How To Cook Steak On The Stovetop
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Pan-searing is the best—and easiest—way to cook a steak. Master this technique and you can turn out a steak that rivals your favorite steakhouse.
I love the kind of dinner you can make without relying on a recipe. Truth be told, good cooking really comes down to mastering a few core techniques—and some of the best dishes are also the simplest. A perfectly cooked steak is a prime example. The key is mastering the art of pan-searing.
This classic technique involves cooking the surface of your food undisturbed in a very hot pan until a crisp, golden-brown crust forms. It’s the foundation of great flavor and texture and gives food that unmistakable restaurant finish. Pan-searing is hands-down the best way to cook a steak (it works beautifully for salmon and scallops, too)—and it delivers steakhouse-worthy results with far more control than a grill.
“I followed these instructions to a T using a cast iron skillet and had one of the best steaks of my life. I was amazed.”
What you’ll need to Cook Steak on The Stovetop
You don’t need much to make a great pan-seared steak: just the steaks themselves, an oil with a high smoke point (skip the olive oil and reach for vegetable oil), salt, pepper, butter, and a few sprigs of thyme if you like. When it comes to choosing a cut, boneless, quick-cooking steaks that are about 1 to 1½ inches thick work best. New York strip, rib eye, and filet mignon are all excellent options.
How to Cook Steak on The Stovetop
Step 1: Season the steaks. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. (Any moisture on the exterior of the steak must first evaporate before the meat begins to brown.) Season the steaks generously on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper; the seasoning will stick to the surface and help create a delicious crust.
Step 2: Sear on the first side. Turn on your exhaust fan and heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat—the oil should shimmer. Lay the steaks in the pan, placing them away from you so the oil doesn’t splatter; they should sizzle right away. Then leave them alone. Resist the urge to peek or flip—the steaks need a few minutes undisturbed to develop a good brown crust. Don’t worry about sticking; they’ll release easily when they’re ready.
Pro tip: Stainless steel or cast iron works best here, since both can handle high heat. And use a pan large enough to give the steaks some breathing room; if the pan is too crowded, it will cool down and the steak will steam instead of sear.
Step 3: Flip and sear the other side. Flip the steaks once they release easily and the first side is deeply browned, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes for rare to medium-rare.
Step 4: Finish with butter, then rest and serve. During the last minute of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a few sprigs of thyme to the pan with the steaks (optional, but delicious). If you’re serving the steaks whole, transfer them straight to plates and serve hot. If you plan to slice them, move the steaks to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Resting gives the juices time to redistribute—slice too soon, and they’ll run right out.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy. Serve the steaks hot, with your favorite sides. A classic wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, potatoes au gratin, roasted potatoes or creamed spinach are all great choices, but simple baked potatoes work just as well.
Video Tutorial
More Steakhouse Recipes You’ll Love
Pan-Seared Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 (12-oz) New York strip or ribeye steaks or 4 (6-oz) filet mignons, about 1½ inches thick
- 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- A few sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season them all over with the salt and pepper.
- Turn on your exhaust fan and heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron or stainless steel) over medium-high heat until it's VERY hot.
- Add the oil to the pan and heat until it begins to shimmer and move fluidly around the pan.
- Carefully set the steaks in the pan, releasing them away from you so the oil doesn’t splatter in your direction. The oil should sizzle.
- Leave the steaks alone! Avoid the temptation to peek or fiddle or flip repeatedly; the steaks need a few minutes undisturbed to develop a golden crust. Flip the steaks when they release easily and the bottom is a deep-brown color, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the steaks for another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side for rare to medium-rare. (For medium, cook 4 to 5 minutes on second side; for well-done, cook 5 to 6 minutes on second side).
- During the last minute of cooking, add the butter and thyme sprigs to the pan with the steaks.
- If you are serving the steaks unsliced, transfer them to plates and serve hot. If you plan to slice the steaks, transfer them to a cutting board and let rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes; then slice thinly against the grain.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These days I often buy steak when it’s on sale and will cook 2 of a 3 pack and freeze the 3rd. I have often heard steak from frozen is not as good. Do you think this method will work as well from frozen (thawed) as from fresh?
Sure, Colleen, it should be fine with thawed steak. Hope you enjoy!
Followed your directions exactly, for medium rare about three minutes for each side, came out perfect! Thank you, I haven’t cooked a steak in years and can’t believe how easy this was.
I made this steak today, it was great and I followed the recipe to the letter. I did make one change In the last minute I used 2 tablespoons of butter with garlic and rosemary. The flavour was there and the crust was perfect. I cooked for the 4 Minutes as we like our steaks medium. When I do this again I will do for 5 minutes but will turn off the heat on my cast Iron frying pan 2 minutes before and add butter and rosemary and garlic to get the steak more to our liking.
Yummy!
Just cooked two filets according to this fantastic recipe, and they were medium-rare and beautifully browned–much more tasty than done on the grill and perhaps less mess. Also love all your salmon recipes, which use a similar method. Ignoring the urge to fiddle with the beef or fish is key for a perfectly done dinner. Yours is my go-to website for delicious recipes; photos and step-by-step instructions help to make each recipe foolproof. Thanks, Jenn!
Best steak I’ve ever made
Hello Chef,
Thank you for those quick tips! My rib eye steaks came out delicious… I am serving it with broccoli and cheese, and some Spanish rice…
Hi my name is Rob. I have always been looking for a way to sear and cook steaks on the stove but Oh my god this worked so well it was better than the grill. I’m wondering if I can use the same method to make Hamburgrrs ? I also took the juices with the oil and made a dipping sauce. I can’t wait to try again.
Glad you enjoyed, Robert! It will work with burgers, too.
I’m on a low carb diet with a low grocery budget, a combination that rendered my take on this recipe to be done with top round instead of a strip or filet. I have to say, adjusting a minute less per side for the thinner cut, the method described here was absolutely perfect. I have found the one I’m sticking with after some less than stellar results from recipes on other sites. Turned out flavorful, perfectly medium-rare, and-and this was a nice bonus for going with a cut of round-delightfully tender. Thank you so much for the great information!
This steak is on my “next week” docket, although obsessing and looking forward begins today 🙂 Would be interested in hearing if you pan sear steaks directly from the fridge, or if you let them come to room temperature first.
Hi Jeff, you definitely can take them out about 30 minutes ahead of time. (I usually forget though and they still turn out well.) 🙂
Can confirm – this is the *best* way to make steaks. Simple, straightforward, and flawless each time. You can also include slightly more involved rubs, but don’t go too crazy and be sure to be careful in what you choose. The very high heat can scald some herbs, so make sure you choose a more heat-tolerant rub or seasoning. The herb butter process here is truly *chefs kiss*
A great recipe and the only way we prepare steaks! A suggestion for those concerned about the smoke and potential splatter indoors is to heat your skillet and perform the entire operation on your outdoor grill. Works just as well without chancing the smoke alarms!