How to Cook a Ribeye Steak
by Chungah
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Why go to a steakhouse when you can make the most perfect ribeye right at home? Pan seared with the best garlicky herb butter!
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reasons to make a ribeye steak at home
- Restaurant-quality steak. Skip the expensive steakhouse! Date night and family dinners just got so easy and cheaper here. With a few simple tips and tricks (like frequent turning of the steak to get that gorgeous steak crust without overcooking the steak), you’ll have absolutely no problem topping that steakhouse down the street.
- No fuss, no frills. All you need is a few ingredients, a good quality ribeye steak, and a cast iron skillet. No fancy equipment needed here.
- Infused butter says it all. We’re talking foaming warm butter infused with smashed garlic cloves and fresh thyme + rosemary sprigs, the perfect companion for your steak.
Tips and tricks for restaurant-quality steak
- Prep the steak. Let your steak sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes prior to cooking. This will yield a better crust and an even cook from edge to center. Then pat the steak completely dry with paper towels to remove any surface moisture (moisture equals steam).
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are key here for the infused butter, delivering the best kind of flavor for your steak.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature of the steak should reach 130-135°F for medium rare. The meat will still continue to cook once removed from heat so we recommend cooking 5–10°F below your desired doneness, about 120-125°F for medium rare.
- Let your meat rest. Let your steak rest for at least 15 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
How to choose a good-quality steak
Marbling is key.
Prioritize high marbling when choosing a steak, looking for white streaks of fat throughout. The fat will melt when cooked, yielding maximum flavor and juiciness.
Look for bright red meat.
The steak should be firm (not overly moist) and should be bright cherry-red in color. Avoid steaks that are brown or yellow.
Bone-in has more flavor.
Bone-in or boneless can be used, but bone-in steak will yield more tender, juicy meat.
Quality matters.
USDA prime is the best grade of beef for steak, with USDA choice as the next best alternative.
How to Cook a Ribeye Steak: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for about 20 minutes or so. This will allow the steak to cook evenly with a more flavorful crust.
Pat the steak thoroughly dry with paper towels, use oils with high smoke points (ex. canola oil or avocado oil), let it sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until a dark crust is formed, flip frequently for a more even crust (without burning), and finish it off with a butter baste.
Use an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak.
How to Cook a Ribeye Steak
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (24-ounce) bone-in ribeye steak, about 2-inches thick, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season generously with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until very hot, about 1-2 minutes; add canola oil or avocado oil.
- Place the steak in the middle of the skillet and cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, until a dark crust has formed on both sides, about 12-14 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Push steak to one side of the skillet; add butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the opposite side of the skillet, tilting the skillet towards the butter and cooking until the butter is foaming, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Working carefully, spoon the butter over the steak for 1-2 minutes, turning over once, until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, or until desired doneness. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
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Very easy to follow. Had to reduce times a bit because I had a little baby 10 oz ribeye. But very good seasoning suggestions and all.
Couldn’t find 2 inch bone in rib eye I got the 2 inch boneless. Is this ok
Good recipe as a guide. My (bigger) steak was delicious! Thank you!
I had a craving for a good steak and considered going out to dinner but before making reservations I found this recipe, decided to cook in and so glad I did! I used a well marbled 19 oz Angus ribeye slightly under 2 inches, followed the recipe exactly, and the steak was outstanding! My steak cooked a little quicker than I expected based on the recipe timing but I was monitoring the internal temp with a thermopen and it turned out perfectly and very delicious! My wife and I shared the steak and she loved it! Will definitely make again! Thanks!
My cast iron wasn’t big enough, so I used circulon non stick with ovensafe handle. Preheated oven to 400 deg F.
Heated naked (no oil) pan on stove burner to medium. Threw in steaks. Turned after @3 min. Did not get the dark “char” that cast iron gives, but upon turning they were def cooked. After another 3min on side two, transferred whole skillet to oven. Set timer on 6min. (We like medium steaks.)
While in oven, placed small saucepan with 2 pats real butter and a half teaspoon of minced garlic (jarred) onto now turned off and cooling stove burner to melt using residual heat.
At 6 min, removed steaks from oven, flipped and doused in melted garlic butter. Set skillet aside to rest 7min. At 7min end of rear timer, flipped steaks in (still!) hot skillet, and spooned butter over.
Serve on plates heated 2 minutes in (now) cooling but still hot oven.
I hate myself for rewriting this excellent recipe, because with the right time (room temp steaks) and equipment (big cast iron) it IS a restaurant -quality, but Simply Delicious recipe!
Best dang ribeyes done inside house stove top in heavy skillet. My son walked in from work and first bite” he said make sure u don’t forget how to do this again” made sure in pinned it and saved. Next time I hope I have my 2 iron skillets ready to cook on
This is the best skillet steak EVER. My advice would be to make it! And according to how you like your steak it doesn’t take that long. 10-13 minutes is a good medium I’d like mine a little more medium rare so I’ll cut the time the next time.
Does a caste iron skillet make or break the results? Is it the difference between excellent and not so excellent?
Ken, a cast iron skillet will make all the difference in the world. It takes awhile to heat but holds the heat better than any other vessel. Also, a nonstick skillet just doesn’t give the same crusty finish that you are looking for. You can still use a nonstick skillet in a pinch and it will taste just fine but you will be missing that wonderful fond on the outside.
PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!! The BEST steak and I’m a damn good chef myself lol but this takes my usual approach up a notch. WOW. Just WOW.
Excellent taste! If you want MED RARE cut the cook time in half. I questioned the whole 12-14 minutes based on grilling times but followed the recipe instructions. Result was great taste but MED WELL to WELL for a great cut of ribeye. Adjust the times and this is a winner.
I’m prone to messing up steaks but this recipe worked perfectly.
I will try this it looks delish
I swear I have never made anything on this site that wasn’t damned delicious! We usually grill our steaks, but I wanted to do something special for Valentine’s Day. I had a large boneless ribeye and I actually cooked this the way Lance recommended below. Seared a few minutes on each side and then finished in the oven for about 10-15 minutes (thanks Lance). I think this makes the steak more tender. The butter sauce was amazing – the steak was very flavorful, juicy and tender. Fantastic!
We didn’t use a bone in and it was still super flavorful and had a nice crust on it. Makes a mess on the stovetop but this is our new go to for steaks – the grill outside is going to be lonely!
Very good! Be sure to monitor the temperature with a thermapen or other meat thermometer if you have one. I made the mistake of not checking the temps and relying on the timeline of the recipe and it over cooked it a bit. My oven tuns a bit hot and I probably could’ve seared the stakes for 6 or 7 min instead of 12-14 min. Still very tasty and will do this again. I typically reverse sear my steaks in the smoker, but will use this cast iron method more frequently.
Love cooking steak any way to reduce the smoke
This is our all-time favorite steak recipe.
Fantastic recipe! I modified it, by using a ribbed cast iron pan. After seasoning, I seared the steak in the pan to give it those lovely cross-hatches across the steak. Then, placed the whole thing in a 400 degree oven to an internal temperature of 125 degrees (medium rare). Finally, I removed the steak from the oven, spooned over the butter/garlic and placed it back in the oven for 3-4 minutes. When removed from the oven. respoon the butter/garlic over the steak and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serviing. Absolutely delicious!
We usually always cook steaks on the grill, but it is pouring outside, so I used your recipe!! It was excellent!! Thank you!!
Out of 5 stars, I give this 10. Way better than a steakhouse. I accidentally overcooked mine but it was still phenomenal