Grilling a delicious, juicy steak can be done inside or outside — find directions for both below!
Best Grilled Steak Recipe
There isn’t anything quite like a really well grilled steak, am I right? Whether you choose to grill your steak outside on a gas grill or inside on a grill pan on the stovetop (you’ll find directions for both methods here!), a juicy, perfectly grilled steak is hard to beat. One of my favorite things about this recipe (and something that my husband has actually always been super passionate about) is the fact that a steak doesn’t need much in the way of fancy seasoning to be really delicious. All you really need is a high quality steak and salt!
How to pick the best steak for grilled steak recipes?
Pictured here are 2 *almost* 1-inch-thick ribeye steaks. Regardless of the steaks that you buy, though, we do recommend that they’re at least ¾-inch thick.
Ingredients for Grilled Steak
The ingredients are so simple — here’s what you’ll need:
- Steak – to start, you will, of course, need steak! We used 2, 1-inch-thick ribeye steaks for this recipe, but feel free to grab any steak you love — just be sure that it’s at least ¾ of an inch thick.
- Salt – to simply season your steaks, you’ll need 1 teaspoon of coarse or flaky salt. If you have the time, I HIGHLY recommend dry brining your steak ahead of time (it takes about 30 minutes and is so worth it) — if you do decide to go this route, know that you don’t need to add any extra salt to your steaks before putting them on the grill.
- Avocado Oil (or Ghee) – 1 tablespoon of avocado oil (or ghee, if you’re cooking inside) guarantees that the steaks won’t stick to the grill grates (or grill pan!) The reason we’re using avocado oil (vs. olive oil) here is because of its high smoke point.
Do you need to marinate steak?
No, you don’t. The beef is so flavorful on its own and the char from the grill provides another layer of flavor, so salt and cracked black pepper are all you really need.
How To Make a Perfect Grilled Steak
Regardless of whether you’re grilling on a gas grill or a grill pan on the stovetop, a juicy, delicious steak *is* possible. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
How to Grill a Steak on a Gas Grill
- Preheat the grill + let the steak come to room temperature – before you do anything else, pull your steaks out of the fridge, set them on a plate, and let them come to room temperature. This is the time when you’d go ahead and dry brine your steaks if you’re going that route. While your steaks are sitting out, preheat the grill so that it’s got a solid amount of time to get to temperature also.
- Season the steaks – if you didn’t dry brine your steaks, go ahead and simply season them before putting them on the grill. Then, drizzle the steaks with avocado oil.
- Grill the steaks – once your grill is nice and hot and your steaks are oiled and at room temperature, place them on the grill to sear for 3-4 minutes. Then, flip the steaks, close the lid and let them finish cooking for anywhere from 4-10 more minutes (the exact time will depend on how well-done you like your steaks — use a thermometer to determine doneness!)
- Let the steaks rest, then serve and enjoy – let your steaks rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into them, then serve them next to your favorite sides and enjoy!
How to Grill a Steak on a Grill Pan
- Let the steak come to room temperature + preheat the oven – before you do anything else, pull your steaks out of the fridge, set them on a plate, and let them come to room temperature. This is the time when you’d go ahead and dry brine your steaks if you’re going that route. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 375°F so that it’s ready to go once your steaks are seared.
- Season the steaks + preheat the grill pan – if you didn’t dry brine your steaks, go ahead and simply season them before cooking them. Then, preheat your grill pan over high heat on the stovetop.
- Add the ghee + grill the steaks – once the grill pan is nice and hot, add a tablespoon of ghee, let it melt, and place the steaks on the pan to sear for about 3 minutes. Then, flip the steaks, add them to the preheated oven, and let them finish cooking for anywhere from 4-10 more minutes (the exact time will depend on how well-done you like your steaks — use a thermometer to determine doneness!)
- Let the steaks rest, then serve and enjoy – let your steaks rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into them, then serve them next to your favorite sides and enjoy!
