Name: How To Cook A Perfect Steak
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use lite or reduced-sodium); 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (chopped (dry may be substituted)); 2 sprigs fresh thyme (chopped (dry may be substituted)); 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Juice from 1 medium lime; 2 steaks (your choice of cut and weight); Olive oil (to taste; optional); 3 tablespoons butter (not margarine, salted or unsalted; divided); 1 teaspoon garlic (finely minced; divied); Salt (to taste); Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

How to Cook the Perfect Steak — Learn how to cook the perfect steak on the stovetop, every time! Which cut and grade of meat to choose, what temperature, what skillet, and how long to cook it. Plus, there are all the TIPS and TRICKS you need to know are included so you can make the BEST steak at home to rival a fancy steakhouse every single time!

Cooking the Perfect Steak

So many of us, so often, are completely baffled about how to cook the perfect steak.

Apart from that, it can be confusing to decide what cut of steak to use, as well as the grade of beef, to marinate or not, and how long to even cook the steak.

I am here to take the guesswork out of how to cook the perfect steak every single time.

Not only will you love digging into a perfectly cooked steak, however you personally define perfect, but your friends and family will be also be impressed with your steak superstar cooking powers!

Now you won’t need to rely on an overpriced or fancy steakhouse in order to enjoy a great steak when you can do it at home, on your stovetop and oven.

What Cut of Steak Should I Choose?

Below are our four favorite steaks, and are probably the most common cuts of steak, although there are many more out there.

Here are four common cuts of steak:

Ribeye — This has a high fat content, making it a very flavorful steak. Do not remove the fat before cooking. You can cut off the fat when you are eating the meat after it’s cooked. No need to marinade ribeye, it’s perfect with a little salt and pepper or steak seasoning.
Sirloin —This steak doesn’t have much fat and is best cooked to medium only. Sirloin is is great with a dry rub.
Filet Mignon — This is a small round steak that doesn’t have much fat on it. It is my personal favorite because it is so tender. It will dry out fast and is best eaten rare. Just cook with a bit of salt and pepper for best flavor.
T-Bone or Porterhouse — These steaks always come with a T-bone in the middle and a steak on each side. One side is the strip steak and the other is the filet. A porterhouse usually has more of the filet on it. Use a meat thermometer to cook this steak so you can get it right.

What Grade of Beef Should I Select?

There are 3 grades of meat — Select, Choice, and Prime.

Here is a quick breakdown on each:

Select — Lower, cheaper grade meat that is usually advertised for sales. Often more fat, more bones, and not a good quality.
Choice — A better quality meat and worth paying more for.
Prime — The good stuff and worth every penny!

I definitely recommend going with choice or prime steaks so that you really enjoy your steak!

To What Temperature Should I Cook the Steak?

This is such a personal preference because as you know, some people love really well done steak and others like it practically still moving!

Here is the general consensus on what signifies rare to well done steaks and the corresponding steak cooking temperatures associated:

Rare — 120°F to 129°F. Cooler and bright red center, soft to the touch.
Medium rare — 130°F to 134°F. Warm red center, beginning to firm up with red juices.
Medium — 135°F to 144°F. Warm pink center, brown on the edges, firm with red juices.
Medium well — 145°F to 154°F. Slightly pink center, completely firm with brown juices.
Well done — 155°F to 164°F. Very little to no pink, firm to the touch.

How Long to Cook Steak on the Stove

To cook a thin flank steak to medium versus cooking a much thicker filet to medium, the amount of cooking time will vary based on the thickness and cut of meat.

If you are looking for a medium steak, you need to aim for the final temperature to fall in the range of 135°F to 144°F, however long it takes to reach that particular temperature.

Take note, you should remove the steak from the skillet and let it rest when it is 5°F under the desired temperature or temperature range because you need to account for the carryover cooking that will occur.

I highly recommend you use a thermometer to eliminate guesswork!

