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how long to cook steak in oven

How long to cook steak in the oven, and other tips for becoming a kitchen steak master

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Craving a steak night dinner, but can’t fire up the grill? No problem.

Grilling is our preferred method to prepare a steak. Browse through the Cut Library within BB Kitchen, and you’ll notice grill written more than any other cooking method. But what if grilling isn’t an option?

While summertime grilling on the deck may be one of our favorite pastimes, sometimes it’s just not feasible. Perhaps you live in an apartment without access to a grill. Maybe you don’t even own a grill  — or the grill you do own is buried under three feet of snow.

While we’re partial to a perfectly grilled, medium-rare grass-fed steak with flawless sear marks, it’s not the only way you can prepare it. You can cook a juicy, flavorful steak right in your oven.

Selecting the right steak to cook

Cooking the perfect steak starts with selecting a quality cut. To purchase a good steak, consult with a farmer you trust, shop at a credible butcher or grocer, or order online to have your steak delivered right to your door.

Selecting high-quality steaks certainly has a number of health and ethical benefits, but you’ll also prefer the premium taste. Choose organic or grass-fed meat whenever possible. The organic label requires farmers raise their animals humanely and without growth hormones or antibiotics. Grass-fed meat ensures the animal grazed on grass during its lifetime, rather than feed made with corn or soy.

Pro tip: If you enjoy cooking steaks at home, consider purchasing an entire roast and slicing them into steaks yourself. A ribeye steak, for example, is nothing more than a ribeye roast cut into individual steaks. To save on cost without skimping on quality, consider purchasing an entire roast, slicing the steaks at home, then simply freeze what you cannot prepare in a single evening.

Which cut of steak works best in the oven?

Easy answer: All of them.

Any steak you enjoy on the grill can also be prepared in your oven. After all, does your favorite steakhouse come stocked with dozens of backyard grills? Of course not! They prepare premium, juicy steaks right from their kitchen. (Although some do have commercial indoor grills if they are lucky.)

You can make the same high-quality meat at home — you just need the right tools and a few tricks up your sleeve.

To prepare a steak in the oven, we recommend keeping the following on hand: A meat thermometer, aluminum foil, and a cast iron skillet. With those three items stocked in your kitchen, you should have all you need to follow any steak recipe you find online. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and you have yourself a steakhouse-worthy meal.

When cooking a steak in the oven, remember the following:

  • A medium-rare steak typically reaches an internal temperature of 125°F. Remember, a steak will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven, so it’s best to remove it from the heat source when it reaches 115°F.
  • Do not try to rapid-defrost your steak. If you’re planning a steak night dinner for two, plan ahead and allow your steak to defrost slowly (beginning night before), bringing the steak to room temperature.
  • Do not serve your steak immediately after removing it from the oven. Allow your steak to sit for six to ten minutes or more before serving so as not to lose its flavor.

How long to cook steak in the oven?

When preparing a steak in the oven, the cooking time depends on several factors: The cut, the thickness of the cut, and the cooking method used within the recipe. Below, we dive into three different ways to cook your steak at home, including broiling, searing at high-heat in a cast iron skillet then finishing in the oven, and the reverse-sear method — a favorite of our Head ButcherBox Chef Yankel Polak.

One final tip: Don’t take your eyes off of your dinner. Cooking a steak in the oven is no different than preparing a grilled steak over an open flame. It can easily become overcooked, so keep one eye on the timer and the other on your instant-read thermometer.

The reverse-sear method: How to prepare a ribeye

One of our members’ favorite steaks is the ribeye, which is a great cut to prepare in the oven. It’s juicy, flavorful, and pairs great roasted vegetables.

Lisa MarcAurele from Low Carb Yum uses the reverse-sear method to prepare her steak. First, she places her steak in the middle of the oven rack, preheated 275°F. After cooking it for 40-50 minutes, it reaches the desired medium-rare temperature. After allowing the steak to sit for 5-10 minutes, she sears it in a piping-hot pan drizzled with olive oil. To see Lisa’s full instructions and how she seasons her steak, check out the full recipe.  

Searing a steak in cast iron: Preparing a sirloin steak

We love top sirloin for how versatile it is. This particular cut has the texture of steak but has a similar taste to that of a roast — allowing it to cook up nicely in the oven.

Linda Spiker at The Organic Kitchen prepares her sirloin steak by searing it first in a cast iron skillet (the opposite approach Low Carb Yum took with her ribeye). Once the steak browns on the stovetop, she moves the sirloin from the cast iron to an oven-safe baking dish.

