Cooking steak in cast iron is a game-changer for thick and juicy steak. Our cast iron steak recipe uses ribeye steak that is seasoned with a little homemade steak seasoning and then seared and cooked in a hot cast iron skillet in garlic butter and herbs.
Hello, steak lovers! If you aren’t cooking your steaks in a cast iron skillet, you’re missing out! This method leaves you with a thick, brown crust and juicy tender meat on the inside.
Plus, we recommend cooking your steak in a herbed butter that is oh-so easy to make and adds so much depth to your steak.
We love using a ribeye steak — a thicker cut of beef with a bit of marbling because a little extra fat adds so much to the flavor. Our second choice in beef for this recipe would be NY strip!
If you’re wondering what other kinds of steak you can use for this method, check out some we recommend below.
- Ribeye steak
- New York Strip
- Sirloin steak
- Flank (check out our Grilled Flank Steak recipe)
- Skirt steak
- T-bone steaks
- Tri-tip steak
- Filets mignons
- Porterhouse
- Don’t sear a cold steak: be sure to remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 20-30 minutes before searing the steak to bring it to room temperature.
- Don’t overcook: when in doubt, keep an eye on the internal temperature of your steak. We like to keep a meat thermometer on hand at all times while searing a steak to make sure we can sear it to the perfect temp
- Let Rest: always let your steak rest once you’re done grilling so that it can continue cooking 5ºF more. Letting your meat rest also helps make your steak super juicy.
Everyone is different when it comes to how they like their steak. We are big fans of a medium-rare steak, but check the internal temperature of your steak when it’s almost done.
Remember, as your steak rests after it’s done cooking, the internal temperature will continue to raise around 5ºF.
Try it!
Thermoworks Thermapen
We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.
Why Butter vs. Oil?
We tested this recipe with both butter and oil and butter won our hearts over and over again. The flavor is so much better than oil, plus the butter browns and you know how we feel about browned butter.
Serve Your Cast Iron Skillet Steak with…
PS: we love using the leftover steak in this recipe for our steak salad!
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Add all of the ingredients for the steak seasoning into a jar or small bowl and mix.
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Season both sides of the steaks with 1 tablespoon of steak seasoning. Massage the seasoning into the steaks and be sure they are completely coated. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
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While the steak is resting, add the butter, thyme, and garlic to a bowl and mix with a fork or spoon until combined. Set aside.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat and allow the skillet to become extremely hot, for about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
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Once hot, sear the steak for 3 minutes. Flip the steak and then immediately place half of the butter mixture in the skillet. The butter should melt immediately. Carefully begin spooning the melted butter over the steak as it sears for 3-5 more minutes, depending on the desired doneness of the steak.
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Remove the steak and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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Wipe the cast iron skillet out and repeat steps 1-5 for the second steak.
- Ribeye thickness: our steak was around 1 – 1.5 inches thick. If you use a thicker or thinner steak, you will need to adjust timing.
- We highly recommend using freshly cracked black pepper for this recipe. You can crack it in a pepper grinder or a mortar and pestle.
- You can replace the ribeye with a New York Strip.
- Make sure not to sear a cold steak. Bringing it to room temperature is essential.
- Internal Steak TemperaturesÂ
- 135ºF – rare
- 140ºF – medium rare
- 150ºF – medium
- 165ºF – well-done
Calories: 415 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 23 g, Fat: 35 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
