Pan-seared ribeye makes a perfect home-cooked meal for two. Ribeye steaks are seasoned and pan seared in a cast iron skillet, then finished with a rich and flavorful garlic herb butter.
Looking for a special meal for two? Whether for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or just because - a home-cooked steak is always a great choice.
Never made steak at home before? It's easier than you think. All you'll need is a cast iron or stainless steel pan, a high smoke point oil, and a meat thermometer to get started.
To bring your steaks to the next level, try finishing them with garlic herb butter. All you'll need is butter, thyme, and a few smashed cloves of garlic. This extra step adds just a hint of flavor to your steaks without overpowering them. It's a must try!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ribeye - You'll need two boneless ribeye steaks, about 1 inch thick, for this recipe. Thicker steaks need longer to cook through and would need to finish in the oven. For stove top steaks, I recommend about 1-inch thickness.
- Salt and pepper - Adds mild, savory flavor and enhances the flavor of the steak.
- Oil - Choose an oil with a high smoke point, which is ideal for searing steaks at a high temperature. Any oil with a smoke point over 400 degrees Fahrenheit will work, like avocado oil, ghee, or peanut oil.
- Garlic cloves - Adds flavor to your finished steak.
- Butter - Adds flavor to your finished steak.
- Thyme - Optional, but adds a nice flavor to the garlic butter for finishing your steaks. This can be substituted with rosemary if desired.
Tips and tricks
Best pan for searing steaks - For this recipe, you'll need a cast-iron pan or stainless steel pan. You'll need a pan that can withstand high heat, which is best for getting a nice sear on your steaks.
Use oil with a high smoke point - Oil with a high smoke point means that your oil can withstand higher temperatures without smoking/burning. I recommend avocado oil, peanut oil, ghee, or any oil with a smoke point over 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. Here's a great article showing the smoke points of many popular oils: Cooking Oils and Smoke Points: What to Know and How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil
Steak sticking to the pan? - If your steak is sticking to the pan, allow it to cook longer until it releases easily from the pan. This may happen if your pan is not hot enough and your steak needs more time to sear. A properly seared steak will not stick to the pan.
Garlic herb butter - Once you've flipped your steak, find an empty space in the pan to add your butter, smashed garlic cloves, and thyme. Allow to cook for a minute, then begin spooning the butter over your steaks until they're seared on the second side.
Steak temperature
The best way to tell when your steak is done is to use an instant-read thermometer and remove your steak 5 degrees before your desired doneness below. The steak temperature will continue to rise as it rests, which is why it should be removed from the pan 5 degrees early.
- Rare: 125 ℉
- Medium-rare: 135 ℉
- Medium: 145 ℉
- Medium-well: 150 ℉
- Well done: 160 ℉
Not sure what type of steak you like? Check out this chart for a visual aid: Certified Angus Beef - Degree of Doneness
Frequently asked questions
I do not recommend non-stick pans because they can become damaged when sitting on high heat for long periods of time. I recommend cast iron or stainless steel for best results. If you only have non-stick or enamel pans available, opt for a lower heat setting and don't let the pan sit over high heat with nothing in it.
While I normally use olive oil and butter in my everyday cooking, I don't recommend it for this recipe. You must use an oil with a high smoke point to ensure it doesn't smoke or burn while your steak cooks over high heat.
The time it takes depends on the thickness and temperature of your steak, the heat of your stovetop, and the type of pan used. I don't suggest relying on time alone to cook your steak. I highly recommend investing in a meat thermometer to check on the doneness of your steak while it cooks. This ensures your steak turns out exactly as intended every time.
I like to serve ribeye with some creamy mashed potatoes or baked potatoes and a garden salad. Green beans and onions also make a great steak side dish.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Pan-Seared Ribeye
Ingredients
- 2 boneless ribeye steaks, 1 inch thick
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Remove steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
- Place cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, season both sides of steaks generously with salt and pepper, gently pressing seasoning into the steaks.
- Once pan is hot, add oil. When hot and rippling, add steaks to pan, making sure they do not touch each other.
- Set a timer and sear first side for 2 minutes and 30 seconds (for a 1 inch steak at medium doneness. See table below for temperatures). Flip steak and set timer for 2 minutes and 30 seconds for second side.
- After flipping your steak, add butter, smashed garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs to pan. Once melted, spoon butter over steaks while second side cooks.
- Steak cooking times vary based on thickness, size, and shape. For best success, I recommend using a meat thermometer. Remove your steak from the pan when its temperature reaches 5 degrees below your desired doneness. The steak will continue to increase in temperature while it rests.
- Rare: 125 ℉Medium-rare: 135 ℉Medium: 145 ℉Medium-well: 150 ℉Well done: 160 ℉
- Once steak is cooked to your desired temperature, remove steaks immediately from pan and transfer to a plate. Rest steaks by covering loosely with foil for five minutes. At this point the garlic and thyme can be discarded from the pan.
- Optionally, drizzle extra garlic herb butter over steaks before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- I highly recommend using a meat thermometer if you are not familiar or comfortable with pan-searing steaks. Due to the variance in thickness, temperatures of the stove top, size, and shape of your steaks, the cooking times may vary.
- Here is a great resource to visualize the degrees of doneness for your steak: Degree of Doneness - Certified Angus Beef
- Use an oil with a high smoke point for pan-searing steaks. I recommend avocado oil, peanut oil, ghee, or vegetable oil. I do not recommend butter or olive oil.
I followed and my steak was raw? I even did it for 3.5 min on each side?
Hi LP, how thick was your steak? Was it still cold or frozen when you started? Did you use a meat thermometer to test for doneness?
I’ve made this many times— delish!— but tonight I have bone-in ribeyes. Is this adjustable?
Yes, this recipe will work for a bone-in ribeye as well. It will take slightly longer to cook, and depending on the thickness, may need to be finished in the oven.
If finishing in the oven - We usually finish thick steaks in a 400 degree F oven for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the steak is. I'd recommend using an oven-safe meat thermometer with probe so you can take it out as soon as it reaches your ideal temperature.
I made this tonight. Yummy!!
Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and the steaks were perfect. And, I also learned a lot about how to pan sear a steak & the kind of oil to use & to heat the pan first. Wonderful recipe for rib eye steaks. Thank you for all of the detail, I really appreciate that.
This was amazing!!! I learnt alot. Thank you from Alberta, Canada. 🙂