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
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Made the best steaks ever!!!! Still basking in the afterglow! So damn delicious! I had to use a regular pan and didn’t have the rosemary and thyme but it was still so amazing I can’t even imagine it being better. I will try them next time just for the out of body experience. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you rest it in the skillet? Normally I do not.
My this for daughter and son in law. It was perfect and delicious. I really enjoyed preparing this steak.
Agreed, making it well done completely ruins such a great cut of meat. If you want well done, and still good, you should be looking at a strip steak.
What should the internal temperature be if you want your ribeye steak to be well done? please answer quickly as I want to make this recipe tommorow
Why you want a well done rib eye is beyond me. It basically defeats the purpose of the cut. Anyhow if you must, the internal temp. Should be 155°. Enjoy.
wow, great recipe! i love the butter trick there at the end, i went ahead and threw some canned crimini mushrooms in the hot butter mix and cooked them until the steak was ready, reaaaaal goooooood
OOH, I bet tht wa really delicious,
This was amazing! I used a boneless ribeye and it was tender and juicy. Beautiful seat in the cast iron, too.
So damn delicious!
Times were way too long for me, but I’m also a novice. Could be my fault. Perfect flavor. Just ended up with a medium well steak after only 8 minutes.
Using a thermometer is your best weapon against overlooking meat.
Excellent Sunday dinner with wine! I might also pull the meat off the heat a little sooner next time but otherwise the preparation, recipie, and descriptions were right on in simplicity. I see another reviewer suggests adding mushrooms and that sounds like a plan for next time.
Fantastic, was like I ordered from Berns steak house. 2 inch cut, 3 mins a side, butter baste for 3 mins, perfect medium rare. Delicious thanks you!!
Made it twice. Recommend using cooing spray opposed to canola oil. Pull meat a little before 120 degree and loosely tent with foil for 10 min. Do not skimp on the fresh herbs!
This is excellent!!! Made twice! Would recommend Pam spay instead of the canola oil. Do not skimp on the fresh herbs!
PAM spray IS Canola oil, along with palm oil, coconut oil, lecithin from soybeans, dimethyl silicone (for anti-foaming), rosemary extract (preservative), and propellant.
A better option over all is grapeseed oil, which is less processed than canola oil
I followed the instructions to the T, woohoo perfect steak, delicious, moist and yummy. Can’t go wrong the only thing I didn’t do is take a picture to show it off to friends. Lol
Me, too!!!!
Followed this to the letter and ended up with absolutely delicious steaks!! I shall try it again and this time try a topping of mushrooms cooked in the juices left over! I would also reduce the cooking time as it was a bit well done for my taste, but all in all, great flavor, looks appealing, smells divine – just fantastic!
Minkkkkkk
Now that’s a steak
The taste was delicious; however, it was overcooked. I would suggest turning it four times before reducing heat and spooning the butter over the meat.
This was delicious and easy! We had it with roasted lemony asparagus. Will def make this again. Thanks!
This was ABSOLUTELY the best steak I have ever cooked at home. I did replace the canola oil with avocado oil, and I didn’t have fresh herbs, but it was still phenomenal. Thank you!!!
My son said it was “The best he’s ever eaten!!! And is 8
Thanks for the recipe
Thank you for your post, Really enjoy perfectly cooked beef with lots of flavor and a great char on it.
You are showing a picture of a bone in rib steak, A ribeye steak is BONELESS!
Karen, ribeye steaks can be boneless or bone-in. 🙂
A ribeye can be either. Check out the price of a tomahawk ribeye sometime! (In fact I believe in Australia for the steak to be called a ribeye it comes with the bone!).
You don’t know much about steaks do you Karen?! I’m an Aussie and that’s how we are used to buying them too.
I second Chungah’s comment that ribeye steak can be boneless or bone-in. Our local butcher sells them to us with the bone-in. I’ve only seen boneless ribeye at mass supermarkets here in Northern California.
Wow! You should fact check before you leave a comment. Especially one with all caps Karen.
I just had a cow butchered here in Nebraska and all my rib steaks have bones in them.
Bone-in ribeye is more flaverful than boneless. Try it sometime.
LOL! Of course the name is KAREN, haha! 😛