Coffee Crusted Steak recipe with Corn & Red Pepper Salsa

Coffee Crusted Steak recipe with Corn & Red Pepper Salsa is a deliciously different way to enjoy a New York Strip Steak! You can make this one easily inside or outside and have a beautiful, fresh meal ready in no time. Save this recipe so you can find it when you’re ready to make it!

The end of summer is always such an odd time for me. My garden is just really popping with sweet corn and peppers and the weather is still warm enough to grill, but yet, I want to start digging in and getting cozy. But there’s so many good, summer-like things calling to me…Do you feel this way too? Recipes this time of year are always the most difficult for me because I want them to be full of color and life. But I also want to be tip toeing into that cozy season food. Well, this Coffee Crusted Steak recipe with Corn & Red Pepper Salsa is a bit of a balance. The coffee flavor comes through beautiful in the flavor to give me a touch of the coziness. Although, I must admit with the salsa it certainly leans more summer. 

What is Coffee Crusted Steak?

I realize most people probably haven’t heard of Coffee Crusted Steak before. Most people like their steak with a good helping of salt, pepper and other seasonings or a delicious Herb Butter {HERE}. However, a Coffee Crusted Steak offers something a little bit different. Coffee works as a tenderizer for the steak and it is acidic so it will help to amplify flavors. Combined with a little sugar, you get a nice, almost blacked “crust” on the steak and that allows for the flavor and the moisture of the meat to be locked into place. 

That said, this isn’t for the steak purist because the flavor it brings is slightly different than a steak with salt and pepper. It is completely delicious but a different wheelhouse. 

What cut of steak is best for Coffee Crusted Steak?

You can used any cut of steak you like for this Coffee Crusted Steak recipe. However, I like the New York Strip Steak. It is a great choice for people who love steaks cooked to medium or a medium rare temperature. It should also be around 1 1/2 inches thick and then it will only take about 8 minutes too cook. If you have a thicker or thinner steak you should adjust the cooking time a little bit. Thicker steaks might call for a minute more on each side while thinner steaks might only take two to three minutes per side. 

About the coffee crust and prepping the meat

The coffee crust in this recipe isn’t just coffee. While it is one of the main flavors that comes through it also incorporates a lot of delicious spices. My recipe includes brown sugar, coffee, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cocoa powder and sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. This rub makes enough for four New York Strip Steaks. I combine all of this in a bowl and then pat each steak down to dry it a bit. This will help the rub to stick.

Next, massage the mix into both sides of the steaks. Then you want to let this sit for at least 30 minutes. You can leave it out on the counter but just cover it lightly so it isn’t exposed. I usually drape a paper towel over the top. If it is going to be longer than 30 minutes light cover the steaks and put them back in the refrigerator. You can let the rub sit on here for up to 12 hours. 

How to cook the Coffee Crusted Steak

In order to make this recipe the best it can be, I like to cook this in a cast iron skillet on the stove top. You can of course cook this on the grill to but the stove top allows you to be right there and using a pan to sear the steak helps to create that nice crust. I do recommend using a cast iron pan for this recipe. If you need one I have this one {HERE} that can cook about two steaks and this one {HERE} that can fit about 4 steaks. The large one is a beast but if you’re cooking for a lot of people it works. Just bring your muscles. 

To begin you need to heat some oil in the pan to the point where it is almost smoking. The hot pan and the hot oil will help to create that nice, black crust for the Coffee Crusted Steak. You will know the oil is ready because you will see it start to shimmer. That’s when you should add the steaks. Also make sure to turn on the vent hood. There’s a good chance the smoke alarm will go off searing over a hot flame. 

Cook the steaks for 4 minutes on each side. If they look charred and a bit burned when you flip them over, don’t worry. More than likely it is just the sugar and the coffee reacting with the hot oil to make the crust on the steaks. As long as your steak is 1 and 1/2 inches thick and you cook it on both sides for 4 minutes the inside of the steaks will turn out medium rare or so. 

Serving

I served this on a platter and kind of let everyone grab their own portions and graze. I made two steaks and it was all gone within 30 minutes. If you are making it at home you can serve it this way or you can serve it on individual plates with the salsa on the side or on top of the steak. 

