If you think you need a grill to cook the perfect steak, think again. Cooking a beautiful
steak dinner on your stovetop is not only easy to do, but delivers ridiculously delicious results. We get it—it can be daunting if you’ve never attempted it before. But, with our top tips and step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to serving a steakhouse-worthy mainto impress at your Valentine’s Day dinner or fancy dinner party. Here’s everything you need to know:
How to cook perfect steak on the stovetop:
— Use a THICK cut of steak. You want something at least 1 inch—1 ½ is even better! The Delish test kitchen prefers boneless ribeye steak because of all the marbled fat, but New York strip steak is another great option. If you want to do something thinner like a flank or skirt steak, you’ll need to reduce the amount of time per side to avoid overcooking. Depending on thickness, it could be as quick as 2 or 3 minutes per side!
— Take them out from the fridge ahead of time and dry them off. I know it sounds weird, but for a really good crust sear, you want your steak’s surface dry as hell: surface moisture is the enemy of crunch! Just pat the steaks with paper towels before you add them to the pan and you are good to go.
— Let it rest before. Season the steak with salt let it rest (uncovered) in the fridge for around 45 minutes before cooking. It’s the best way to draw out even more moisture from the raw steak, and as an added bonus, the interior meat will be much more flavorful.
— Get the pan hot. Only when the oil is shimmering and just about to smoke are you allowed to add the steak. Putting the steak in the pan before it’s screaming hot will lead to overcooking and, you guessed it, a tough steak.
— Let it rest. You’ve heard it a thousand times before, but it is always worth repeating. Before you cut into that beautiful hunk of meat, let it hang out for at least 10 minutes. You don’t want to lose all of those amazing juices!
How long do I cook pan-fry steak?
This all depends on the cut of your steak, and your desired temp. For thicker cuts—like the ribeye used here—our steak was done after 7 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other. But, the best way to tell when your steak is done is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Here’s our temperature guide.
— Medium-rare. 130°-135°
— Medium. 135°-145°,
— Medium-well. 145-155°
Serving ideas for steak:
This steak goes perfectly with any of our favorite side dishes for steak, including garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, melting potatoes, and a classic garlic-herb wedge salad. Looking to really up your steak game? Tuscan butter, red wine butter, or cowboy butter would all be welcome additions here.
Have you made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
If you think you need a grill to cook the perfect steak, think again. Cooking a beautiful
steak dinner on your stovetop is not only easy to do, but delivers ridiculously delicious results. We get it—it can be daunting if you’ve never attempted it before. But, with our top tips and step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to serving a steakhouse-worthy mainto impress at your Valentine’s Day dinner or fancy dinner party. Here’s everything you need to know:
How to cook perfect steak on the stovetop:
— Use a THICK cut of steak. You want something at least 1 inch—1 ½ is even better! The Delish test kitchen prefers boneless ribeye steak because of all the marbled fat, but New York strip steak is another great option. If you want to do something thinner like a flank or skirt steak, you’ll need to reduce the amount of time per side to avoid overcooking. Depending on thickness, it could be as quick as 2 or 3 minutes per side!
— Take them out from the fridge ahead of time and dry them off. I know it sounds weird, but for a really good crust sear, you want your steak’s surface dry as hell: surface moisture is the enemy of crunch! Just pat the steaks with paper towels before you add them to the pan and you are good to go.
— Let it rest before. Season the steak with salt let it rest (uncovered) in the fridge for around 45 minutes before cooking. It’s the best way to draw out even more moisture from the raw steak, and as an added bonus, the interior meat will be much more flavorful.
— Get the pan hot. Only when the oil is shimmering and just about to smoke are you allowed to add the steak. Putting the steak in the pan before it’s screaming hot will lead to overcooking and, you guessed it, a tough steak.
— Let it rest. You’ve heard it a thousand times before, but it is always worth repeating. Before you cut into that beautiful hunk of meat, let it hang out for at least 10 minutes. You don’t want to lose all of those amazing juices!
How long do I cook pan-fry steak?
This all depends on the cut of your steak, and your desired temp. For thicker cuts—like the ribeye used here—our steak was done after 7 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other. But, the best way to tell when your steak is done is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Here’s our temperature guide.
— Medium-rare. 130°-135°
— Medium. 135°-145°,
— Medium-well. 145-155°
Serving ideas for steak:
This steak goes perfectly with any of our favorite side dishes for steak, including garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, melting potatoes, and a classic garlic-herb wedge salad. Looking to really up your steak game? Tuscan butter, red wine butter, or cowboy butter would all be welcome additions here.
Have you made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
- Yields:
-
1
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 45 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 5 mins
Directions
-
- Step 1
Salt steak and rest for 45 minutes.
- Step 2In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season steak with pepper on both sides. When oil is just about to smoke, add steak. Cook 7 minutes, then flip and add butter. Baste with butter and cook another 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°, for medium.
- Step 3Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
- Step 1
