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Bourbon Peppercorn Sauce served in a big glass jar on top of a plate
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5 from 7 votes

Bourbon Peppercorn Sauce

This Bourbon Peppercorn Sauce is rich, not overly creamy and packs a punch! Perfect for your steaks and burgers and so easy to make too!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bourbon sauce, peppercorn sauce, peppercorn sauce recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 266kcal
Author: Mary Ann Dwyer

Ingredients

  • 4 6-oz. filet mignons
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. peppercorn medley, crushed gently with a mortar and pestle, do not totally grind
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch for thickening, mixed with two tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  • Sprinkle top and bottom of filets with salt and pepper.
  • Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add the filets and cook about 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Remove from skillet and place on plate covered with foil.
  • In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and add shallots and garlic. Cook until shallots and garlic soften, about 5 minutes adding extra olive oil if needed.
  • Add peppercorns to the shallots and continue to cook for 2-4 minutes.
  • Pour in the bourbon to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Stir in the beef broth and sugar and continue to cook for about 4 minutes.
  • Whisk in heavy cream and then add butter until well combined.
  • If you like your sauce a little thicker, whisk together two tablespoons cornstarch with two tablespoons cold water and whisk into the sauce until smooth and thickened. Continue to cook for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat to a serving pitcher.
  • Serve over filets.

Notes

  • I tweaked the recipe by making a cornstarch slurry (two tablespoons cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons water) and whisking into the sauce to thicken.
  • The sauce is fabulous on steaks, burgers and mashed potatoes.
  • The sauce gets such great flavor when you cook the filets or even burgers in the skillet before making the actual sauce. The drippings from the meat amp up the flavor tremendously.