Once you learn how to cook cast iron skillet steak at home, you may never want to go out for steak again. It's just so easy to make a perfectly seared, butter basted steak, and only takes a few minutes!
Some people are intimidated by the thought of how to cook cast iron skillet steak at home. But all you need are a few tips and you can have restaurant quality steaks without leaving the house.
Ribeye steak works really well for this preparation. The wonderful marbling throughout the steak provides loads of flavor. And since it's a fattier, thicker steak, it's well-suited for a pan seared situation. It's a little more forgiving, with less danger of overcooking.
The entirety of the cooking takes place in the cast iron skillet on the stove. At the end, we are going to butter baste the steak with a little rosemary and garlic butter. Just a kiss of those flavors is all you need.
Jump to:
- Ingredients for cast iron skillet steak
- How to cook steak in a cast iron skillet
- Cast iron skillet steak is a quick and easy way to cook steak at home!
- Tips for the best cast iron skillet steak
- Butter basted steak is better!
- Let that steak rest before you slice it!
- Steak doneness temperature guide
- How long to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet
- What to serve with cast iron skillet steak
- More beef recipes
- Recipe
Ingredients for cast iron skillet steak
You only need 5 ingredients to make perfect, butter basted cast iron skillet steak!
- Boneless ribeye steak: It's important to start with a good quality steak. Ribeye is a beautifully marbled cut and perfect for pan searing. I'm using boneless ribeye here because it's easier to maneuver in the skillet and easier to judge and control the temperature of the steak.
- Unsalted butter
- Whole garlic cloves: Peeled and smashed so all that flavor can get into the butter.
- Rosemary: I love Rosemary here, but you could also use thyme. Or both!
- Kosher salt
How to cook steak in a cast iron skillet
This is a basic steak recipe that everyone should have in their back pocket. Follow these steps to learn how to sear, flip and butter baste your steak for perfect results every time!
Step 1: Season the steak and bring to room temperature
About an hour before cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator and pat dry. Isn't it gorgeous?
Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow steak to come to room temperature, but do not let it sit at room temp longer than two hours.
Step 2: Heat up the cast iron skillet and cook the steak
Place a deep cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Ribeye steaks have so much marbling that you shouldn't need any oil in the pan. For other cuts, you might need a smidgeon of canola oil. While the skillet heats up, get your butter, rosemary, and smashed garlic cloves ready.
Once the skillet is very hot, pat the steak dry with paper towels (you're just absorbing the moisture, not removing the seasoning). Place the steak in the skillet and let sear for about 2-4 minutes. Flip to the other side for another 2-4 minutes and check the temperature with a good thermometer.
Continue flipping until the steak is about 5 degrees from the desired temperature. Now let's baste that baby with some butter!
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Step 3: How to butter baste the steak
Just before removing the steak from the skillet, add 4 tablespoon butter, a few peeled and smashed garlic cloves and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Once butter melts, carefully tip the pan just slightly so the butter pools, then baste the steak by spooning the butter over it a few times.
Remove the steak from the heat and let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
Cast iron skillet steak is a quick and easy way to cook steak at home!
Let's review the reasons you should be making cast iron skillet steak any time and all the time:
- Easy prep: Just season the steak and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Cooks quickly— depending on thickness, a medium rare steak could be ready to serve in less than 15 minutes!
- You only need 5 ingredients.
- It's a one pan plan.
- Just sear, flip, baste, and it's done!
- Perfect for date night or any special occasion dinner.
Tips for the best cast iron skillet steak
- Let the steak come to room temperature: It's important to let the steak come to room temperature to ensure even cooking. But—DO NOT LET MEAT SIT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE LONGER THAN TWO HOURS. Longer than two hours and you enter the danger zone when bacteria can start to form and make you very sick.
- Use a deep skillet: You'll need enough depth in the pan so that you can safely tip it to get the butter to pool so you can baste the steak.
- Preheat that skillet! You'll want the skillet searing hot before the steak hits it. This is what gives it that great crust!
- Have all of your ingredients and tools ready: Do this before you start because the steak will cook FAST!
- Use different herbs: If you don't like rosemary, you can use thyme or sage. But don't use soft herbs like basil or parsley, as they are too delicate to stand up to the searing hot butter.
Butter basted steak is better!
Butter basting a steak might seem intimidating, but it's a simple technique that any home cook can learn. You're basically just spooning melted butter over a steak. So what does butter basting do?
- Butter basting imparts richness by giving the steak a glossy coating of fat.
- We'll sizzle some fresh rosemary and garlic cloves in the butter so it's loaded with flavor. These flavors will transfer to our steak, too!
