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    Home > Bison Recipes > Pan Seared Bison Steak Recipe

    Pan Seared Bison Steak Recipe

    Published: May 20, 2022 · Modified: Nov 10, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bison strip steak with mashed potatoes and sliced peppers.

    This pan seared bison steak recipe is served on a bed of red and yellow bell peppers that have been stir-fried and tossed with a grainy mustard sauce. Bison steaks are easy to cook and full of flavor, flavor, flavor.

    Bison steak recipe served with mashed potatoes and sauteed red and orange bell peppers.

    If you enjoy cooking with bison, don’t miss my Bison Recipes category.

    Looking for an easy steak dinner recipe? One that you can pan sear quickly on the stovetop? Something new and fun?

    And this is a great recipe if you’ve been curious about trying bison over beef.

    This bison steak recipe is easy enough for the beginner cook, clever enough for the adventurous and elegant enough for entertaining.

    Is Bison healthy to eat? Bison meat is an excellent alternative to beef. It’s lower in fat and cholesterol. And learning how to cook bison is easy because it’s virtually just like cooking beef.

    The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that with bison’s lower fat content, it will require less cooking time.

    This Bison Steak recipe features Bison New York Strip Steaks resting on a bed of sautéed red and orange bell peppers and onions and seasoned with salt and pepper and zesty grained mustard. Mouthwateringly delicious.

    Let’s take a look:

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients to make a bison steak recipe.
    • Red and orange bell pepper, sliced into strips
    • Sweet Onion, cut into rings.
    • Olive oil.
    • Coarse grain mustard.
    • Bison New York Strip Steak.

    Ingredient Substitutions and Swaps

    • Coarse Grain Mustard: There are several brands available. I like Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon. Another option which is also readily found on supermarket shelves is Inglehoffer Stone Ground. And there are so many specialty stone ground mustard products available for purchase, use your favorite or have fun and experiment with different brands.
    • Oil: Use butter to fry those peppers in place of the oil.
    • Bison Steak: Substitute bison New York Strip with a bison sirloin, tenderloin or of course you can substitute with beef steaks.

    Step By Step Instructions

    Pan fried strips of orange and red bell pepper.
    How to pan fry a bison New York strip steak.
    • Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add two teaspoons of the oil. Once the oil is shimmering. Add sliced onion and bell peppers and cook until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. In a small bowl whisk mustard with water and add to onion and pepper mixture and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat and cover to keep warm. 
    • Step 2: How Do You Pan Fry A Bison Steak? Get a pan nice and hot and then add seasoned steaks with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook about 4 – 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness is achieved.

    Tips On How To Cook Bison Steak

    • The Type of Pan Matters: Choose either a cast iron skillet or a French steel pan. A French steel pan is a carbon steel skillet commonly used in restaurants to sear meat. It’s non-stick qualities exceed that of a cast iron skillet and its lighter weight. 
    • Room Temperature Steaks: Let the bison steaks set at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper or Montreal steak seasoning if you wish.
    • Hot Pan Cold Oil: Heat the pan over medium high heat, and then add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering add the buffalo strip steaks.
    • How Long Should You Cook Bison Steak? Let the steak cook for about 4 minutes before turning. When the steaks are willing to release from the pan, use tongs to flip the steaks. Cook about another 4 minutes.
    • Use a digital instant read meat thermometer to determine internal temperature for desired doneness.

    Bison Steak Temperature:

    Here is a guide for internal temperature for bison.

    • Rare = 140 degrees
    • Medium Rare = 150
    • Medium = 160
    • Well done = 170

    Pro Tip: When laying steaks in a hot pan with hot oil, carefully place the side nearest to you first and lay the steak away from you. That will keep any hot oil from landing on your hand. 

    Bison Steak FAQ’s

    Can I Make This Recipe On An Outdoor Grill?

    These bison strip steaks will cook beautifully on an outdoor grill. Just brush them with olive oil before placing them on the hot grates. Cook for about 4 minutes per side on Medium high heat.

    Does Bison Steak Take Less Time To Cook Than Beef?

    Keep in mind, bison contains less fat than regular beef, requires less cooking time, and will be dry if over-cooked. If you’re interested in learning more about the management of our American Buffalo and more recipes, visit the National Bison Association website. It’s a great resource for nutrition, cooking tips and more.

    Where Can I Buy Bison Meat?

    Here in Colorado, bison meat is readily available in our grocery stores and specialty markets. If that’s not the case in your area, there are on-line options like North Star Bison who will ship bison to your doorstep.

    Slicing Bell Peppers and Knife Skills

    • I’m going to sound like a broken record, but knife skills are very important for anyone who loves to cook. Being mindful when slicing vegetables is important for two reasons.
    • Cutting uniform slices and shapes are important to the cooking process. Pieces of food that are cut into the same size and shape will cook uniformly resulting in an overall enhanced flavor and texture experience. Not to mention a more visually appealing end result.  
    • Learn how to hold a knife and practice, practice, practice.

    Pro Tip Knife Skills: Always keep the hand that’s gripping the knife clean and dry. A wet hand could cause slips resulting in nicks or worse a nasty slice on your hand. 

    What To Serve with Bison Steaks

    Since this recipe comes with its own built-in side dish of sauteed peppers, a good choice would be mashed potatoes. Try this variation. Instead of the sauteed peppers, serve this recipe simply topped with dollop of Roasted Red Pepper Coulis.

