How Long To Grill A Steak
According to the USDA, beef should have a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F. However, steak is commonly cooked anywhere from 125 degrees F to 160 degrees F, depending on personal preference.
Of course, how well done you want your steak to be is going to affect your cooking time, so we recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Here are some general steak cooking times, based on an internal temperature of 145 degrees F:
Related: Grilling Times For Beef
Common Grilling Steak Times
So, how long do you cook steak on the grill? That answer largely depends on the thickness of the meat youre cooking. You can cook thin or thick cuts on the grill just fine, but youll definitely want to alter your times to cook your desired cuts to the right doneness, which, again, is a matter of preference.
One good tip to keep in mind is to use a meat thermometer for thick cuts of steak and a timer for thin ones. A steak thats ¾ of an inch thick or less may be difficult to get an accurate temperature reading from, so a timer can help. But a meat thermometer can give you a more precise idea of the doneness of your steak to make sure its right.
For a medium-rare doneness, you typically will need to grill your steak between 4 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. For medium cooks, shoot for closer to 5 to 8 minutes on each side. Its always best, though, to start with the lower grilling steak time and check with your finger to see if it might need a bit more time, instead of allowing it to cook for a couple of extra minutes. You can always cook it a bit longer if required, but you cant get back tenderness you lose from overcooking.
When you touch the center of your steaks, a medium rare cook will spring back slightly, yet still feel squishy. A medium cook will be more springy than squishy. If all else fails, you can always cut a small slit in the center of your steak to check its color, but this should only be used as a last resort.
How To Make My Steak Juicy And Tender
You May Like: Canada Steak Burger Chula Vista
Time To Grill A Steak At A Normal Temperature
In general, how long do you cook a steak on the barbecue? The thickness of the steak youre grilling has a significant impact on the response. One can grill thick and thin slices on the barbeque fine and dandy, but youll need to alter your cooking times to get your perfect pieces to the correct doneness, which, once again, requires inclination.
Choose a meat thermometer for dense pieces of steak and a clock for skinny ones, as this is a fantastic tip to remember. A slice of meat that seems to be ¾ inches thick or even less can be hard to acquire a precise temperature measurement from, so a clock might come in handy.
On the other hand, a meat thermometer may give you more accurate knowledge of the crispiness of your steak so you can ensure its perfect. Depending on thickness, you should barbecue your steak for four to eight minutes per side for a medium-rare finish. Cook for five to eight minutes on every side for moderate cooked.
However, its always preferable, to begin with, the shorter barbecuing steak band, then verify with your finger to see if it requires a little more time, rather than permitting it to cook for another two or three minutes. You can generally cook it a little longer if necessary, but you wont have the delicacy back if you overcook it.
Does Marination Affect Grilling Duration
Chefs usually recommend marination to soften the meat and make the fibers juicier. While discussing grilling duration, marination plays an essential role in determining the time taken to grill steak. Many culinary experts have found that only salt is the major ingredient absorbed, whereas the rest only enhance the crusts flavor. For the preparation, you can choose:
You May Like: Frozen Steaks Delivered
What’s The Best Cut For Grilling
While personal preference is certainly a big factor when choosing the right cut, steaks with significant fat marbling are always going to be preferable for grilling because when it comes to steak, fat equals flavor.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the thickness of the steak. Thicker steaks about 1 ½ to 2 inches are the best choice for beginners because they’re harder to overcook. Thick, well-marbled cuts recommended for grilling include ribeye, strip , and filet mignon .
Cheaper cuts like skirt and hanger steaks are also good for grilling, but there’s more room for error with these, as they are thinner cuts. For best results, marinate overnight and use a meat tenderizer to break down the muscle fibers.
Related:8 Different Types of Steak and How to Cook Them
How To Select The Right Temperature For Sous Vide Steak
The doneness of a steak is by and large determined by the maximum internal temperature it reaches during cooking. For instance, so long as a strip steak does not rise above 130°F , it will never cook beyond medium-rare. With traditional cooking methods, there is a very short window of time during which your meat is perfectly cooked. A minute too long will mean overcooked meat. With sous vide cooking, on the other hand, that window of time is stretched into hours, which means your steak will be hot and ready to go whenever you’re ready to sear and serve it.
