Ribeye steak is by far my favorite prime beef cut to cook at home. Seared in a hot skillet, finished with browned butter, flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
It's the easiest way to cook a ribeye to perfection without special equipment and the result is the same as top restaurant-quality steak.
However, there is much more to cooking the perfect steak than simply a pan, salt and heat.
In this recipe, we will discuss how to choose the best ribeye steak, make sense of beef grades, how to prepare the meat, the best options for cooking it, and answer any questions you might have about cooking the perfect ribeye steak.
Jump to:
- What makes a great ribeye steak
- Choosing the best steak
- Grass-fed vs grain-fed beef
- Best cooking methods for ribeye steak
- Preparing the steak before searing
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Steak doneness chart
- Video
- Top tips
- Sides for ribeye steak
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently asked questions
- Useful equipment
- Related recipes
- Recipe
- Comments
What makes a great ribeye steak
The best ribeye steak has the perfect amount of marbling and is seared to perfection with a dark brown crust and finished with a bit of foaming butter.
When you bite into the steak, it should be extremely juicy and set your taste buds alight.
The texture should be melt-in-the-mouth tender and the flavor should be deliciously beefy, full of umami, and slightly smoky.
Choosing the best steak
When it comes to choosing the best ribeye steak, it also depends on your budget.
Ribeye is a prime beef cut and can be very pricey depending on the grade of steak and type of breed.
In most supermarkets, you will most likely find two types of beef.
Grass-fed and grain-fed. Most of the time from Black Angus cows.
Grass-fed vs grain-fed beef
Grass-fed usually doesn't come in a marbling grading, as it's a leaner type of meat because of the way it's been fed. Most of the time, it's also less tender than grain-fed beef. Unless dry-aged for an extended period.
Grass-fed can be great, but it has to be top quality, otherwise, it can easily disappoint in texture and flavor.
Grain-fed beef comes in a marbling grading of choice, top choice and prime as per the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) guidelines.
Choice being the least fat marbled and prime the most marbled. Likewise, choice is the more affordable option and prime is the pricier option.
They are also sold either wet-aged in vacuum or dry-aged for up to 28 days most of the time. However, speciality butchers will stock steaks aged for longer.
28-day dry-aged USDA prime ribeye steak would be my recommended choice if your budget allows it.
In the second place, I would choose a wet-aged choice or top-choice steak for your mid-week steak dinner as a more affordable option while still tasting great and being super juicy.
There's also Wagyu, which is top-of-the-line, extremely expensive, and highly marbled. Only for special occasions and those that like very fatty beef.
Best cooking methods for ribeye steak
For home cooks without cooking equipment, a ripping hot, well-seasoned, cast iron pan will result in the best ribeye steak.
If you have outside space and a charcoal grill, then that's the ultimate way to cook it.
Broilers and gas grills are my least favorite. The steaks lack flavor, and you simply don't get the same brown crust and smoky flavor as you do with charcoal or a cast iron skillet.
One way I like to boost the smoky flavor and "fake" the charcoal grilled flavor at home, is to add a tiny drop of natural liquid smoke to the butter or do a final seasoning with smoked flaky salt.
Preparing the steak before searing
Preparing steak before you cook it very much depends on the type of beef you bought.
Dry-aged, wet-aged, USDA grade, grass-fed or grain-fed each benefit from different preparation methods.
You mainly have three options for seasoning the beef.
- Dry brining - Salt the beef and leave it uncovered in the fridge on a wire rack for 8 hours or overnight. This draws out some surface moisture and seasons the steak giving it a delicious even crust when searing. It is recommended for any grade of wet-aged or grass-fed beef. Dry aged won't benefit from this method.
- Wet brining - You submerge the meat in 2% salted water for 12 hours. Then remove and pat it dry with a paper towel and preferably let it sit on a wire rack uncovered in the fridge for another 4 hours. This seasons the meat throughout and forces the meat to retain more moisture when cooking. This method is the most time-consuming and also suitable for the same types as for dry brining.
- Season straight away - You take the steak, you salt it and you sear it or grill it over hot coals. This is the easiest and my favorite way of cooking ribeye steak or any other dry-aged prime beef steak. The dry ageing ensures that the excess moisture is gone and the meat sears beautifully in a hot skillet or over coals.
You also have a few options for tempering the meat before cooking it so that it cooks more evenly.
- Reverse searing - Requires you to pre-cook a 1.5-inch steak on a wire rack in an oven set to 250°F (120°C) for about 30 minutes for medium rare. Then sear it using your preferred method. This method works great for all types of steaks but it has to be a thick steak at least 1.5 inches. Works best with prime dry-aged beef.
- Sous vide - Works similar to reverse sear but the steak gets cooked in a water bath set to 115 °F (46 °C), sealed in a vacuum bag. After 30 minutes, remove from the bag and pat the steak dry with a paper towel, then sear it as you wish. This is very much a fancy restaurant method and in my opinion, most home cooks won't see the difference in the effort spent.
