Yes, a steak spud recipe works brilliantly at home. You bake a jacket potato until the skin turns crisp and the inside turns fluffy, then you load it with slices of juicy pan fried steak, melted butter and your favourite toppings. This steak spud recipe gives you the full viral street food experience without queuing for two hours, and it tastes even better because you control the steak, the seasoning and the toppings.
Key Takeaways
- A steak spud recipe needs two things done well: a truly crisp jacket potato and steak cooked fast over high heat.
- Rump steak gives you the best balance of flavour, tenderness and price for a steak spud recipe.
- Rest the steak for five minutes before slicing, and slice it thinly against the grain.
- Butter goes on the potato first so it melts into the fluffy flesh before the steak goes on top.
- This steak spud recipe serves four, takes about one hour and fifteen minutes, and most of that time is hands off oven time.
What Is a Steak Spud?
A steak spud is a jacket potato topped with steak. The idea shot to fame through Spud Man, the Tamworth street food trader whose loaded jacket potatoes drew huge queues and millions of views online. His steak version stacks sliced steak on a buttered spud, and the combination of crisp skin, fluffy potato and rich beef explains why people travel miles for one.
I tested this steak spud recipe three times in my own kitchen before writing it up. The first batch taught me that a rushed potato ruins the whole dish, because a dense centre cannot hold butter or toppings properly. The second batch taught me that thick steak slices feel chewy on a potato, while thin slices drape over the filling and stay tender. The third batch nailed it, and that is the version below.
How to Get a Properly Crisp Jacket Potato
The potato makes or breaks a steak spud recipe, so give it the time it deserves. Choose large baking potatoes of a similar size so they cook evenly. Maris Piper and King Edward both work well, and most UK supermarkets label baking potatoes clearly.
Scrub the potatoes clean, prick each one several times with a fork, and rub the skins with a little oil and flaky sea salt. The oil helps the skin crisp and the salt seasons every bite. Bake them directly on the oven shelf at 200C (400F) for about one hour and ten minutes, turning them once halfway through. A finished potato feels light for its size, the skin sounds crisp when you tap it, and a knife slides into the centre with no resistance.
If you are short on time, microwave each potato for eight minutes first, then finish it in a hot oven for twenty minutes to crisp the skin. The result is very close to a fully oven baked spud, and it saves about forty minutes.
Which Steak Works Best on a Spud?
Rump steak is my first choice for this steak spud recipe. It has a strong beefy flavour, it cooks quickly, and it costs much less than sirloin or ribeye. Sirloin also works beautifully if you prefer a leaner slice, and a flat iron steak gives a rich result if your butcher stocks it. Avoid stewing cuts and avoid very thick steaks, because thin slices suit a loaded potato far better than a thick slab.
Buy steaks about 2cm thick and take them out of the fridge thirty minutes before cooking. Cold steak straight from the fridge cooks unevenly and the centre stays grey while the outside overcooks. Pat the steaks dry with kitchen paper, season them generously with salt and black pepper, and let the seasoning sit while the pan heats.
For more detail on cooking this cut, see my guide on how to cook rump steak for times and temperatures that work every time.
The Steak Spud Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a little extra for the skins
- 600g rump steak, about 2cm thick
- 50g salted butter, plus extra for serving
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra for the skins
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped
- 150ml soured cream
- 100g mature cheddar, grated
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C (400F). Scrub the potatoes, prick them with a fork, rub them with oil and salt, and bake directly on the oven shelf for one hour and ten minutes until crisp outside and fluffy inside.
- Thirty minutes before the potatoes finish, take the steaks out of the fridge, pat them dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy frying pan or cast iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add a tablespoon of oil, lay the steaks in the pan without crowding them, and cook for two to three minutes per side for medium rare.
- Add the butter and crushed garlic to the pan, tilt the pan slightly and spoon the foaming butter over the steaks for thirty seconds.
- Lift the steaks onto a warm plate and rest them for five minutes. Resting matters, because it lets the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out onto the board.
- Split each potato open with a cross cut, squeeze the ends gently to fluff the inside, and drop in a knob of butter. Season the potato flesh lightly.
- Slice the rested steak thinly against the grain. Pile the slices onto the potatoes, add a spoonful of soured cream, a handful of cheddar and a scattering of chives, and serve straight away.
Use a meat thermometer if you want certainty. Medium rare steak reads 52C to 55C before resting, and the temperature climbs a few degrees while the meat rests. The FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperatures chart lists 63C as the safe minimum for steak, with a three minute rest, so adjust the cooking time if you prefer your steak cooked further.
Toppings That Work, and Toppings That Do Not
Butter, soured cream, cheddar and chives form the classic base for a steak spud recipe, and I would not change that core. The butter melts into the potato, the soured cream cuts through the richness of the beef, and the chives add a fresh bite.
Peppercorn sauce also works superbly over a steak spud, and my peppercorn sauce recipe takes just ten minutes. Spoon it over the steak instead of soured cream for a bistro style version.
Steak Spud Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake in a steak spud recipe is underbaking the potato. A potato that still feels firm in the middle will taste dense and starchy, and no topping can rescue it. Give the potato the full baking time, and test it with a knife before you start the steak.
The second mistake is slicing the steak too thick or with the grain. Thick slices chew tough even when the steak itself is cooked perfectly. Look for the lines running through the meat, turn your knife across those lines, and slice thinly.
The third mistake is skipping the rest. Cut into a steak straight from the pan and the juices flood the board, leaving dry meat on your potato. Five minutes of patience gives you a noticeably juicier result.
If you want a fast steak option for busy nights, my how to cook minute steak guide shows how thin steaks cook in just a few minutes, and the same method works well for a midweek spud.
What to Serve With a Steak Spud
A steak spud is a full meal on its own, but a simple side lifts it. A crisp green salad with a sharp dressing balances the richness, and pickled red onion adds acidity without extra cooking. For a bigger spread, browse my list of good sides for steak and pick one or two that suit the occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a steak spud?
A steak spud is a baked jacket potato loaded with sliced steak and toppings such as butter, soured cream, cheese and chives. It became famous through Spud Man, whose Tamworth stall drew huge queues for loaded jacket potatoes.
Which cut of steak is best for a steak spud recipe?
Rump steak is the best all round choice for a steak spud recipe because it tastes beefy, slices well and costs less than sirloin. Sirloin and flat iron steak also work well if you prefer them.
Can I make a steak spud in advance?
Yes, bake the potatoes in advance and reheat them in a hot oven until crisp, then cook the steak fresh just before serving. Cooked steak reheats poorly, so always cook it at the last minute for the best texture.
How long does a steak spud recipe take?
This steak spud recipe takes about one hour and fifteen minutes in total, including one hour and ten minutes of oven time for the potatoes. The steak itself takes under ten minutes to cook and rest.