Temperature can have a major impact on the juiciness and texture of a steak. Here, I’ve collected juices expelled by three nearly identical steaks cooked to different temperatures:
The one cooked to 160°F lost more than 10 times as much juice as the 120°F rare steak. Additionally, with the well-done steak, you can see a distinct layer of rendered fat floating on top of the juices. I recommend cooking steak in the rare-to-medium range, so that you minimize juice loss while also keeping those fats inside the steak where they belong, adding flavor and juiciness to each bite.
Here’s a rough breakdown of how steaks feel at different degrees of doneness.
Don’t Miss: Mcdonalds Steak Bagel Sauce Recipe
Salting Early Pays Off
You might have heard the warning that you shouldnt salt meat too far in advance of cooking because it can draw out moisture. Its true that salt draws moisture towards itself, but over the course of 20 to 30 minutes thats a good thing, because the salt begins to dissolve into that little bit of moisture.
When the steak hits the hot cooking grate, the sugars and proteins in the moisture combine with the salt and other seasonings to create a delicious crust. Any moisture you might lose is well worth the flavor of that crust.
Temps And Times For Sous Vide Tenderloin Steaks
Lean tenderloin is easily overcooked and, lacking intramuscular fat, will become dry. I cook my tenderloin steaks at several degrees Fahrenheit lower than fattier cuts, like ribeye or strip. I like my tenderloin in the very-rare-to-rare range, between 120°F and 128°F , for optimal tenderness and moistness.
The timings here are all given for steaks one and a half to two inches thick. For steaks one inch or less, initial cooking time can be shortened to 30 minutes. Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than two and a half hours at a time, for food-safety reasons.
Don’t Miss: Sam’s Club Philly Cheese Steak
How To Grill A Perfect Ribeye Steak On A Gas Grill
You cant beat the flavor of a ribeye. If youre not familiar with how to cook this cut of beef, its simple on a gas grill. Follow the steps below to cook the perfect ribeye at your next backyard barbecue.
Ribeye steaks are one of the most flavorful cuts of meat because of their marbling, or fat content. The more marbling, the higher the USDA grades the steak. Prime is the highest rating, followed by Choice and then Select. Our experts recommend buying ribeyes that 1.25 inches thick with marbling throughout. Anything much thicker or thinner could make cooking more difficult, and the fat enhances the flavor.
How To Cook Steak Well Done
Well done steak has gotten a bad rap, with some chefs even refusing to cook the meat to this doneness. It may seem well done would be the easiest to cook, but in actuality, it is the hardest as cooking until the meat is no longer pink and not drying it out is a challenge. The secret is to do it low and slowthe only way to prevent burning while fully cooking it through the middle.
This steak should not be burnt on the outside. While there is not the faintest hint of pink in the middle, it should be browned through, not burnt through. This steak will feel solid to the touch.
For a 1-inch steak, grill over medium heat between 10 and 12 minutes per side. It should reach an internal temperature of 170 F or higher.
You May Like: Steak Eze Sams
Cooking Times And Meat Doneness
Rare :
Cook each side 2 minutes, turn once only.
Touch Test: Very soft to touch.
Medium :
Cook 4-6 minutes each side. Turn once only.
Touch Test: Firm and springy.
Medium rare :
Cook each side approx. 3-4 minutes. Turn once only before pink beads of moisture appear on top surface of each side.
Touch Test: soft and springy.
Well done :
Cook 2-4 minutes on each side, then reduce heat and cook a further 4-6 minutes.
Touch Test: Very firm to touch.
How Do You Grill A Frozen Steak
Never grill a frozen steak. Frozen steak must be defrosted before cooking.
Grilling a steak while fully frozen is a health risk because bacteria can form while the steak lingers at low temperatures. Also, the surface of the steak is likely to burn while the inside is raw.
To defrost frozen steak, put it in a dish in the refrigerator. Most cuts will fully defrost overnight.
If you need to defrost frozen steak in a hurry, put it under cold running water.
Don’t Miss: Omaha Steaks Dry Ice Disposal
How To Grill A Perfect Steak
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY AFFILIATE NOTICE FOR DETAILS.
