• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Trending Now: Simple One Pan Meals!
  • About
  • Lifestyle
  • Favorite Products
  • Contact

Mad About Food

Easy Healthy Whole Food Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Snack
    • Cocktails
    • Sauces, Dips, and Dressings
  • Protein
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Turkey
    • Meatless
  • Method
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Grilling
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • One Pan Meal
  • Dietary
    • Gluten Free
    • Dairy Free
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Egg Free
    • Nut Free

Trending:

30 Minute Meals

Instant Pot

Air Fryer

One Pan

Meal Prep

Breakfast

Sauces, Dips and Dressings

Home Blog Recipes

Perfectly Grilled Steak

print comments
Share
Share on:
Jump to Recipe
By: MadelinePosted: 07/18/2020Updated: 04/01/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Use this method to make a Perfectly Grilled Steak every single time. Find out which cuts of meat to grill, how to season your steak and your desired internal temperature for a cooked steak.

How do I select the best steak for grilling?

If I want a basic grilled steak that is juicy and flavorful, I select either a New York Strip steak or a Ribeye steak. These cuts have higher fat content than other cuts. This means they will be more tender and have a richer flavor even without marinating.

Some people prefer bone in steaks, but I personally choose boneless steaks. If you are grilling the steaks, opt for a steak that is at least 1 inch thick. Any thinner and it will be difficult to control the temperature on the grill.

How should I season my perfectly grilled steak?

I keep it simple when I season my grilled steaks and I just use salt and pepper. I always choose freshly ground pepper and coarse sea salt instead of finely ground seasonings. A good rule of thumb for seasoning your steak is to use at least 1 tsp of salt per pound of steak.

How hot should my grill be prior to putting my steaks on the grill?

What internal temperature should my grilled steak be?

Internal temperature is the most precise predictor of steak done-ness. Many people swear by the finger test for steak, but I am a numbers person so I prefer to use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.

Use the chart below to check the internal temperature for different levels of steak cooking. There are a range of temperatures for each level so you will need to play around with your steak to see what temperature you like best.

How do I use an instant-read thermometer?

I use a Thermopop instant-read thermometer when checking my steak temperature. I insert the thermometer all the way through the steak on the grill and then slowly pull the thermometer up through the steak as the temperature drops. You are looking for the lowest temperature that the thermometer reads.

The lowest temperature should be the thickest part of the steak. For example, if you want a medium-rare steak, you will want the thickest part of the steak to read between 130F and 139F. Use the thermometer when the steak is on the grill and then transfer the steak to a plate or cutting board to rest.

You might not know how you like your steak cooked, so I recommend trying out a few different temperatures until you know what you like best. As you can see in the image below, the two steaks are both rare to medium-rare. I ended up preferring the steak that was cooked to 132F so now I aim for that temperature.

How do I grill the perfect steak?

Step 1: Bring steak to room temperature, season steak and preheat grill

To begin, about 30 minutes prior to grilling, remove steak from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Then, ten minutes prior to grilling, preheat your grill to high heat. I turn on all burners to get my grill as hot as possible.

Next, five minutes prior to grilling, pat the steak dry with a paper towel and brush the top and bottom with a very light coating of oil, season liberally with salt and pepper. For seasoning, a good rule of thumb is to use at least 1 tsp of salt per lb of steak.

Step 2: Grill steak

Once the grill is very hot, between 450-500F, place the steak on the grill. Then, sear the steak on both sides for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Some thinner steaks may be fully cooked after those 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature with a thermometer (120-129F rare, 130-139F med-rare, 140-149 medium, 150-159 med well, 160+ well).

If steak is not yet cooked to your desired temperature, reduce the heat of two grill burners to as low as they go, but keep two burners on high and move the steak to the low heat. Then, keep the steak on the low heat in a closed grill until the steak reaches your desired internal temperature (120-129F rare, 130-139F med-rare, 140-149 medium, 150-159 med well, 160+ well).

