Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

How to master the perfect ribeye steak: Tips, tricks (and a delicious recipe)

This steak is a breeze to make at home when you know what to do

By

ribeye steak raw
If you love a good steak, chances are you have a favorite cut. For those who like things a little lighter, a good filet is always lovely. The versatility of cuts like flank and skirt steak are a resourceful cook’s dream. If it’s a warm and cuddly, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal you’re in the mood for, beautifully braised short ribs are always a comfort. The list goes on, and, yes, can be a bit daunting. The world of meat cuts is a complex one, and you aren’t alone if you’ve stood in front of the butcher counter, befuddled and overwhelmed. So we’ll make it simple for you. If it’s a lusciously meaty, gorgeously marbled, rich and tender, melt-in-your-mouth, fill-you-with-love-for-your-fellow-man kind of steak you want, go with the ribeye steak.

From the same section of the cow as the prime rib, a ribeye is a single steak, sliced on its own, taken from the rib section of the cow. Whereas a prime rib is the entire beef rib primal cut, meant to be roasted whole and served to many. If you were to take an entire prime rib and slice between the bones, you would be left with roughly six to eight ribeyes. However, the ways these two cuts of meat are prepared are hugely different. While a prime rib is best when slow-roasted, a single ribeye steak is best cooked quickly on high heat, providing a delicious sear and sinfully juicy center. There are many ways to accomplish this, but our favorite is with a good ol’ fashioned cast iron skillet like grandma used to have.

Recommended Videos

The beauty in the ribeye comes from its marbling (which is just a fancy word for fat). Unlike many other cuts of beef, the veins of fat running through a ribeye are what gives it so much wonderful flavor and texture. When that fat hits a scorching hot pan, something magical happens. Technically, this is called the Maillard Reaction — the browning that occurs when fat meets heat. And the beautiful fat, marbled throughout the ribeye, causes a damned gorgeous browning miracle.

Related

So how do you make one of these beauties at home? The ribeye is often the most popular menu item at any fancy steakhouse and for good reason. But learning how to cook ribeye steak is quick and simple — no fancy culinary degree is required. Even the ingredient list is tiny. With a great piece of meat, some salt and pepper, a bit of garlic, and a few herbs thrown in the pan, you’ve got yourself a dish that will impress even the most difficult to please. Except for vegetarians. For those guests, you’ll need to make a meatless alternative, with our sympathies.

Cooked ribeye steak on a pan
Fairway Market

Ribeye steak recipe

While we said earlier that cooking a ribeye steak is a simple process with minimal ingredients, a good ribeye does still benefit from some seasoning to bring out the flavor. With that in mind, here’s a ribeye steak recipe that lets you enjoy a steakhouse-quality meal right at home.

Ingredients

  • 1 2-inch-thick, boneless ribeye steak
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Season ribeye generously with salt and pepper and allow to rest on the counter for up to 30 minutes
  2. Heat the cast iron skillet on high, then add canola oil and allow it to heat in the pan until it shimmers
  3. Carefully (the hot oil will pop) add the ribeye to the pan and allow to sear for about 2-3 minutes
  4. Flip the ribeye and cook another minute on medium-high heat
  5. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, and butter to the pan and reduce heat to medium
  6. Using a spoon, baste the ribeye with the melted butter for the duration of cooking, another 3-5 minutes
  7. Remove ribeye from the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it (we know this waiting period is torture, but trust us)
  8. While the ribeye is resting, pour all of the buttery, garlicky goodness leftovers in the pan directly on top of your steak and let it sink in

Tips and Tricks

  • Be sure to only smash your garlic cloves. Because of the high cooking temperature, minced garlic will likely burn and create a very bitter flavor. Not sexy.
  • Both resting periods in this recipe are important. Before cooking, your steak must be brought to room temperature to ensure even cooking. After cooking, the steak needs time to retain all of its delicious juices. If cut too quickly, you’ll lose many of the juices that help make the ribeye so wonderful.
  • This recipe calls for canola oil because of its ability to take the heat. Olive oil will burn at this high temperature, so an oil with a high smoke point like canola is best here.
  • Yes, it’s a lot of butter. We never said this was a healthy recipe. Just embrace it.
  • This recipe will give you a medium-rare ribeye, which, in our opinion, is the best way to eat one. But if you prefer your steak at a different temperature, cook a little longer and use a well-calibrated meat thermometer to determine your preferred doneness. 
    • Rare: 125 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Medium rare: 135 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Medium: 145 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Medium well: 155 degrees Fahrenheit (please don’t do this)
    • Well done: 165 degrees Fahrenheit (how dare you)