- Finally, butter basting helps to sear every inch of the steak. It finds spots that may not have come in contact with the cast iron skillet, and the hot butter helps to render the fat around the edges of the steak.
Let that steak rest before you slice it!
Resting meat is so important. Why? Because when your steak is searing hot, straight from the cast iron skillet, the juices are running all around the meat. They're hot! If you cut it right now, all the juices will just run out and your steak will be dry. Resting the steak allows the meat to calm down so the juices can redistribute themselves. So let it rest for 5-10 minutes, and you'll have juicy, tender steak every time.
Steak doneness temperature guide
How do you like your steak cooked? To each their own, but as a former waitress I'll just ask you to remember there's no such thing as "medium-to-medium rare". There is nothing in between the two. You must choose your journey. Let the temperatures below be your guide.
- Rare: Rare steak is 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) and has a cool, red center. Remove from the heat at 120 degrees and it will come to temperature as it rests.
- Medium rare: Medium rare steak is 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) and has a warm, red center. Remove from heat at 130 degrees and the steak will finish cooking as it rests.
- Medium: Medium steak is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) and has a warm, pink center. Remove from heat at 140 degrees and it will come to temperature as it rests.
- Medium well: Medium well steak is 150 degrees F (66 degrees C) and has a very warm, slightly pink center. Remove from heat at 145 to ensure the steak comes to the proper temperature when ready to serve.
- Well done: Well done steak is 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) is hot in the center and has little or no pink. Remove from heat at 155 and the steak will come to temperature as it rests.
If you like your steak medium well or well done, be advised that as the temperature of the meat rises, the cooking time decreases exponentially. So it might take 4-6 minutes to go from rare to medium, but only 2-4 minutes to go from medium to well done, because the cast iron skillet is very hot and the steak is already warm and cooking up a storm!
How long to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet
Cooking time depends on the type of steak and the thickness, but it will probably take a lot less time than you think. For a medium-rare ribeye steak that is at least one inch thick, start with 2-4 minutes on each side.
Check it with a good meat thermometer and keep flipping until every 2-4 minutes. Stop at 5 degrees before your desired temperature because the steak will continue to cook as it rests. Remember that you can always cook it a bit more, but you can't un-cook it!
What to serve with cast iron skillet steak
- Pear and Blue Cheese Salad is a twist on a classic steakhouse salad.
- Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint is perfect in summer when you want something lighter.
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes because steak and potatoes. Need I say more?
- Charred Broccoli with Calbrian Chile Paste and Lemon Yogurt Sauce is full of complex, bright and smoky flavors.
More beef recipes
Try these easy ideas for a beef main course, whether it's for a holiday or special occasion, or just treating yourself on a weeknight!
- Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Quick Pickles has a spicy lemongrass marinade.
- This Italian Steak Sandwich is made with flank or skirt steak, both are quick-cooking cuts of beef.
- Pomegranate and Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are incredibly elegant and the ultimate winter comfort food.
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Recipe
Cast Iron Skillet Steak (Butter Basted!)
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces ribeye steak
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 5 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- About one hour before cooking, remove the ribeye from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temperature. DO NOT LET STEAK REMAIN AT ROOM TEMP LONGER THAN TWO HOURS.
- Place a deep cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Have rosemary and butter at the ready.
- Once skillet is hot, pat the steak dry one more time - just removing any moisture, not the seasoning. Then place the steak in the hot pan.
- After about 3-4 minutes, a nice crust should form on the steak, flip it over for another 3-4 minutes and check the temperature.(Medium rare is 130-135 degrees F.) If steak has not reached the desired temperature, keep flipping it over and checking temperature every 2 minutes or so. Total cook time will depend on the thickness of the steak.
- Just before steak reaches the desired temperature, add butter, garlic and rosemary to pan. Let rosemary and garlic sizzle in the butter for a bit. Then carefully tip the pan toward you so the butter pools, and spoon it over the steak a few times.
- Remove the steak from the hot pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Total cook time will depend on the thickness of your steak. If it's less than 1" thick, you will probably want to flip after 2 minutes. Use a good meat thermometer to check on it throughout cooking and don't be afraid to just keep flipping it over.
- Use a deep cast iron skillet for this recipe. You'll want enough of a pan depth to be able to tip it safely in order to baste the steak with butter.
- Preheat that skillet! You'll want the skillet searing hot before the steak hits it. This is what gives it that great crust!
- Have all of your ingredients and tools ready before you start because the steak will cook FAST!
- If you don't like rosemary, you can use thyme or sage. But don't use soft herbs like basil or parsley, as they are too delicate to stand up to the searing hot butter.
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