Grilled Steak Tips and Tricks
Whether this is your first grill attempt or not, here are a few steak grilling tips and tricks to keep top of mind:
- Don’t overcook it – this is a BIG one! There are so many levels of doneness that can be achieved when grilling steak (more on that below), but a general rule of thumb — no matter how well done you like your steak — is to steer clear of overcooking it. The best way to avoid this is to invest in a meat thermometer — they’re relatively inexpensive and so handy.
- Make sure the grill (or your grill pan) is properly pre-heated – the first thing that we want to happen when placing a steak on the grill is for the outside to get a nice punch of heat. This will help to create a delicious crust on the steaks and really build flavor. The only way to do this, though, is to make sure that your grill (or your grill pan) is properly preheated, so be sure to give it some time to come to temperature.
- Put the lid of the grill down to create an oven effect – after that initial sear, the steak needs to cook through. This is best achieved with a closed grill lid (creating an oven effect). If you’re grilling your steak on a pan on the stovetop, you’ll actually transfer it to the oven for the same reason.
- Use a dry brine – while this isn’t totally necessary, I do *highly* recommend dry brining your steak ahead of time. Dry brining results in a juicer, more flavorful, and more tender cooked steak.
- Let the steak come to room temperature – letting your steak come to room temperature allows it to cook more evenly once it’s on the grill. If you don’t let your steak come to room temperature, the inside of your steak will be cooler than the outside of the steak, causing the cooking to be uneven.
What level of doneness is best for this grilled steak recipe?
I, personally, love my steaks cooked medium (think: pink on the inside), while my husband LOVES his steaks cooked as rare as possible (think: red on the inside). The point is, it’s totally a personal preference! Here’s a good go-by temperature chart (again, having a meat thermometer is key to great grilling) to keep as a reference:
- Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 145°F
- Well-Done: 160°F
Recommended Side Dishes for Grilled Steak
My go-to steak side dishes are some kind of potatoes — oven baked potatoes, potato wedges, creamy mashed potatoes, and rosemary hasselback potatoes are all great options — and oven-roasted green beans. Every single time we have steak at home, those are the sides I prepare. They’re just so good and feel so, so right! If you’re not a steak, potato, and green bean person like I am, though, ANY starchy side + ANY simple veggie side will go great with steak!Â
How to store grilled steak?
A really high-quality steak is best enjoyed right off the grill (or really, after letting it rest for about 10 minutes), but if you have leftovers, feel free to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long does grilled steak keep?
Stored in a container in the fridge, your steak will last for 4-5 days.
How to reheat this grilled steak?
Get creative when it comes to your leftover steak! Rather than enjoying it as a steak next to a couple of sides (it’s best enjoyed on day 1 like this), chop it up and toss it into a saute pan with rice, a can of beans, and some veggies, make a steak fried rice with it, or toss into an egg scramble for breakfast (my personal favorite application for leftover steak.)
Perfect Grilled Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye or New York strip steaks 3/4-1 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon coarse or flaky salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
On the grill:
- Preheat the grill, and pull your steaks out of the fridge to let them come to room temperature.
- Once they’re at room temperature, season the steaks with the salt and drizzle them with the avocado oil.
- Once the grill is hot, place the steaks on the grill grates to sear for 3-4 minutes. Then, flip the steaks, close the grill lid, and let them finish cooking for 4-10 more minutes (the exact time will depend on how well done you like your steaks).
- Remove the steaks from the grill once they’ve reached your desired internal temperature. Let them rest for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
On a grill pan:
- Pull your steaks out of the fridge to let them come to room temperature, and preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Once they’re at room temperature, season the steaks with the salt.
- Add the grill pan to the stovetop over high heat, letting it get nice and hot before putting the steaks on the pan (about 3 minutes).
- Add the ghee to the hot pan, let it melt, and then place the steaks on the pan to sear for 3 minutes. Then, flip the steaks, and transfer the pan to the oven to let them finish cooking for 4-10 more minutes (the exact time will depend on how well done you like your steaks).
- Remove the steaks from the oven once they’ve reached your desired internal temperature. Let them rest for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 145°F
- Well-Done: 160°F
Nutrition