A pan-seared steak only needs an additional five minutes in the oven to reach the perfect temperature. Plus, cooking steak this way allows you to reuse the cast iron skillet, browning any sauces or side dishes in the steak juices. Using this method, she pairs her steak with caramelized shallots and a white wine reduction, which you can check out here.

Broiling in the oven: Cooking a New York strip

Love a thick-cut New York Strip? The team at PaleoHacks broils their New York strip with a side of asparagus, creating an easy steak night dinner for two.

Broiling is one of the easiest methods to prepare a steak. Set your broiler to high, place your steak in an oven-safe dish in the center of the rack six inches from the heat source. Ten minutes under the broiler is all you need to achieve a medium-rare temperature. To read the full instructions, check out their recipe here.

While we focused on the ribeye, sirloin, and New York strip, any of the above methods are suitable for almost any cut of steak. If you’re craving filet mignon or a thick-cut T-bone, any of the above methods will work.

There are plenty of advantages to preparing a steak in the oven. The temperature is easily controlled, it’s not weather-dependent, and you don’t need any special equipment. Try one (or all) of the above recipes and let us know your favorite cooking method.

braised beef braising meat

How to braise beef and why it’s one of the best cooking methods

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Whenever I come across braised short ribs on a restaurant menu, I have a hard time passing up the delectable dish. Just thinking about it, I can taste the melt-in-your-mouth, flavorful meat. In all my short rib adventures, I’ve never stopped to wonder how chefs create such divine creations.

The secret, I discovered comes down to braising.

A cooking method mixing high dry heat, low moist heat, and time

Braising is a two-step cooking method that uses both high-heat for a short period and low-heat for a longer period of time. First, it involves browning meat in olive oil, butter, ghee, or some other fat — on high heat — usually by sauteing in a pan. Second, the meat is cooked in a covered dish, in the juices left from the browning and often also with an added liquid such as stock, water, etc.

The second, slow-cooking step is done in a tightly covered pot, like a dutch oven, or, often, in a slow-cooker. This process is also sometimes referred to as “pot roasting.”

Slow-cooking — and, well, the use of a slow-cooker or Crock Pot — helps to add flavor and tenderizes tougher cuts of beef and other meats.

According to The Kitchen Encyclopedia, published in 1911, “Braising is a method much used in France, and is a cross between boiling and baking.” The word itself derives from the French word brasier, which is a form of braise, meaning “live coals.” A brasier or brazier, in French and English, is also another name for a receptacle to burn coal or charcoal. Dutch ovens can also be called brasiers. The origin of the term braising seems to come from a French word for a method using both dry heat and moist heat.

Why braise?

Braising can be done with any meat but is most often done with tough cuts of meat, because tender cuts usually don’t need additional tenderizing or flavor.

Cuts that traditionally have less flavor — say a chuck roast, shoulder steak, chuck pot roast, pork butt, or beef chuck arm — are the best cuts to use and may need richer braising liquids. The best way to add great flavor is with beef broth or chicken stock, as well as spices like rosemary, bay leaves, and other fresh herbs. Moreover, braising done in the style of a pot roast can include aromatic vegetables — carrots, onions, and more — for additional flavor.

How to braise meat

The first step of braising takes about ten minutes, but achieving truly fall-apart-tender meat takes many hours of cooking time. Our in-house ButcherBox Chef Yankel Polak recommends seasoning the meat with salt and black pepper, then searing your meat until you get a nice brown crust. When cooking pork, he likes to use apple cider as a braising liquid that can also help scraping the browned bits of meat left from searing. Chef Yankel also recommends adding tomato paste to your braising liquid for texture and taste. For added flavor and simplicity, he also advises using the same pot to sear and cook, covering the dish after the flavorful liquid and browned meat have simmered.

A long, slow cook is crucial for breaking down the proteins and tenderizing the meat. You’ll need to cook for at least an hour and a half to two hours (depending on the size of your cut of meat) in the oven set to 300 degrees. Cooking on low heat allows the meat to cook slowly as the braising liquid evaporates. It is this process that makes dishes like pulled pork, carnitas, and roasts fork-tender.

Whether cooking pork in the slow cooker or keeping a watchful eye on a roast spending a day in a Dutch oven, meat braising in its juices and spiced-up flavor can turn a simple cut of beef or pork into a truly amazing dish.

You can find some of Chef Yankel’s favorite recipes to braise beef, chicken, or pork here, or watch the video below for more braising techniques.

If you want more from Chef Yankel, check out his recommendations for the best red wine to pair with braised beef and other dishes. 

Our monthly ButcherBox comes often comes with cuts like pork butt and grass-fed beef roasts that are perfect for braising. You can also get these cuts in a custom ButcherBox. If you’re not a member already, you can sign up here.