In our opinion, there’s just never a bad time for a ribeye. Whether you’ve got guests to impress, or a solo Tuesday night to watch Netflix, this steak is always a good choice. While it’s filling and lovely on its own, classic accompaniments like mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables are welcome pairings. You really can’t go wrong. Unless you like it well done, you barbarian.

Steak bone in ribeye
Mastro's

Grilling the perfect ribeye

While the previous recipe will lead to a perfect ribeye steak that you would be proud to serve, there’s one thing missing, an open flame. Cast iron pans are amazing for searing steak, but nothing can beat the smell of steaks sizzling on a grill on a nice night. Throw in a cocktail while you’re cooking, and you’re in for a great night. This grilled ribeye steak recipe from Food Network is even simpler than our previous recipe, but it will still lead to a memorable meal.

Ribeye steak on the grill

Ingredients

  • 4 ribeye steaks
  • Ribeye steak rub (see below)

Method

  1. Preheat your grill to high heat.
  2. Season steaks on all sides with rub.
  3. Put the steaks on the grill and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare (adjust time if you want a different doneness)
  4. Remove steaks and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Ribeye steak rub

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Cayenne pepper

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, you can adjust the ratio of spices to fit your preferences.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
Learn how to grind coffee beans without a grinder — it’s not as hard as you think
Yes, it's possible to do
A warm cup of coffee and spoon on a saucer with coffee beans

Arguably the most socially acceptable, delicious drug on the market, coffee is an absolute necessity to start the day for most of us: the exhausted parent, the tense and hurried workaholic, the college student cranky from the latest all-nighter. And while we all love the convenience of our K-cups and the Starbucks drive-thru, something must be said for a beautifully brewed, freshly ground, homemade cup of coffee.

When done properly, the morning ritual involves every sense: dipping your hand delicately into the cool, smooth beans, letting them slip through your fingers, to the whir of the grinder, pulsing, and singing. The aroma of the fresh brew filling the air is intoxicating. And that first taste is hitting your lips, kissing you good morning with its dark mischief. The whole experience borders on sensual.

Read more
How to make a Bee’s Knees cocktail, a drink that fits its name perfectly
You can create a buzz with the honey-kissed cocktail
Bee's Knees with garnish

Many of the drinks that are still beloved in bars today are cocktails from the Prohibition Era, when bars went underground and got creative with the ingredients they had available to make drinks that were tasty and innovative. That was a challenge when many of the spirits available were of dubious quality at best, but it created delicious combinations like the Bee's Knees cocktail, an easy-to-enjoy gin classic.

Now, the mix of citrus and honey sweetness acts as a good introduction for people who have only previously said, "I don't like gin." (If you are one of those people, we'd like to take this opportunity to convince you otherwise ... we're not in bathtub gin territory anymore.) The floral and citrus notes in the gin blend with the other ingredients for an easy-to-drink cocktail that now allows the craft gin to come through without being hidden away.

Read more
Up your cocktail game: How to make the perfect gin gimlet
This gin gimlet recipe is sensational — and easy
Gimlet cocktails in coupe glasses

Of all the cocktails that gin lovers hold in regard, one that stands out is the gin gimlet. Perhaps second only to the gin martini in the annals of the greatest gin cocktails, this drink shows off the flavors of gin with its rich botanticals to the best possible advantage. While some drinks are complex affairs that feature layers of flavors coming from many ingredients, the gin gimlet is quite the opposite: It has just two or three ingredients, and its beauty is in its simplicity.

The gimlet combines gin with sweetened lime juice to bring out the juniper and herbal, piney, or citrusy flavors that gins can offer. It's pleasing to anyone from those new to cocktails to gin connoisseurs, as it is both easy to sip and a great way to experience the complexities of a new gin.

Read more