Step 3: Rest steak and slice

Finally, remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 10 minutes prior to slicing – this is a very important step. Slice your steak and enjoy!

Step 4: Enjoy!

How long will this grilled steak keep in the fridge?

Once prepared, allow the steak to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Recipe

Perfectly Grilled Steak

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Use this method to cook a perfect steak on the grill

Recipe By: Madeline
Prep: 30 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 45 minutes
Print Pin it Rate recipe Save recipe
Servings: 1 serving 1x

Ingredients

  • 1 New York Strip or Ribeye Steak that is at least 1 inch thick (8–10 oz)
  • 1 tsp oil or melted butter
  • Coarse ground pepper and coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. About 30 minutes prior to grilling, remove steak from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature
  2. Ten minutes prior to grilling, preheat your grill to high heat –  I turn on all burners to get my grill as hot as possible
  3. Five minutes prior to grilling, pat the steak dry with a paper towel and brush the top and bottom with a very light coating of oil, season liberally with salt and pepper – a good rule of thumb is to use at least 1 tsp of salt per lb of steak
  4. Once the grill is very hot, between 450-500F, place the steak on the grill
  5. Sear the steak on both sides for 2 minutes and 30 seconds 
  6. Some thinner steaks may be fully cooked after those 5 minutes so check the internal temperature with a thermometer (120-129F rare, 130-139F med-rare, 140-149 medium, 150-159 med well, 160+ well)
  7. If steak is not yet cooked to your desired temp, reduce the heat of two grill burners to as low as they go, but keep two burners on high and move the steak to the low heat
  8. Keep the steak on the low heat in a closed grill until the steak reaches your desired internal temperature (120-129F rare, 130-139F med-rare, 140-149 medium, 150-159 med well, 160+ well)
  9. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 10 minutes prior to slicing – this is a very important step
  10. Slice your steak and enjoy!
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Did you make my

Perfectly Grilled Steak?

Rate recipe Share on Insta Save recipe

I appreciate your reviews SO much! Mention @mad_about_food and hashtag your photo with #madaboutfood

  • Facebook
  • Email

Related Recipes

  • Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
  • Sheet Pan Steak Dinner
  • Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
  • 8 Easy Summer Grilling Recipes
Previous Post
Easy Kale Pesto
Next Post
Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad

About Madeline

Hi, I'm Madeline! I am so excited to share my healthy and approachable recipes with you. Here you will find simple, comforting recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and let's get cooking!

Learn More

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Abigail Lyon says

    Posted on 1/17 at 4:18 pm

    Just passing along a note to say I made it my New Year’s resolution to learn how the grill a great steak. I love steak but never could quite get it right at home and never found time to practice. Well, I always drool over the steaks you post and I thought, this is the year. I made ribeye steaks tonight following your instructions and it was the best damn steak I’ve ever made. Thank you for the inspiration and guidance!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/17 at 4:32 pm

      Aww, this makes me so happy to read! Thanks, Abigail!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Hi, I'm Madeline! I am so excited to share my healthy and approachable recipes with you. Here you will find simple, comforting recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and let's get cooking!

Read More

Popular Posts

Whole30 BLT Chicken Salad

Blueberry Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

Ground Beef Baked Tacos

No Bread Turkey Club

Grab my

Top 5 Tips for Simplifying Meal Time!

Sign me up!

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Join me and 145k friends on instagram

"This is my third time making this recipe and it’s a fave for meal prepping! So delicious, quick and easy ☺️" - Jessica

Get Recipe

"This was so simple and delicious!! Worked late and still quickly put together a great meal." - Dana

Get Recipe

"So good! Not only was this incredibly easy to make, the flavor was perfect. I will definitely make this again and again!" - Mandy

Get Recipe
@mad_about_food
Back to Top

Courses

Dinners

Breakfasts

Desserts

Dips & Sauces

Popular

Instant Pot

Air Fryer

Meal Prep

Chicken Recipes

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
© 2023 Mad About Food
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled