Copycat Applebee's Bourbon Street Steak

A large bourbon street steak on a white plate.

5 from 8 votes

Copycat Applebee's Bourbon Street Steak

Bourbon Street Steak is tender, juicy, and packs big flavor from Cajun seasoning and a touch of honey in the marinade. It has a slight char on the outside and is cooked perfectly to melt in your mouth - every bite will bring you on a trip to Bourbon Street.

Prep Time2

Cook Time20

Total Time2 20

Servings:

Calories: 85kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a mixing bowl
a whisk
measuring spoons
a ziplock bag
a grill
a charcoal grill chimney
a bluetooth thermometer
a baking sheet, foil, and tongs

Ingredients

½ cup A1 steak sauce
¼ cup bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Creole mustard
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
2 2 pound top sirloin steaks

Optional Topping

1 - 2 onions
1 - 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

Bourbon Street Steaks

At least two hours before you plan on grilling it, prepare the marinade and get the steaks in it.
Combine the Cajun Seasoning, bourbon whiskey, honey, steak sauce, and Creole mustard in a mixing bowl and whisk it together.
½ cup A1 steak sauce, ¼ cup bourbon whiskey, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons Creole mustard, 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag and add the steaks. Mash the steaks around in the marinade until they are fully coated in it.
2 2 pound top sirloin steaks
Put the steaks in the fridge and let them sit for at least two hours.
After two hours, it's time to grill. Let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 10 - 15 minutes while you heat up the grill.
Heat the grill according to the instructions that came with it. (See above for how we heat ours.)
Sear the steaks on the first side for about five minutes and then flip them. Put the probe of a thermometer into one of the steaks and put the lid on the grill.
Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 130°F - 132°F for Medium Rare Steak. I like to stop there because it will continue to cook a little longer after coming off the grill and between 130 - 135°F will be a perfectly Medium Rare Steak. For a Medium Steak, it should stay on the grill until the internal temperature is 135°F - 145°F.
Let the steak rest on a baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before serving while you get everything else together.
Serve with caramelized onions (below), a pat of herbed butter on top, buttery carrots, and a heaping scoop of garlic mashed potatoes on the side.

Caramelized Onions

To make the onions, slice them into thin slices and add them to a pan with a little bit of oil over medium-high heat. Once the edges start browning, reduce the heat and cook and cook and cook until they are soft and reduced. They will take 20 - 30 minutes to fully reduce. Right before removing them from the heat, I add a pinch of kosher salt.
1 - 2 onions, 1 - 2 tablespoons cooking oil
We like to use one onion per person because they reduce so much.

Notes

This will easily feed 4 - 6 adults as long as you have side dishes. This fed four of us for dinner, a second dinner, and leftover lunch.

Steak Temperatures

Rare: 120°F - 130°F
Medium Rare: 130°F - 135°F
Medium: 135°F - 145°F
Medium-Well: 145°F - 155°F
Well Done: 155°F
Ruined: > 165°F

🍳 How to Serve Steak

Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes, then serve. We like to put a small slice of herbed butter on top that melts into the hot steak - so good.

🥫 How to Store Steak

Steak will last for 5 - 7 days in the refrigerator. We like to eat the leftovers cold over a salad or just barely reheat them in the air fryer. Otherwise, the steak will get overcooked and it will dry out.

📋 Recipe Tips

We like to make two large steaks and then cut them into smaller portions. This just makes for a little easier cooking - you only need to cook two steaks instead of 4 - 6.

Let the steak sit in the marinade for at least two hours but then take it out for 10 - 15 minutes before cooking it so that you aren't throwing a freezing cold steak onto the hot grill. (This is perfectly safe, I promise.)

Nutrition