Based on the classic French steak sauce, our easy peppercorn sauce recipe is ready in minutes.
A rich creamy pan sauce made with simple ingredients, butter, shallots, garlic, peppercorns, brandy, stock and cream. We also give advice for making peppercorn sauce without brandy.
Peppercorn sauce for steak is the obvious way to serve it, but it can also be served with chicken, vegetables, mushrooms or as a pasta sauce.
Easy Peppercorn Sauce Recipe
To make a creamy peppercorn sauce in only 15 minutes, jump straight to the recipe card for the basics of this pan sauce.
Or read on for the full details, tips and tricks of this recipe.
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What is peppercorn sauce made of?
This brandy pepper sauce requires butter, garlic, shallots, freshly crushed peppercorns, a splash of brandy, stock, and double cream (known as heavy cream in the US).
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Shallots Finely chopped
- 1 clove Garlic Finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Peppercorns We used a mix of pink, white & black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon Brandy See blog post for alternatives
- 250 ml Beef Stock
- 250 ml Double cream
- Salt
Peppercorns
Freshly crushed peppercorns are key to the rich peppery taste in peppercorn sauce, we like to use a mix of peppery white peppercorns, fiery black peppercorns and fruity pink peppercorns.
You can buy a mixed pot of peppercorns also known as rainbow peppercorns which contain a mix of white, black, green and pink peppercorns.
Shallots
You can use a small onion finely chopped instead of 2 shallots if needed.
My brandy didn't catch alight?
One of the steps is to set your brandy alight, also known as flambe. This technique keeps the rich brandy taste while burning away the alcohol. If the alcohol level is below 40%, it will not light so well!
If using a gas hob ( we weren't) be very careful, do not pour the alcohol in near a naked flame! It can set alight to the whole bottle!
Peppercorn sauce without Brandy
Brandy, specifically Cognac is the traditional liquor to add to French Peppercorn sauce. You can substitute this with an equal amount of dry white wine, sherry or Madeira wine. (These will not need to be flamed)
Alcohol-free peppercorn sauce
To make peppercorn sauce without alcohol, you can use half the amount of grape juice or apple juice instead of liquor
What stock to use?
The stock you use for this cream pan sauce depends on what you are serving it with? Making peppercorn sauce for steak, use beef stock. For chicken in peppercorn sauce, use chicken stock.
To thicken a pan sauce you want the stock to boil and reduce then lower the heat and add the cream. As the creams cools the sauce will thicken.
It is ready to serve when the pepper sauce sticks to the back of a metal spoon season with salt if desired.
What to serve peppercorn sauce with?
We like to serve our creamy peppercorn sauce over our medium-rare rump steak and onion loaf.
It can also be poured over roast rib beef, air fried chicken, mushrooms or other vegetables. Or use peppercorn sauce as a pasta sauce!
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Easy Peppercorn Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Shallots - Finely chopped
- 1 clove Garlic - Finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Peppercorns - We used a mix of pink, white & black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon Brandy - See blog post for alternatives
- 250 ml Beef Stock
- 250 ml Double cream
- Salt
Instructions
- Crack peppercorns in a pestle and mortar1 tablespoon Peppercorns
- If using a pan that steak or chicken has been cooked in, do not clean it out first, the steak remnants add great flavour to the pan sauce! Add butter to the pan2 tablespoon Butter
- Add chopped shallots and garlic, cook on low heat until soft.2 Shallots, 1 clove Garlic
- Add crushed peppercorns.
- Add brandy, catch it alight to burn the alcohol away.2 tablespoon Brandy
- Add beef stock turn to high heat.250 ml Beef Stock
- Allow to boil and reduce by half
- Turn heat down and add cream250 ml Double cream
- Stir through until thickened.
- The peppercorn sauce is ready when the sauce clings to the back of a metal spoon. Season with salt if desired.Salt
- Great served with Steak, Chicken, Vegetables or as a pasta sauce.
Video
Nutrition
If you like sauces for your steak, try out our mushroom sauce recipe or Red Wine Jus Sauce Recipe they are superb.
We hope you enjoyed this Easy Peppercorn Sauce recipe as much as we do.
Let us know how you got on and what you serve your peppercorn sauce with?
Ian Thomas says
Absolute excellent
Luke and Kay says
Hi Ian! Thank you so much for the kind words! 😊 We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the peppercorn sauce.
Mike says
Just made this sauce for the family and everybody loved it. Great sauce, super simple.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you so much for trying our Easy Peppercorn Sauce, Mike! We're so pleased to hear that your family enjoyed it. Our goal is to give home cooks everywhere a delicious and easy-to-make sauce they can feel proud to serve. 🙂
Mark Murphy says
Can excess sauce be frozen?
Luke and Kay says
Thanks Mark for the question
I haven't tried it because I don't like how cream sauces separate when frozen and don't come out as nice when defrosted.
Me personally i wouldn't recommend it 🙂
Nic says
I LOVE a good peppercorn sauce!!! Normally I use a packet mix but this time I followed this recipe and made my own. It was soooo much better 😋😋😋
Luke and Kay says
We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed making the peppercorn sauce recipe, Nic! Homemade cooking is one of the greatest joys and it’s so satisfying when your efforts pay off. We especially thank you for giving our recipe a try and for leaving such a positive review about it. 🙂
Allison Lipman says
Hi there, I realize this is an older post but I was hoping you could tell me how much this makes?
I would like to serve it this weekend to about 10 peoples steaks.
Would this be ok doubled?
Thank you!
Kay says
Hi Alison, that will be fine if you go to the x2 section in the recipe card it will double everything for you, hope you all enjoy our peppercorn steak 🙂
Alexandra says
This sauce is so delicious and can be enjoyed with so many things. My favourite is with grilled chicken breast - it elevates the dish so much.
Kay says
Thank you, Alexandra
We love this peppercorn sauce with chicken and pasta, such great flavours to such a wholesome meal 🙂
Enjoy!!
Megan Ellam says
Absolutely my favourite sauce! The brandy is a must in my opinion too. Thanks for a cracker of a recipe.
Kay says
Thank you, Megan
Oh yes, brandy is a must with peppercorn sauce; it gives it such a great flavour 🙂
Enjoy!!
Ramona says
This sauce is delicious! It’s a total winner poured on almost anything. Soo good! Thank you for sharing this!
Kay says
Thanks, Ramona
Glad you like the sauce 🙂
We love this sauce with steak but also superb with chicken; it's lush!!
serena says
I bet this is delicious with a veggie and pasta dish. So simple to make!
Kay says
Thanks, Serena
Thanks for the comment and rating
This peppercorn sauce makes a great pasta sauce 🙂
Enjoy!!
Sara LaFountain says
Just the sauce I was looking for! Needed a little accompaniment to dinner tonight and this sauce was easy to make and delicious!
Kay says
Thank you Sara
Great to hear this was the sauce you was looking for for your dinner, I hope it went well?
Linda says
I'm in love with this sauce - it's so good and works well with grilled chicken
Kay says
Thank you, Linda
This peppercorn sauce is perfect with chicken, we love this sauce and it always goes down well with all our family 🙂