- Room temperature tempering - Remove the ribeye from the fridge a few hours before you want to cook it so the temperature comes closer to room temp. This method is the simplest and basically what most top steakhouses use. You can use this with any type of beef and any way of seasoning.
- Straight from the fridge - Not recommended unless you cook thin steaks. Although you will still get a tasty piece of beef if you cook the meat cold, you won't get the best even cooking and when cold meat hits a hot pan the pan will cool down and searing will become boiling. Which in turn will result in inferior steak.
The ribeye steak I use in this recipe is a USDA prime wet-aged steak. Salted uncovered in the fridge then tempered at room temperature for 4 hours before searing in a hot skillet.
Ingredients
- Ribeye steak - The best quality you can afford as mentioned above. 450 grams or 1 lb and 1.5 inches or 4 centimeters thick. Any thinner and you'll risk overcooking it before it's nicely seared with a rich beefy crust.
- Oil - Normal canola, sunflower, or other high smoke point oil for frying. If you can get it use beef dripping. It's what I use in my kitchens, and it adds extra beefiness. Do not use butter to start the frying process as it will burn.
- Butter - Good quality real dairy butter for basting the steak before resting it. Margarine won't work.
- Optional aromatics - Thyme, rosemary, and garlic are popular choices to add when basting with foaming butter. It adds flavor, which some people like and others don't, so your choice. Delicious either way, in my opinion.
See the recipe card for amounts.
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare your steak as mentioned taking into consideration which type and grade you bought. This USDA prime wet aged. Season and leave to dry brine in the fridge overnight, then bring it up to room temperature before searing. If you are using a dry-aged ribeye then season with salt just before searing. Do not add pepper. It will burn. We add pepper when serving.
- Step 2: Heat your skillet until properly hot. Add a touch of high smoke point oil then sear the steak moving it around constantly and flipping often to ensure an even dark brown crust. Sear the sides of the ribeye too, making sure it's evenly browned all over. Once the Steak reaches an internal temperature of 115 °F (46 °C), measured with a meat probe, you add the butter and aromatics if using them. Baste for a minute with browned foaming butter then remove the steak from the heat as well as the brown butter.
- Step 3: Set the ribeye over a wire rack and monitor the temperature. The internal temperature will keep rising due to residual heat. Once it comes to a halt, around 131 °F (55 °C) it's ready to slice and serve.
- Step 4: Pour the brown butter over the steak and season to your liking with a little bit of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving with your favorite steak sides.
If you like your ribeye to be more medium to well done then you can finish cooking it in the oven set to 180 °C (356 °F)
Steak doneness chart
Not everyone likes perfectly medium-rare steak. Some prefer rare and some well-done.
Although my recommended range is medium rare to medium here is a breakdown of the internal temperatures and the best way to cook it for each desired doneness.
Use a meat thermometer for your desired doneness.
The chart below shows the temperature when you remove the steak from the heat as well as the temperature the meat will eventually reach once rested.
This increase in temperature is known as carryover cooking and the longer the meat has been cooking and the higher the internal temperature, the more increase in final resting temperature.
| Desired doneness | Remove from heat | Final resting temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 28°C (82.4 °F) | 32°C (89.6 °F) |
| Rare | 42°C (107.6 °F) | 45°C (113 °F) |
| Medium rare | 46°C (114.8 °F) | 52°C (126.6 °F) |
| Medium | 50°C (122 °F) | 58°C (136.4 °F) |
| Medium well | 58°C (136.4 °F) | 66°C (150.8 °F) |
| Well done | 68°C (154.4°F) | 72°C (161.6 °F) |
Video
Top tips
- For best results, choose high-quality grain-fed USDA prime beef steak with good fat marbling for the juiciest meat.
- Make sure the steak is nice a thick. 1.5 inches (4 cm) at least. Thin steaks will overcook before they get beautifully browned with a perfect pink interior.
- Remove your steak from the fridge at least an hour before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature. This will result in a better sear and more even cooking.
- Only season your steak with salt, and only on the side that hits the pan. Seasoning steak on both sides draws moisture out of the side that does not fry and results in unevenly seared steak. Season with pepper just before serving. Don't season with pepper before searing, as it will burn.
- Use a meat thermometer for accurate cooking every time. Never judge the cooking of your steak by using the piking-the-palm method. It's complete nonsense and does not work.
- Rest the steak before slicing. The internal temperature needs to settle after cooking before it's ready to eat.
Sides for ribeye steak
- Sides - Traditional steakhouse style creamed spinach, silky smooth buttery mashed potatoes, or honey roasted carrots.
- Salad - Simple green salad with olive oil and homemade balsamic, or a Greek salad or Caesar salad.
