Steak Pizzaiola Recipe
When it comes time to make a comfort food recipe that doesn’t take hours and is hearty with flavor, this Steak Pizzaiola Recipe is one of the first we look to make. With just a single skillet, it’s so easy to made this Italian braised meat recipe and will quickly become a family favorite meal too.
You may have heard of Steak Pizzaiola from the television show, Everybody Loves Raymond. It’s a dish Maria makes for Ray because it’s his favorite. We first tried this traditional steak recipe in the Campania region of Italy where the dish is from and fell in love. It’s so full of flavor and super tender, plus it’s ready to eat in under an hour.
The best part is this is a steak recipe that’s very affordable. We use ribeye in our version, but you can easily use a cheaper cut of meat like a thick-cut chuck roast as well. The secret technique is pounding the meat thin to tenderize it before braising. If you love a great steak recipe, be sure to also try our Italian Steak (bistecca alla Fiorentina) as well.
Jenn’s Tip: If you’ve never braised before, you’re in for a treat. This is when you simmer meat in a sauce until it’s so tender it almost falls apart.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Simple ingredients for an affordable steak recipe. All of the ingredients in this braised steak in tomato sauce are easy to find at the store and also affordable. It’s a steak dish that is hearty and comforting any time of the year.
- A braised meat dish that doesn’t take hours to make. Usually a braise can take a couple of hours, but this melt-in-your-mouth recipe is ready in about 40 minutes.
- One-pan steak recipe. Forget needing all sorts of equipment, this steak pizzaiola uses just a large single skillet, making cooking and clean-up so easy.
What is Steak Pizzaiola?
Steak Pizzaiola is a traditional Italian recipe and sometimes called “pizza maker’s steak.” It originated in the Campania region of Italy and is known to be a classic comfort food.
The recipe begins with pounding a cut of steak, often a ribeye or a thick-cut chuck roast, until it’s super thin and then braise it in tomato sauce until super tender. It’s rich in flavor and melts in your mouth with classic Italian ingredients.
Ingredients
- Ribeye steaks: You’ll want to buy about 2 steaks that are each 1/2-inch-thick. Then you’ll lightly pound them to ¼-inch thick for even cooking and for tenderness in every bite.
- Unsalted butter: Part of the cooking fat for the steaks to give rich flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Used for searing and sautéing the steaks.
- Garlic: Classic Italian flavor to infuse every bite.
- Yellow onion: Aromatics that add vegetable sweetness.
- Dry red wine: Adds rich body and depth of flavor.
- San Marzano tomatoes: You’ll use the canned kind here, they are picked and canned at optimal ripeness for the perfect flavor every time.
- Dried oregano: Adds that warm herbal flavor we love.
- Calabrian chili paste or crushed red pepper: Gives a nice spicy quality to the steak pizzaiola, as well as rich flavor.
- Capers: Briny bites that pack a punch of flavor in the sauce.
- Kalamata olives (or oil-cured black Sicilian olives if available): Also add vibrant and bright flavor to compliment the steak and the tomato sauce.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil: The two perfect herbs for freshness to garnish the recipe.
- Water: This is on an as needed basis, but we always like to mention it since we often add it to the sauce to make it the perfect consistency.
How to Make this Steak Pizzaiola Recipe
- Lightly pound the ribeye steaks between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- In a wide skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the steak for about 1–2 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. In the same pan, add sliced garlic and onion. Cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 1–2 minutes until it has reduced.
- Stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes, oregano, Calabrian chili paste, capers, and olives. Add 2–4 tablespoons of water if needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Nestle the steak back into the sauce. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, uncovered, spooning the sauce over the steak occasionally.
- Plate the steak and spoon the pizzaiola sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip pounding the steak. This helps it helps it cook quickly and evenly in the sauce and also makes it super tender.
- Use good-quality tomatoes for the best flavor. San Marzanos are ideal, and since they are canned this means they were picked at peak ripeness.
- Calabrian chili paste adds rich flavor and subtle heat. You can adjust the flavor to taste.
- Serve the steak whole, or slice for a grand presentation. You can slice the steak before serving or leave it whole and slice at the table for a more dramatic presentation.
- When it comes to choosing the cut of steak, ribeye gives the richest flavor and stays tender with a short simmer. Chuck eye steak is a great budget-friendly option—as long as you pound it thin to help tenderize it. We tested it this way and found it stays tender with a simmer time of about 30 minutes.
- For serving this steak pizzaiola recipe, it’s traditionally enjoyed on its own or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. But my personal favorite is to slice the steak and serve it over cooked pasta—it turns the dish into a cozy, complete meal that feels like Sunday dinner in Italy.
Storage and Freezing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove until warmed through.
Steak pizzaiola also freezes beautifully, just place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat according to the instructions above.
FAQs
It translates to “in the manner of a pizza-maker.” This is thanks to the tomato sauce that the meat is braised in.
Everybody Loves Raymond is the classic show this recipe has an iconic presence in.
Traditionally it doesn’t but you can serve it with grated parmesan if desired.
More Italian Main Course Recipes
Steak Pizzaiola
Equipment
- Large skillet or sauté pan
- Meat mallet or rolling pin (for pounding steak)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb ribeye steaks (about 2 steaks, 1/2 inch thick) lightly pounded to ¼-inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for searing and sautéing
- 3-4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste or crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- ⅓ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved (or oil-cured black Sicilian olives if available)
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil for garnish
- ¼ cup water if needed to loosen the sauce
Instructions
- Lightly pound the ribeye steaks between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- In a wide skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the steak for about 1–2 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. In the same pan, add sliced garlic and onion. Cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 1–2 minutes until it has reduced.
- Stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes, oregano, Calabrian chili paste, capers, and olives. Add 2–4 tablespoons of water if needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Nestle the steak back into the sauce. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, uncovered, spooning the sauce over the steak occasionally.
- Plate the steak and spoon the pizzaiola sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.
Notes
- Don’t skip pounding the steak—it helps it cook quickly and evenly in the sauce.
- Use good-quality tomatoes for the best flavor—San Marzano is ideal.
- Calabrian chili paste adds depth and subtle heat—adjust to taste.
- You can slice the steak before serving or leave it whole and slice at the table for a more dramatic presentation..
- Ribeye gives the best flavor, but chuck eye steak is a great substitute if pounded thin and not overcooked.
- Traditionally served on its own or with crusty bread, but you can also spoon the sauce over cooked pasta if desired.
- Ask your butcher for two boneless ribeye steaks, about ½ inch thick. Then lightly pound them to ¼ inch at home. Thinner steaks cook quickly and soak up the sauce more evenly.
