How to Grill Steak
A great grilled steak comes down to four things: the right cut, a dry and well-seasoned surface, the right fire for its thickness, and pulling it at the right temperature. This guide covers all of it, for every popular cut, on a Weber kettle, Big Green Egg or gas grill.
In this guide
Choosing a cut
| Cut | Tenderness | Flavor | Best way to grill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye | Very tender | Rich, beefy, heavily marbled | Hot sear, then finish indirect. The most forgiving steak to grill. See the Grilled Ribeye recipe. |
| New York strip | Tender with a little chew | Bold and beefy | Same as ribeye. Render the fat cap edge over the heat. |
| Filet mignon (tenderloin) | The most tender | Mild, buttery | Usually thick: reverse sear or sear and then indirect. Lean, so don't go past medium. |
| Top sirloin | Moderately tender | Lean and beefy | Hot and fast. A great value steak. |
| T-bone / Porterhouse | Strip side tender, filet side very tender | Two steaks in one | Two-zone, keeping the smaller filet side toward the cooler zone. |
| Tomahawk | Very tender | A ribeye with the long bone left on | Reverse sear. It's thick and impressive. |
| Flank / Skirt | Chewy unless sliced thin | Very beefy | Very hot and fast, to medium-rare at most, then slice thinly against the grain. Great for fajitas and tacos. |
What to look for at the store
- Thickness: buy steaks at least 1–1½ inches thick. Thin steaks overcook before they develop a crust.
- Marbling: fine white streaks of fat through the meat mean flavor and juiciness. More marbling is more forgiving.
- Grade: USDA Prime has the most marbling, Choice is the sweet spot for most people, and Select is lean and less forgiving.
- Color: bright cherry red. Vacuum-packed beef can look darker purple, which is normal and turns red after a few minutes in the air.
Prep: dry brine and seasoning
- Dry brine: season both sides with kosher salt (about ¾ tsp per pound) and set the steaks on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. The surface dries out, which gives you a much better crust. Short on time? Salt right before grilling instead. Avoid salting 5–30 minutes ahead, when the surface is wet with drawn-out moisture.
- Pepper and more: add coarse black pepper just before grilling. A Texas-style SPG rub is also great.
- Pat dry right before the steaks go on. A dry surface is what sears.
- Room temperature? Not needed. Letting steaks sit out for 30 minutes barely changes their center temperature. Dry surfaces matter far more.
Pick your method by thickness
| Thickness | Method | How |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 inch | Direct, hot and fast | Over the hottest heat the whole time, 2–4 minutes per side. |
| 1–1½ inches | Sear, then indirect | Sear 2–3 minutes per side over direct heat, then move to the cooler side and close the lid until it reaches temperature. |
| 1½ inches and up | Reverse sear | Cook on the cool side (about 250–275°F) until 10–15°F below your target, then sear hard over direct heat for 1–2 minutes per side. It gives you the most even color edge to edge. Step by step: Reverse Sear Steak recipe. |
Flip often. Flipping every 30–60 seconds during a sear isn't a mistake. It cooks more evenly and doesn't hurt the crust.
Grill setup: kettle, Egg or gas
| Grill | Two-zone setup |
|---|---|
| Weber kettle | Light a full chimney of charcoal and pour it all on one side of the charcoal grate. The other side is your cool zone. Vents wide open for searing. |
| Big Green Egg | For searing, cook direct (no convEGGtor) and run it hot, about 500–650°F. For reverse sear, cook indirect with the convEGGtor at 250–275°F first, then remove it (carefully, with gloves) and open the vents to sear. Always burp the lid (crack it open for a few seconds first) when it's hot. |
| Gas grill | Preheat on high, lid closed, for 10–15 minutes. For two-zone, turn the burners on one side to low or off after searing. |
Doneness temperatures
Steaks keep rising about 5°F while they rest (more for thick cuts), so pull them early:
| Doneness | Pull from grill | After resting | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120°F | 125°F | Cool red center |
| Medium-rare | 125–130°F | 130–135°F | Warm red-pink center. Best for most steaks. |
| Medium | 135–140°F | 140–145°F | Pink center |
| Medium-well | 145–150°F | 150–155°F | Slight pink |
| Well-done | 155°F | 160°F+ | No pink |
The USDA recommends 145°F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef. Many people prefer steak less done, and choosing a lower doneness is a personal choice.
Gear I use
Thermapen ONE by ThermoWorks
With steak, a few degrees is the difference between medium-rare and medium. Insert it from the side into the center for an accurate reading in about a second.
See it at ThermoWorksResting and slicing
- Rest 5–10 minutes on a board or rack. It finishes cooking and the juices settle.
- Slice against the grain. Look for the lines of muscle fibers and cut across them. This matters most for flank, skirt and sirloin.
- Finish: a pinch of flaky salt, or a pat of compound butter (garlic and herbs) melting on top.
Keto, gluten-free, halal and kosher
- Keto, gluten-free and sugar-free: a steak seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic is all three. Watch steak sauces and marinades, which often contain sugar, soy sauce or malt vinegar.
- Halal: any cut works with certified halal (zabiha) beef.
- Kosher: in the US, kosher beef generally comes from the forequarter, so ribeye, rib steaks and chuck steaks are easy to find kosher. Strip, filet, sirloin and T-bone come from the hindquarter and are rarely sold kosher. Skip the butter (meat and dairy aren't combined) and cut the salt, since kosher meat is pre-salted.
Common mistakes
- Wet surface. You get steam instead of a sear. Dry it well, or dry brine it uncovered.
- A grill that isn't hot enough. Preheat fully, with the lid closed, before searing.
- Cooking thick steaks only over direct heat. The outside burns before the inside is done. Use two zones or a reverse sear.
- Guessing doneness. Use a thermometer and pull early.
- Slicing with the grain. It turns even a tender cut chewy.
Ready to grill? Start with the Grilled Ribeye recipe, or for thick steaks and tomahawks, the Reverse Sear Steak recipe.