    If you’re looking for more ideas, check these out:

    • Creamy Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
    • A simple tossed Green Salad.
    • Garlic Butter Baked Potatoes
    • Fresh Peach Blueberry Pie

    Storage

    As with any meat, Bison steaks should be cooked the day you bring them home. But they will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. If you can’t cook them within this time, remove them from the paper or container they came in from the store and place them in a freezer safe bag, press the air out. Or better yet, use a vacuum seal machine. Bison steak will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months and up to 6 months if vacuum packed.

    Equipment Needed

    Use either a:

    • French Carbon Steel Fry Pan Pan
    • Cast Iron Skillet

    Recipe for Pan Seared Bison Strip Steaks

    Pan fried buffalo steak with bell peppers and mashed potatoes.

    I hope you give this pan seared bison steak recipe a try. The bison steak in itself is a treat, and the mustard sauced bell peppers unique and delicious.

    And if you have a favorite (bison) buffalo steak recipe, please let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    Want to hone your pan seared steak skills? Take a look at this Pan-seared Filet Mignon with Lobster Avocado Salsa Recipe. It’s a fool proof method that is finished in the oven.

    Related Recipes

    • Boulder Beer Porter Beef Stew
      Boulder Beer Porter Bison Stew
    • Bison steak and cheese sandwich with queso blanco
      Mexican Steak Torta
    • A bowl of bison chili topped with chopped avocado and lime crema
      Black Bean Chipotle Bison Chili with Lime Crema
    • bison burger topped with sauce and onion rings, served with fries
      Juicy Perfect Bison Burgers
    Bison steak recipe served with mashed potatoes and sauteed red and orange bell peppers.

    Pan Seared Bison Steak Recipe

    Bison New York Strip Steaks on a bed of bell peppers. A simple grilled or pan-seared  steak dinner.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course Beef
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 329kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion halved and thinly sliced
    • 1/2 red bell pepper cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
    • 1/2 orange bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
    • 2 Tablespoon course grain mustard
    • 1/2 Cup water
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 Tablespoon oil
    • 2 Bison New York Strip Steaks
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add two teaspoons of the oil. Once the oil is shimmering. Add onion and bell peppers and cook until vegetables start to brown, shaking the pan a few times to evenly distribute heat, about 8 minutes. 
    • In a small bowl whisk mustard with water and add to onion and pepper mixture and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat and cover. 
    • Let steaks sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Brush steaks lightly with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Steaks can be pan seared using a French Carbon Steel pan or Cast Iron Skillet. 
    • To Pan Sear. Heat a cast iron or French Steel pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add a couple tablespoons of oil. When oil is shimmering, add steaks. Cook 4 minutes before turning. Cook an additional 4 minutes on the other side.  Remove from heat and loosely tent the steaks with foil and let sit for 5 minutes.
    • Use an instant read meat thermometer to determine internal temperature for desired doneness.
    • Rare = 140 degrees
      Medium Rare = 150
      Medium = 160
      Well done = 170
    • To serve spoon the onion and pepper mixture onto a platter and top with sliced steaks.
    • Keep in mind, bison contains less fat than regular beef, requires less cooking time, and will be dry if over-cooked.

    Notes

    If Grilling Bison Steaks: Grill about three-four minutes per side for medium-rare.
    Keep in mind, bison contains less fat than regular beef, requires less cooking time, and will be dry if over-cooked. If you’re interested in learning more about the management of our American Buffalo and more recipes, visit the National Bison Association website. It’s a great resource for nutrition, cooking tips and more.
    Pro Tip: When laying steaks in a hot pan with hot oil, carefully place the side nearest to you first and lay the steak away from you. That will keep any hot oil from landing on your hand. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 924mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 96.7mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 5.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Pan Seared Bison Steak Recipe … It’s what’s for Dinner.

    Looking for more bison recipes, check these out.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    This recipe for Buffalo Bill New York Strip Steaks was originally published May of 2016 and updated May of 2022 with step by step instructions and new photos.

    More Bison Recipes

    • Hawaiian hot dog topped with mango pineapple salsa, sliced jalapeno peppers and bbq sauce
      Hawaiian Hotdog With Pineapple Mango Salsa
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      Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak Fajitas

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      May 25, 2022 at 8:26 am

      I need to cook more bison! Used to be hard to find, but these days one of my supermarkets often has it. Terrific recipe — thanks.

      Reply
    2. mjskitchen says

      May 21, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      Bobby and I have been talking about ordering some bison. It’s hard to find here so thanks for the link to Northstar. We’ll check them out. Have never cooked a bison steak so this post is extremely helpful and it looks quite delicious! Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Larry says

      April 19, 2019 at 8:08 am

      I find it interesting how different ones of us view meat temps and I know I’m lower than the pros but I use
      below 120 – rare
      130 – medium rare
      140 – medium
      150 – medium well
      over 150 – rurnt (med wellis also rurnt for me) 🙂
      Happy Grilling. Larry

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        April 22, 2019 at 2:42 pm

        I’m with you. Medium well is burnt for me also.

        Reply
    4. Susan says

      May 13, 2016 at 10:54 am

      They look perfectly grilled! Thank heavens for grilling weather returning 🙂

      Reply
    5. Happy Valley Chow says

      May 12, 2016 at 9:03 am

      Look at those beauties! They look and sound delicious, fantastic recipe. PINNED!!

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

    More about me →

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