How to Grill a Perfect Steak is your go-to grilled steak guide! Every step is broken down to make the process of grilling steak easy and approachable!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY:This post is sponsored by Country Natural Beef, the opinions are my own.
Ideal Thickness For Sous Vide Steak
The thickness of a steak is not just about portion control. Without an adequately thick steak, it’s very difficult to get that perfect contrast between exterior and interior. Very thin steaks will tend to overcook before they can finish developing a nice crust, even over the hottest fire you can build. With sous vide in particular, using a thicker steak will help you maintain more of that perfectly cooked interior during the searing process.
I try to get steaks that are at least an inch and a half thick, if not a full two inches. This does mean that each steak ends up weighing between 12 ounces and a poundâthat’s big, even for someone with a healthy appetite for red meat. But remember this: It’s better to cook one large steak for every two people than to cook two smaller steaks. Learn how to share.
Recommended Reading: How Long Can Omaha Steaks Stay Frozen
How To Rest A Steak
A cooked steak should rest at room temperature for at least five minutes and ideally around half the cooking time it will stay warm for anything up to 10 minutes. Here, pure science comes into play the fibres of the meat will reabsorb the free-running juices, resulting in a moist and tender steak. Any resting juices should be poured over the steak before serving.
Is It Important To Let The Steaks Rest
Yes. The steak actually continues to cook during those few minutes. This continuation of cooking is great because it doesnt dry out the steak, as it would by simply leaving it on the grill longer. Cutting into the steak interrupts that last little period of cooking by releasing the heat inside the steak. Trust me, let it rest a few minutes and your steak will turn out perfect.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other delicious grilling recipes:
Also Check: Mcdonalds Steak Egg And Cheese Bagel Calories
How To Cook Ribeye Steak On The Grill
- Be sure your steak is completely thawed.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove your steak from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before cooking.
- Season steaks as desired we recommend Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
- 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 chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- 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 chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- For the perfect medium-rare ribeye steak, grill for 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 . The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is also 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.
What Temperature Do You Cook Steak On A Gas Grill
For a gas grill, the ideal temperature for cooking a steak ranges between 450°F to 500°F. The duration of the cooking time depends on the thickness of the steak. However, make sure to close the lid of the grill once you have added the meat to it. Open the lid after a few minutes, flip the meat, and then close the lid again.
Don’t Miss: Steak Of The Month Club Butchers Market
Why Sous Vide Your Steak Because It’s The Most Reliable Way To Get Perfectly Cooked Meat Every Single Time This Guide Covers Everything You Need To Know From Temperature Guidelines To Faqs To Searing And Serving Tips
Steak is one of the most popular foods for first-time sous vide enthusiasts to cook, and with good reason. Cooking steak the traditional way, in a cast iron skillet or on the grill, leaves lots of room for error, and an over- or undercooked steak is a big mistake to make when there’s a prime-grade dry-aged ribeye on the line. Sous vide cooking takes all of the guesswork out of the process, delivering steaks that are cooked to precisely the temperature you like each and every time. Not only that, because sous vide is such a gentle cooking process, you’ll be able to achieve steaks that are more evenly cooked from edge to edge than what you’ll find in even the best steakhouses in the world.
That’s right: Sous vide cooking allows you to cook better than the best steakhouse. We recently reviewed the best immersion circulators on the market, so you can pick one up to use at home right now.
Of course, this information should prove useful to anyone who owns a functional sous vide device, or even someone hacking it with a home rig or a plain old beer cooler.
With traditional high-heat cooking methods, hitting that perfect medium-rare sweet spot is about as tough as bull’s-eye-ing a womp rat in a T-16. A moment too short or too long on the fire, and your steak will come out under- or overcooked. Sous vide precision cooking methods solve that issue completely.
How To Use A Meat Thermometer
Since the best way to determine when a steak is done is by checking the internal temperature of the meat, using an instant-read thermometer is key. To test for the correct temperature, stick the thermometer probe in the thickest part, away from fat, bone, or gristle. It’s important to keep in mind that the meat will continue cooking with residual heat even after it’s removed from the grill, by about 5 degrees. So if you’re going for a final internal temperature of 160 F, remove the steak from the heat at about 155 F, give or take.
Don’t Miss: Omaha Steaks Delivery Tracking
