Our Pan Seared Steak is cooked in fresh herb garlic butter until perfectly juicy on the inside with a caramelized crust on the outside. With this recipe, we’ll show you easily how to pan-sear steak, finish in the oven and enjoy a restaurant-quality dinner at home.
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Perfect Pan Seared Steak
Cooking the perfect Pan-Sear Steak is one of the most basic techniques but is often forgotten about in the home kitchen. This recipe will guide you through step-by-step instructions on achieving an even, flavorful crust, cooking to your desired doneness, and even how to reheat leftovers.
One of the best things about a home-cooked steak dinner is that you need very few ingredients or seasoning, and it can be ready in under 30 minutes. Serve with absolutely any of your favorite side dishes, and you’ll be good to go. Personally, I love steak with a side of Steakhouse Baked Potatoes, Crispy Red Potatoes, or good old-fashioned Gruyere Mashed Potatoes. And if you're wanting another great steak recipe, try our Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon.
Ingredients Needed for Pan Seared Steak Recipe
- Steaks - we suggest pan searing t-bone, sirloin, rib eye or New York strip steaks.
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil - this has a high smoking point and will not burn under the heat.
- Butter - butter adds flavor so we like to use half oil and half butter when pan searing steak.
- Garlic - use peeled whole cloves of garlic. If they are minced, they will burn under the high heat.
- Fresh herbs - we like using either rosemary or thyme for this recipe.
How to Pan Sear Steak (Finish in Oven)
- Pull steaks from the fridge. Remove steaks from the fridge and let them come to room temperature before you pan fry steak. You'll have a much more tender steak.
- Dry and season. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and generously both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil, butter, garlic and rosemary (or thyme). Add the steaks to the hot skillet and sear for about 90 seconds, or until golden brown. Flip over and sear on the other side for another 90 seconds using a spoon to baste the steaks with the butter/oil mixture from the bottom of the pan.
- Finish in the oven. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until steaks reach your desired doneness, testing with a digital thermometer for accuracy.
- Let steaks rest. Remove the steaks from the oven and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Possibly the most critical step to cooking the perfect steak is the resting period out of the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute and for the meat to relax - don’t be tempted to skip it!
- Any heavy-bottomed stainless steel or copper pan would be the next best thing if you don't have a cast-iron pan. Avoid nonstick pans if possible, as they don’t cook as evenly.
- It’s a good idea to pull your steaks from the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook them. This helps ensure that they cook evenly and that the outside doesn’t cook too quickly while the inside is still raw.
- Use compound butter or just a pat of regular butter to make the best pan-seared steak with butter.
- Even after you remove them from the oven, your steaks will continue to cook. Keep this in mind when checking the internal temperature.
- Leave your steaks alone while they sear! That way, they’ll develop the best crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since we are finishing our steaks in the oven, this recipe calls for pan searing for about 90 seconds on each side. This allows the steaks to caramelize slightly on the outside, locking in the juices, preventing it from sticking and creating a delicious crust.
The best way to tell if your steaks are done cooking is by checking the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. You can use the following guide, keeping in mind that they will continue to cook a few degrees once you pull them from the oven:
Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees F
Medium: 135-145 degrees F
Medium Well: 145-155 degrees F
Well: 155+ degrees F
This is going to be a little different every time, depending on the size and thickness of your steaks, along with how many you cook at a time. Here is a rough guide that you can follow, keeping in mind the temperatures above:
Medium Rare: 5-6 minutes
Medium: 6-7 minutes
Medium Well: 8-9 minutes
Well: 10+ minutes
When pan searing a steak, you want something that will cook quickly. That’s why we suggest pan seared T bone steak, sirloin, rib eye or New York strip that are no more than one and a half inches thick. Filet mignon would also be a good choice if you want to spend a few extra bucks.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover steaks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat in the oven: let the steaks come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before placing them in a preheated 275-degree oven in a cast-iron skillet. Bake until warmed through to 110-115 degrees F. Remove from the oven and pan sear a steak again in a separate skillet for about 60 seconds on each side. Let them rest for 5 minutes before eating.
- To reheat on the stovetop: let the steaks come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before placing them in a preheated cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add stock or any residual juices, then cover with a lid and warm over medium-low, occasionally checking until the meat reads between 110-115 degrees F. Once warm, sear them again in a separate (or clean) skillet for about 60 seconds on each side. Let them rest for 5 minutes before eating.
Pan Seared Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 5-6 oz Steaks T-Bone, Sirloin, Ribeye, or NY
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic peeled
- 4 sprigs Rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove steaks from the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and generously both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil, butter, garlic and rosemary (or thyme).
- Add the steaks to the hot skillet and sear for about 90 seconds, or until golden brown. Flip over and sear on the other side for another 90 seconds using a spoon to baste the steaks with the butter/oil mixture from the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until steaks reach your desired doneness, testing with a digital thermometer for accuracy.*
- Remove the steaks from the oven and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Medium Rare - 130-135 degrees F
- Medium - 135-145 degrees F
- Medium Well - 145-155 degrees F
- Well - 155+ degrees F
Nutrition
More of Our Favorite Beef Dinner Recipes
- Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
- Homemade Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Herb Crusted Top Round Roast
- Classic Beef Stroganoff
- More Dinner Ideas
- More 30 Minute Meals
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This recipe for Pan Seared Steak will show you just how easy it is to make a restaurant quality meal in your very own home. We cook our steaks in a fresh herb garlic butter until perfectly juicy on the inside with a caramelized crust on the outside.
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