Making the Corn & Red Pepper “Salsa”

Don’t skip this if you’re making the coffee crusted steak. I really believe this easy salsa (that’s more like a pico de gallo without tomatoes) really helps to bring all the flavors together beautifully.  My mix combines corn, red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt to make a delicious accompaniment to the steak. Kevin gobbled this up in shovelfuls along with each piece of the steak. 

There’s no food processor involved and it’s really just chopping. Although, I do make this before I prep the steak because I recommend grilling up the corn. To do this I use a Lodge grill/griddle that you can find {HERE}. I remove the corn from the husk and then make sure to remove all the silks. Next I rub it with a little olive oil and place it on the heated grill for about 4 minutes per side (a total of 12 minutes). 

When it is done I will saw the kernels off in a bowl to make sure I catch everything. Then I mix in the other veggies and herbs.

Tips for making my Coffee Crusted Steak recipe

• Please make sure to use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Table salt and table pepper do not work well to flavor cuts of meat. In fact I like to use the course sea salt to really make sure this is flavored nicely. 
• You can use whatever coffee grounds you like the but the higher the quality, the better. We drink a Starbucks coffee that we grind on our coffee machine each day so we used that. You can also buy already ground coffee to use if you don’t have a grinder. 
• You can also use whatever oil you like. I always use extra virgin olive oil but I know some people prefer avocado oil. I do not recommend using canola oil or vegetable oil. Again the higher quality oils will yield better results. 
• Make sure the steaks are fresh from the Butcher or flash frozen. Try not to buy steaks with your weekly grocery buy and use them 5 days later. The less time between purchasing them and when they’re on your table, the better. 

Saving and storage

I do not recommend making the Coffee Crusted Steak ahead of time. It is best when served fresh. That said, if you have leftovers you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 48 hours. I think the meat would make lovely next day tacos or fajitas. But we didn’t have leftovers. 🙂 

Looking for more steak recipes or cozy recipes?

If you love a good steak, or you’re looking for meals that your family will love, try these!

• Tequila Lime Marinaded Flank Steak {HERE}
• Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon with Herb Butter {HERE}
• Blueberry Basil Burger {HERE}
• French Onion Chicken {HERE}
• Honey Butter Peach Chicken {HERE}
• White Wine Dijon Chicken recipe {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my Coffee Crusted Steak recipe and Corn and Red Pepper Salsa. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse and @sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is @sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating!

Coffee Crusted Steak recipe

Coffee Crusted Steak recipe with Corn & Red Pepper Salsa is a deliciously different way to enjoy a New York Strip Steak! You can make this one easily inside or outside and have a beautiful, fresh meal ready in no time. Save this recipe so you can find it when you're ready to make it!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coffee Crusted New York Strip Steak, Coffee Crusted Steak, Coffee Crusted Steak recipe, New York Strip steak

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Resting time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4 people

Author: Rachel

Equipment

• Large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

For the Corn & Red Pepper Salsa

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ears of corn, grilled and then kernels removed
• 1-2 diced red peppers
• 1/2 diced, large red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, packed
• 2-3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 1/2 - 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

For the Coffee Crusted Steak

• 2-4 New York Strip Steaks
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup coffee grounds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. stone ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp. course sea salt
• 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• Additional lime juice for topping

Instructions

• Rub the corn with extra virgin olive oil and then grilling it 4 minutes per side over a medium flame. 12 minutes total. If it starts to pop, you can remove it earlier.
• Cut the kernels off the cob in a bowl and add in all the other ingredients. Mix well. Cover and set aside.
• Combine the coffee seasoning by mixing together all the spices. Then prep the steak by patting it dry with paper towels on both sides.
• Massage the coffee mix into both sides of the steak. Set aside to let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
• When time is up heat the extra virgin olive oil in a cast iron pan on the stove over a medium to high flame. When the oil is shimmering, add the steaks.
• Cook 4 minutes per side and then remove and let the steaks rest for 10 minutes.
• Top with the salsa or serve on the side. Squeeze a little extra lime juice over the steak if you like and add additional sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.