How to Cook Ribeye Steak
Ribeye steak is always a popular choice, prized for its rich flavor, tenderness, and generous marbling throughout. Some of the best Ribeye steak recipes involve flavorful seasonings. Others also use Ribeye steak marinades that offer a boost to the already incredible taste. Grilled Ribeye steak is full of flavor and is the best way to prepare this cut. But there are many other methods that are also delicious, such as pan-seared Ribeye steak, broiled Ribeye steak, and even air fryer Ribeye steak. No matter which method you choose, Kansas City Steak Company has step-by-step cooking instructions and videos that will help you cook up the tender and juicy steak you crave. The directions listed are for Boneless Ribeye steaks, but we also have information available for Bone-In Ribeye and Cowgirl steak. We recommend you use a meat thermometer to ensure your steaks are cooked to perfection!
How to Cook Ribeye Steak on the Grill
Wondering how long to cook a Ribeye steak on the grill or how to achieve the perfect flavor at a medium-rare temperature? There are two main approaches for grilling Ribeye steaks:
- Charcoal Grilling
- Gas Grilling
Regardless of which method you choose, be sure your steaks are completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. Lastly, season your steak as desired. The best Ribeye steaks cooked on the grill are seasoned to taste with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Charcoal Grill
To cook on a charcoal grill, place steaks over the hottest part of the grill, and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then, move to medium, ash-covered coals and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
Gas Grill
To cook on a gas grill, preheat on high. Sear both sides for 1–2 minutes, then, reduce to medium heat and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- For the perfect medium-rare degree of doneness, your Ribeye steak grill time should be 9–12 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 12–15 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
- Prior to serving, add a Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter for an additional flavor boost.
How to Cook Ribeye Steak in the Oven
There are many easy and effective Ribeye steak recipes for the oven that will give your meal an outstanding final product. Choose your favorite Ribeye steak recipe and prepare your meal to the desired taste.
Just as in the grilling method, be sure your Ribeye steak is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. Lastly, season your steak as desired. We recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Set your oven to “broil” and preheat for 10 minutes.
Here are the directions to follow for oven-baked Ribeye steak:
- Place steaks on the rack of a broiler pan and position the broiler pan in the oven so that the surface of the steak is 3–4 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Chart listed below.
- For the perfect medium-rare steak, broil in the oven for 10–12 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 12–15 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
How to Cook Ribeye Steak on the Stove
Pan-Seared Method
Looking to test out some Ribeye steak recipes on your stovetop? A pan-seared Ribeye boasts a mouthwatering flavor, giving your meat a rich golden-brown color and enhanced taste.
Be sure your steak is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator for 30–40 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steak as desired; we recommend a generous serving of our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Here is how to cook a Ribeye on the stove to achieve the best results:
- Preheat a heavy non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear.
- Place your steaks in the hot skillet (but be careful not to overcrowd). Note: To protect flavor, do not add oil or water and do not cover.
- For the perfect medium-rare steak, sear in a skillet for 12–14 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 14–16 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your Ribeye steak to ensure it is cooked to the perfect level of doneness, from rare to medium-well.
Specialty Methods for Cooking Ribeye Steak
Traditional methods will give any steak connoisseur a wonderful meal, however, there are also new techniques that inspire cooking innovation and provide their own unique flavor. With each method, your steak should be completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove the Ribeye from the refrigerator 30–40 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steaks to your liking; we recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
For perfect doneness, we recommend using a meat thermometer.
Take the cooking process a step further with the professional reverse sear Ribeye method.
- Preheat oven to 275°F and place steaks on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet on the center rack of the hot oven. Cook until internal temperature reaches 10°F lower than the desired final temperature. View our Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Charts below for reference.
- Remove and let steaks rest for 5 minutes, covering lightly with foil.
- Preheat a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Add some butter or a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil and sear steaks for 1 minute on each side. The final internal temperature of your steak should be 135°F for medium-rare and 145°F for medium.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low heat of the oven used in reverse searing does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
Using the sous vide method to cook a Ribeye is the best way to ensure that your steak is cooked evenly to your desired degree of doneness throughout, without overcooking or losing any flavor. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for evenly cooked steaks from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
Here are the steps to follow when using the sous vide method:
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate temperature for the desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
- Rare: 122°F
- Medium-Rare: 129°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- All our products arrive vacuum-sealed in sous-vide-ready, heat-stable packaging, allowing you to simply add them to the water bath and cook to your desired degree of doneness. However, if you have the means to repackage your steaks into sous vide heat-stable bags at home, we recommend seasoning your steaks with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor, prior to cooking in the sous vide. Another option is to add fresh herbs and a Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter, along with your raw steak, into the heat-stable vacuum seal bag before sealing.
- After thawing, bringing to room temperature, seasoning, and preheating the sous vide; you're ready to start cooking.
Cook It
- Make sure the water bath has fully reached the desired temperature for cooking before adding in the steak.
- Place the packaged steak in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended amount of time, based on your desired degree of doneness.
- Rare: 45 minutes (1-inch steak) and 1–2½ hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium-Rare: 45 minutes (1-inch steak) and 1–4 hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium: 45 minutes (1-inch steak) and 1–4 hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium-Well: 45 minutes (1-inch steak) and 1–3 hours (1½ inch steak)
- Once your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the sous vide and take them out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your steaks on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sear until the steaks reach the final desired internal temperature, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low heat used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
- We recommend adding an additional savory flavor by topping your ribeye steak with with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter (even if you added butter during the sous vide).
Air fryer Ribeye steak is becoming one of the most popular ways to cook your Ribeye steak. It is a fast and easy method to use, especially if you don’t have a grill or can’t cook on it, due to bad weather or seasonal use.
Here’s how to cook Ribeye steak in an air fryer:
- Preheat your air fryer. Set temperature to 400°F. Allow your air fryer to preheat for approximately 2–3 minutes.
- Place your steak in the center of the air flyer and begin frying. We recommend using the grill rack option if available.
- Flip your steak halfway through your cooking time, listed in the Cooking Times Chart below.
- Remove the steak from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful. To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the steak.
- Prior to serving, apply Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter for an additional flavor-filled experience.
There is something special about the boost of flavor you receive from smoked Ribeye steak. Smoking time varies greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, etc. It is best to use a meat thermometer and base doneness off internal temperature.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 225°F.
- Place your well-seasoned steak onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 10°F below the desired internal doneness temperature (see recommendations, on our Measuring Doneness Chart below.)
- You can check for smoking doneness by internal temperature. Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Remove the steaks from the smoker and preheat a skillet over high heat (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). Once hot, lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Place the steaks in the skillet and sear them for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach approximately 5°F less than your final desired internal temperature.
- Remove steaks from the skillet and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the final degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
- Prior to serving, expand upon the delicious taste by topping with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butters for full flavor.
Cooking Times for Boneless Ribeye Steak
A tasty Boneless Ribeye steak can be prepared with any of the methods above, providing the perfect meal to enjoy. To achieve perfect doneness to your desired taste, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.