your ingredients, such as cilantro, parsley, shallots, and garlic. For some heat, add a tablespoon of hot sauce along with your vinegar, oil, and lemon juice. Don't forget to season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

You might think of salsa as only fitting for tacos, but the truth is a delicious homemade salsa can work as a condiment for numerous foods. Try making your steak sandwiches with tomato-avocado salsa for a creamy, fresh-tasting, and brightly colored meal. Stir together sliced cherry tomatoes (red and yellow to boost the color and flavor), red onion, crushed chili peppers, garlic, and cumin. Then slice some avocado into large pieces, place them on the tomato mixture, and drizzle with lime juice.

If you enjoy a touch of sweetness with your steak, consider adding bacon jam to your sandwich—its combination of sugary, salty, and savory ingredients provides just the right amount of complexity to the meal. You can make a delicious maple-bacon jam with ingredients like diced bacon, maple syrup, garlic, onion, apple cider vinegar, and a cup of coffee. After frying the bacon, cook the onion and garlic in the bacon fat, add the remaining ingredients, and gradually add water to the pan, allowing it to reduce until it ultimately forms a thick sauce or jam. Once cooled, spread it on some toasted bread, add steak, top with greens like arugula or watercress, and you have yourself a delicious and sophisticated steak sandwich with a hint of sweetness.

You can also try adding some boom boom sauce — a sweet, spicy, and creamy mayo-based sauce — for an elevated steak sandwich. If you can't find boom boom sauce at your local grocery store, you can make it at home. It's typically a combination of sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, and garlic and onion powder. It pairs well with many delicious items — french fries, burgers, shrimp, chicken tenders, and, of course, steak. You can also simply mix together sweet chili sauce and mayo, with optional hot sauce for heat.