- Sauce - The only sauce you should ever bring near a good ribeye steak is a simple compound butter, chimichurri sauce or salsa verde at most. My personal preference is a squeeze of lemon juice, seasoned with black pepper and flaky salt. That's it. Let the natural beef flavor the star of the show.
Troubleshooting
The supermarket only has whole roasts instead of individual steaks.
You can easily cut individual steaks from a large roast. Freeze the steaks you are not cooking for future use. They will keep their quality for up to 3 months sealed airtight in vacuum bags.
I don't like fatty steaks. Should I still use ribeye?
If you prefer a lean steak it's better to get a beef tenderloin or even a striploin with the fat removed. It will be impossible to remove the fat from a ribeye steak while keeping it whole.
My steak does not brown evenly and it has grey spots
Your heat source is too cold, your steak is too wet, or a combination of the two. Make sure to use a ripping hot pan or grill. Pat the ribeye dry with a paper towel or a clean cloth before searing. It also helps to move the steak around in the pan while keeping in contact with the skillet surface.
Frequently asked questions
You don't marinate a good quality ribeye steak. There's no need for it as it will be tender and juicy already. If you only have not-so-great steaks then marinating them will tenderise them and give them some flavor.
No, the only time you finish a steak in the oven is when you need it medium-well to well-done or when the steak is thicker than 2 inches.
It's not recommended to reheat steak as it will become overcooked and dry. Even though ribeye is a fattier cut the meat would have lost a lot of its natural juices once cooled and reheated. Never reheat a steak in the microwave as it's the fastest way to ruin it completely.
Yes, you can but it's highly recommended that you do not add lots of extra flavorings for the best ribeye possible. You do not want to add a load of spices that will spoil the natural beef flavor, especially if you paid top dollar for it.
Many people believe cooking a steak bone-on adds more flavor. That's simply not true. Bone-on meat is only more flavorful when braised in liquid so that the flavor gets extracted from the bone. Bone-in ribeye steak like tomahawks look impressive but I can assure you it's simply a gimmick and the actual meat won't taste any different than a regular boneless ribeye.
Useful equipment
Cast Iron Skillet
Wooden Chopping Board
Temperature Probe
Gyuto Japanese Chefs Knife
Related recipes
- Crispy BBQ pork belly
- Bavette steak
- Slow-roasted leg of lamb
- Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin
- Chimichurri steak
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Recipe
Ultimate Guide For Cooking Beef Ribeye Steak At Home (Video)
Ingredients
- 450 g (1 lb) ribeye steak - 1.5 inches thick (note 1)
- 20 g (1½ tablespoon) cooking oil - note 2
- 25 g (2 tablespoon) butter - note 3
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your steak as mentioned, taking into consideration which type and grade you bought. This USDA prime wet aged. Season and left to dry brine in the fridge overnight, then brought up to room temperature before searing. If you are using a dry-aged ribeye then season with salt just before searing. Do not add pepper. It will burn. We add pepper when serving.
- Heat your skillet until properly hot. Add a touch of high smoke point oil, then sear the steak, moving it around constantly and flipping often to ensure an even dark brown crust. Once the Steak reaches an internal temperature of 115 °F (46.11 °C), measured with a meat probe, you add the butter and aromatics if using them. Baste for a minute with browned foaming butter, then remove the steak from the heat as well as the brown butter.
- Rest the ribeye over a wire rack and monitor the temperature. The internal temperature will keep rising due to residual heat. Once it comes to a halt, around 131 °F (55 °C) it's ready to slice and serve.
- Carve the steak, pour the brown butter over it, and season to your liking with a bit of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving with your favorite steak sides.
Video
Notes
- For best results, use dry-aged USDA prime beef ribeye steaks.
- Use a neutral high smoke point oil or beef dripping.
- Add the butter at the end of cooking to baste and use as a natural sauce for serving.
| Desired doneness | Remove from heat | Final resting temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 28 °C (82.4 °F) | 32 °C (89.6 °F) |
| Rare | 42 °C (107.6 °F) | 45 °C (113 °F) |
| Medium rare | 46 °C (114.8 °F) | 52 °C (125.6 °F) |
| Medium | 50 °C (122 °F) | 58 °C (136.4 °F) |
| Medium well | 58 °C (136.4 °F) | 66 °C (150.8 °F) |
| Well done | 68 °C (154.4 °F) | 72 °C (161.6 °F) |
Nutrition
Want to grill it instead? Comparison of kamado grills.
Lee says
This is truly the best recipe for steak I have found. They turned out absolutely perfect! Thank you!
Kacie says
Thanks for making me buy a thermometer. Should have done it sooner. would have avoided a lot of overcooked steaks. This was just perfect and it's so foolproof! Plus the chimichurri sauce you posted is amaaaaazing!xx
Charlé says
The best decision you could have made!!