Ribeye Steaks: Easy, Juicy, 20-Minute Recipe

Name: Juicy 20-Minute Ribeye Steaks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 ribeye steaks (1 pound each, 1.5-inch thick, preferably USDA Prime); 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground ); 2 tablespoons butter

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To make perfectly cooked ribeye steaks, sear them in a hot cast-iron skillet on each side, then finish them in the oven. This method will brown the fat and create a good crust on the exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

Two ribeye steaks are topped with butter in a cast-iron skillet.

Ribeye steaks are tender, flavorful, and well-marbled. Cooking them at home is easy, but you need the right tool. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is the only reliable way to create a good sear on a steak. When I use the method outlined below, I get steakhouse-level results every time.

Ingredients

You'll only need four ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Ribeye steaks: I like to buy big, 1-pound, 1.5-inch thick steaks. Whenever possible, I go for USDA Prime grade. USDA Choice is acceptable but inferior to Prime. Try to find steaks that are not overly trimmed. The fatty edge is delicious!
Kosher salt and black pepper: I highly recommend using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt when cooking steaks. It's tasty, and its coarse grind helps create that nice crust we all look for in a steak.
Butter: For topping the cooked steaks. This isn't optional. It dramatically enhances the steaks' flavor and is one of the reasons why steakhouse steaks are so good. They're finished with butter!

Variations

The best way to vary this recipe is to season the steaks with spices. A steakhouse I often frequent serves a delicious Cajun ribeye seasoned with various spices.

While I prefer to let the beef's flavor shine through and season the steaks simply with salt and pepper, sometimes it's fun to use seasonings such as paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. You can sprinkle a generous pinch of each of these spices on each side of your steaks.

Instructions

The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:

Blot the steaks dry with paper towels and season them with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's smoking. Add the steaks and cook them for two minutes per side plus 30 seconds on the edges.

Using oven mitts, transfer the hot skillet to the preheated oven. Leave it there for about 3 minutes for medium-rare steaks and about 5 minutes for medium-done steaks (the level of doneness recommended by the USDA).

Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and loosely cover them with foil to keep them warm. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then top them with butter and serve.

Two ribeye steaks in a cast-iron skillet, topped with butter.

Recipe Tips

Some recipes instruct you to remove the steaks from the fridge an hour before cooking to bring them to room temperature. But since I like my steaks medium-rare, I prefer them to be refrigerator-cold when I cook them. This enables me to give them a good sear while keeping their inside red and warm. There's less of a risk of overcooking them this way.
If you like your steaks rare or if they are thinner - around 1 inch thick - you can skip the oven and simply pan-fry them for 3 minutes per side plus 30-60 seconds on the edges. Then check to see if they are done to your liking.
Try to get prime-grade ribeyes if you can. They are increasingly available in grocery stores. Look at the photo below of two steaks I bought recently - you can easily tell the difference. The Prime steak has beautiful marbling throughout, while the Choice steak is leaner. I cooked both, and my family and I taste-tested them. Both steaks were delicious, but the USDA Prime steak was more tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was the clear winner.

A prime-grade and a choice-grade ribeye steaks on a plate.

Featured Comment

The ribeyes came out amazing! I was always intimidated by cooking steak, especially the expensive cuts, but no more. This technique was a real confidence booster. My daughter almost didn’t believe I cooked it, it was that good. Thanks for sharing! - Mayr

Recipe FAQs

Should I use boneless or bone-in ribeyes?

Both are great, and you can use both in this recipe. But while bone-in steaks are juicier and more flavorful, especially around the bone, I prefer boneless steaks because they are easier to eat, and I don't get frustrated with tasty bits of meat left stuck to the bone.

Do you need to marinate ribeye steaks?

There's no harm in marinating them for an hour or two in the fridge, but it's unnecessary. Ribeye is tender and flavorful. It doesn't require a marinade, which is typically used to tenderize and add flavor to leaner and tougher cuts such as London broil, skirt steak, and flank steak.

Can I buy a whole roast and cut my own steaks?

Absolutely. I often buy a boneless ribeye roast at Costco, cut my own steaks, and freeze them for later. The best way to freeze them while preventing freezer burns is to wrap each in plastic wrap, then in foil, and then place them in freezer bags.

What if I don't like fat on my steak?

If you don't enjoy fat on your steak, even well-browned fat, ribeye is not the best choice for you. Instead, go with a leaner cut, such as beef tenderloin.

Serving Suggestions

Ribeye steaks are big and fatty, so I like to serve them with fresh and simple side dishes like spinach salad, arugula salad, tomato salad, or asparagus salad. They're also good with steamed broccoli and roasted asparagus.

While creamed spinach is a classic steakhouse side dish, I feel it's too rich for these fatty steaks, so I prefer sauteed spinach. Another classic steakhouse side dish that I do enjoy with ribeyes is sauteed mushrooms.

Storing Leftovers

Reheated steak isn't very good. So, while the leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, it's best to cook only as much as you can finish immediately.

If you end up with leftovers, try them cold - they're surprisingly good (like thick, fatty slices of cold roast beef). If you must reheat them, do so gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.

4.97 from 65 votes

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Juicy 20-Minute Ribeye Steaks

To cook the best ribeye steaks, sear them in a hot cast-iron skillet and then place them in the oven. Top with a pat of butter, and serve!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Rest time5

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 1045kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Video

Ingredients

▢ 2 ribeye steaks - 1 pound each, 1.5-inch thick, preferably USDA Prime
▢ 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
▢ 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Blot the steaks dry with paper towels. Keeping their surface dry will help create a good crust.
Season the steaks on both sides and the fatty edge with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's smoking. If the skillet is well-seasoned, there's no need to add any oil.
Add the steaks to the skillet and cook them for 2 minutes per side. If the skillet gets overheated, lower the heat to medium-high, but generally speaking, you want it super-hot.
Cook the steaks' edges for about 30 seconds per edge.
Very carefully, using oven mitts, transfer the hot skillet to the preheated oven. Leave it there for about 3 minutes for medium-rare steaks or 5 minutes for medium-done steaks.
Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and loosely cover them with foil to keep them warm. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then top them with butter and serve.

Notes

If you have a smoke alarm near your kitchen, open your kitchen windows and run your range hood fan.
You could remove the steaks from the fridge an hour before cooking them to bring them to room temperature. But since I like my steaks medium-rare, I prefer them to be refrigerator-cold. This enables me to give them a good sear while keeping their inside red and warm. There's less of a risk of overcooking them this way.
If you like your steaks rare or if they are thinner - around 1 inch thick - you can skip the oven and simply pan-fry them for 3 minutes per side plus 30-60 seconds on the edges.
The cook times suggested here are a guideline. Many variables can affect how long you'll need to cook the steak, including your stove (electric stoves get hotter than gas ones, for example), the skillet you use, your steak's initial temperature, and its thickness.
The USDA recommends cooking steaks to medium.
The nutrition information is approximate. To lower the sodium content to around 886 milligrams per serving, use just one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt.
Leftovers: Reheated steak isn't very good. So while the leftovers can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days, it's best to only cook as much as you can finish immediately. If you end up with leftovers, try them cold - they're surprisingly good (like thick, fatty slices of cold roast beef). If you must reheat them, do so gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.

Nutrition per Serving

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Ribeye Steaks

Ingredients

Variations

Instructions

Recipe Tips

Featured Comment

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

Storing Leftovers