How to Marinate a Steak

As it pertains to marinating steaks, here are my thoughts on the topic:

If you are buying a quality steak, salt and pepper and a bit of butter and garlic will be more than enough. I don’t like to lose the nice flavor of quality beef.
If you are using a cheaper steak you may want to marinade.
An acid is needed such as wine, vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice.
Herbs and spices — You can find all kinds of great steak seasonings in the spice aisle or use an Italian seasoning packet. You can even use an Italian salad dressing in liquid form right out of the bottle with salt and pepper, and don’t forget some b also add great flavoring to the marinade.
Discard marinade after using.
For best results, meat needs to be at room temperature as well as the marinade. Let stand for 10 minutes, then move to the refrigerator for the remainder of the marination.

How Long Should I Marinate Steak?

For tender cuts like filets or ribeye, less than 4 hours is needed. For less expensive, tougher meat you can marinade for up to 24 hours.

Be generous with the marinade for tough meats. This will help to tenderize as well as flavor the meat.

Can Steak Marinade Be Made in Advance?

Yes! If you don’t use all the marinade you prepped (but before the meat touched it), freeze it in ice cube trays for future use.

Soy Sauce Steak Marindade Recipe

This is a quick and easy steak marinade recipe with common pantry ingredients that you likely have on hand that will marinate approximately two steaks, depending on size of course.

Here’s what you’ll need to make my go-to homemade steak marinade:

¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use lite or reduced-sodium)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (dry may be substituted)
2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped (dry may be substituted)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice from 1 medium lime

Combine all the ingredients, stir, and pour over the meat.

Marinate for 1 to 24 hours.

Discard the marinade after using. However, unused marinade that never touched the steak can be frozen.

How to Cook the Perfect Steak on the Stove

Cooking steak on the stove and then finishing it in the oven is the best method for cooking steak, in my experience. Here’s an overview of the best way to cook steak on the stove:

Step 1: Assuming that you’re not marinating your steaks because you’re using a higher quality steak, begin by preheating your oven to 450F.

Step 2: Heat a cast iron skillet so it’s sizzling, pat the steaks dry, and if you like, you can rub a small amount of olive oil over the steaks before seasoning them with a bit a salt and pepper.

Step 3: Place the steaks in the hot pan, making sure not to crowd them and do not touch them, move them, or bother them. Let them be.

Step 4: Let the steaks cook for about 2 minutes before testing to see if they move easily in the pan. If they are stuck, do not try and unstick them. This means they are not ready yet.

Do not press on the steaks while cooking. This will press the natural juices out.

Step 5: When the steak comes loose from the pan, flip them over, and cook the other side until the steak loosens. Use tongs and hold so the sides of the steak get charred all the way around.

Step 6: If you like a rare steak, you can stop here. Add some butter and let it melt before adding some minced garlic and let it sit and “cook” a bit on top of the meat.

Step 7: Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes before cutting so the juices will stay in the meat keeping it moist and delicious.

Now that you know how to cook steak on the stove with butter, I’m going to go into more detail about how to finish stovetop steaks in the oven. Follow these steps if you want to cook your steak to medium-rare or beyond.

Finishing Stovetop Steaks in the Oven

If you want to cook your stovetop steaks to medium-rare or more, you’ll need to finish them in the oven. This is why I recommend cooking steak in cast iron skillets — they are also oven-safe and evenly distribute heat, which prevents steaks from burning.

After you’ve finished cooking steak on stove, here are the next steps to finishing off a perfect steak in a cast iron pan:

Step 1: After using tongs to get some char on all sides, place the skillet in the oven for 3 to 10 minutes.

Step 2: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The meat should be 5° less than the temperature you want. It will continue to cook even when it is removed from the oven, a process known as carryover cooking.

For example, if you want a steak that is well done, meaning 155°F to 164°F the thermometer should read 150°F.

Step 3: Remove the pan from the oven, remove the steak from the pan, place it on a cutting board or plate, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes and your steak will carryover-cook, it will come up to temperature, and it should be perfect.

When you remove the steak from the oven, put butter and garlic on top and let it melt and this will add to the caramelization and the flavor.

Step 4: As the butter melts, you can spoon some back on top for a bit to keep it marinating in the butter.

How to Grill a Perfect Steak

While this post is dedicated to going into great detail about how to cook a perfect steak on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven if desired, a couple notes about grilling steak.

First, pay attention to how hot your grill is. Grills have hot spots and cooler spots. Cook your steak on the hot spot although you don’t want your grill to be at 600F or anything. Try to keep it in the 450F range.

