2-Ingredient Grilled Garlic Picanha Steak Recipe

If you're ready for a steak that you can throw on the grill with a few simple seasonings to create a meal bursting with savory umami flavor, then you need to try this 2-ingredient grilled garlic picanha steak recipe. With little fuss and maximum return on investment, this steak offers a unique experience for beef lovers. 

Everyone raves about a ribeye or a filet mignon steak, but few know that one of the best cuts of steaks in existence is the picanha, also known as a top sirloin cap. This cut is usually priced competitively and offers a superior taste, texture, and fat-to-meat ratio compared to the more well-known cuts. According to Ksenia Prints, the blogger behind At the Immigrant's Table, this tender cut is particularly popular in Brazilian and Venezuelan cuisine, and while it can be hard to find in a typical grocery store, it is more readily available in Latin stores and with select butchers. 

In our recipe, we start with the notion that a perfect picanha steak needs nothing more than a simple salt and pepper seasoning – but we take it to the next level by adding a dab of garlic butter towards the end of cooking. This gives the steak more flavor, locks in its moisture, and gives it a bit of a zesty kick. We let the grill do the work, and after just about 20 minutes, you get a soft steak with the perfect ratio of fat to muscle tissue, which simply melts in your mouth when you cook it to medium rare. 

To make these grilled picanha steaks, you'll need about 3 pounds of picanha, cut into steaks. The steaks should be trimmed, with one layer of fat remaining. You'll also need olive oil, for brushing, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning, and of course, garlic butter for flavoring. You can use store-bought garlic butter, but we recommend going the extra mile for this amazing cut of meat and making your garlic butter at home. We love going with a basic, 3-ingredient garlic butter recipe for minimum fuss and maximum flavor.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400 F). If using charcoal, let the coals burn down to a consistent heat.

Lightly brush the picanha with oil, and generously season all sides with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the steaks on their edges, fat-side down, on the grill. You can lean the steaks against each other if needed.

Grill for about 4 minutes, until the fat renders and crisps up nicely, keeping it away from direct fire, and then lay the steak on the grill.

Cook, turning occasionally from side to side, for 10-12 minutes, until it reaches your desired doneness (medium-rare is recommended).

During the last few minutes of grilling, top the steak with garlic butter.

Remove the picanha from the grill and let it rest for 5–10 minutes.

Slice the steak against the grain into thick slices. Serve with extra garlic butter spooned over the top.

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We think that an outdoor charcoal grill is the best cooking method to coax flavor out of a cut like a picanha, but the good news is that there are other ways to replicate the high heat and fat-rendering qualities of grilling. Our favorite approach is to use a cast-iron skillet or a grill pan, which is a heavy-bottomed pan with grill marks. All you need to do is heat the pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke, then follow the same cooking technique as described in our recipe.

Alternatively, you can also follow the reverse sear method by starting the steak in a 275 F oven and cooking it until its internal temperature reaches 120 F. Then, you finish it off with garlic butter and a high-heat sear in a grill pan. Whatever method you choose, always finish the steak with a pat of butter — preferably garlic butter, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving it.

When served in Brazilian or Venezuelan households, picanha is often served with bold, herbaceous sauces that complement its rich flavor and marbling. Fresh Argentinian chimichurri is the most popular accompaniment, which complements the rich meaty flavor with its zesty combination of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, and four different types of herbs. Add a touch of red pepper flakes to give it even more oomph. This Argentine sauce cuts through the fat around our picanha steak, thus highlighting the meat's natural flavors.

Ksenia Prints' Venezuelan brother-in-law always serves picanha with guasacaca, Venezuela's answer to guacamole. This sauce blends together avocado, cilantro, parsley, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeños into a creamy, tangy sauce that can be spooned on the meat. Another option to serve with picanha is the Brazilian-style molho de alho, a garlic sauce made with lime juice, olive oil, and salt, which would make for a particularly punchy contrast to the juicy steak. 

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