Don’t try to force flipping it. The same goes here as for indoor cooking on your stove. If it’s sticking, it’s not ready. Don’t force it, just let it be.

Don’t press on it with tongs either since you will just be forcing the juices out creating a dryer, tougher steak.

Cook it until the internal temp reaches what you are desiring in terms of a steak, such as medium rare or well done or however you like your steak.

Remember to take it off the grill 5 degrees below the final desired temperature range. Use a thermometer to make sure you’re not just guessing!

And finally, let that baby rest because if not, you’re just going to be letting those great natural juices run out all over your cutting board which is n0t where they belong.

What to Serve with Steak

Now that you know how to cook the perfect steak, you’re ready to plate it up! I love a fancy steak dinner now and again, and while the meat is the star of the show you can’t forget the sides!

Here are some side dishes you can serve with stovetop steak:

Important Tips For Cooking a Perfect Steak

Use a cast iron skillet or if you don’t have one, a pan that can be put in the oven.
Get it sizzling hot on the stovetop. You’ll know it’s hot enough when a water droplet will sizzle and evaporate immediately.
Alternatively you can heat the oven to 400°F, put the skillet inside, and heat it up that way as well. Remove the skillet (remember to use a hot mitt) and put it on a hot burner to cook the steak.
Do not use a nonstick pan, it doesn’t hold the heat enough for a steak and doesn’t cook evenly. Cast iron is best.
If using a frozen steak, completely thaw first.
Let a refrigerated steak sit out for 30 minutes before cooking. A cold steak doesn’t cook evenly. The inside won’t cook while the outside may get over done.

Use a paper towel and pat dry both sides of the steak. This helps prevent the steak from steam cooking. You want a great sear on your steak, not a piece of rubber.
Before cooking you can brush the steak with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper if you want, but this isn’t necessary.
Don’t spray or oil the pan. A dry pan is best.
Place the steak in the sizzling hot pan and let it be. Don’t push down on it or poke it.
Once it has cooked a minute or two, see if it will move easily. You’ll know it’s time to flip. If it still sticks, it’s not time to flip.
Use tongs to hold a steak up to sear the edges. Don’t forget this step!

When you flip the steak, add a pat of butter (seasoned butter is nice as well). This will melt into the steak and help baste it and it helps to caramelize the crust.
For an evenly cooked steak, once you have seared the steak, you can place the pan in a 450° oven for 3-10 minutes.
Using a thermometer, check the thickest part of the meat.
Always remove the steak when it is 5°F below the desired final cooked temperature. Meat will continue to cook (carryover cooking) even once removed from the heat, so don’t overcook.
Use the numeric values I provided above for temperature doneness.
Always let a steak rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting. This will keep the meat moist. If you cut it too soon, the juices will run out leaving a dryer steak.

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Favorite Beef Recipes:

Teriyaki Steak Tips – Tri-tip steak tips are cooked to perfection and then topped with a thick and sticky homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce! A family favorite that everyone will love and is FAST and EASY to make!

Grilled Steak Kabobs — Juicy steak with sweet bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and pineapple for the PERFECT sweet-and-savory kabob!! You’ll want to fire up your grill for these! Fast, EASY, zero cleanup, and DELISH!!

Mongolian Beef Bowls – These EASY Chinese-inspired Mongolian beef bowls are ready in just 10 minutes!! Loaded with rich savory flavor, crisp-tender vegetables, and served over rice! Faster than calling for takeout when you’re craving Asian food!!

Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli — It really is BETTER than takeout and it’s definitely FASTER!! This EASY Chinese restaurant copycat recipe is a family favorite that’ll go into your regular rotation!!

15-Minute Sheet Pan Chinese Beef and Broccoli — EASY, HEALTHIER than going out for Chinese because it’s baked, and FASTER than calling for takeout!! So much FLAVOR in this family favorite! It’ll go into your regular rotation!!

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef — Comes together in 20 minutes and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice.

Perfect Steak

Cooking the Perfect Steak

What Cut of Steak Should I Choose?

What Grade of Beef Should I Select?

To What Temperature Should I Cook the Steak?

How Long to Cook Steak on the Stove