How To Cook Steak In The Oven - Will Cook For Smiles (2024)

Ribeye steak – juicy and tender steak that is sliced from the primal rib section. This cut of steak has a great amount of marbling throughout, which makes it tender, juicy, and flavorful. For best tasting steak, you are looking for a lot of fine marbling of fat throughout the slice as opposed to thick fat lines concentrated in certain areas.

Rib steak– is also called bone-in ribeye. It is the same as ribeye but with the rib bone still attached.

Top Sirloin –also known as sirloin, this cut comes from the primal loin section located in the upper middle part of the cow. It’s a flavorful and juicy cut of beef that is as good cooked whole or cut into pieces and cooked as a kebab. This cut of steak is leaner than a ribeye cut and therefore, not quite as tender when cooked. Top sirloin is also much more tender than bottom sirloin so don’t mistake the two.

New York Strip –also knows as strip steak, it’s one of the more tender cuts of beef that comes from the area below the backbone. Same area as other tender cuts like tenderloin, T-Bone, and Porterhouse steaks come from. If you’re familiar with a T-bone steak, strip steak is the larger piece of meat on the side of the T-bone. One side of the T-bone is the strip steak and the other side is the tenderloin.

Filet Mignon –also known as a tenderloin steak. A true Filet Mignon comes from the smaller, narrower end of the tenderloin. This is the leanest and yet, the most tender piece of steak. And for that reason, it’s usually the more expensive one.

Cast Iron Skillet – the best pan for cooking the steak is the cast iron skillet. It is easy to go from stove-top to the oven, hold the heat very well, and cooks evenly throughout. (If you don’t have cast iron skillet, use another pan that is oven-safe to be able to go from stove to oven.)

Leave-in Thermometer – if you’re cooking meats in the oven or grill on regular bases, invest in a instant read leave-in thermometer. It’s actually not very expensive but a must-have to cook meats. The meat temperature is measured the whole time it’s cooking and the timer will alert you when the temperature is reached. No need to open the oven and let the air out just to check the temperature.

Note: If you do not have a leave-in thermometer, use a regular instant read digital meat thermometer to take the temperature of the steaks. Just make sure to take the skillet out of the oven to take the temperature and close the oven door to keep the heat in.

Metal Tongs – tongs are best to use for flipping the steaks and holding it in place while inserting the meat thermometer. Use metal tongs to hold the steak in place while cutting it as well.

125°-130° = Rare

135°-140° = Medium-rare

145°-150° = Medium

150°-155° = Medium-well

160°-165° = Well

(*First number is when to take it out of the oven.)

What Does the Steak Grade Mean?

USDA Prime – this is the highest quality. Comes from young, well-fed cattle and has a lot of intramuscular marbling. It is not as widely available as choice quality so if you see it, I highly recommend you get it.
USDA Choice – high quality and much more widely available. These cut will have less fat content and less marbling than prime but still a good choice.
USDA Select– these are lower quality steaks and therefore much cheaper. There is less marbling so it is leaner, tougher, and less juicy.

How To Season The Steak?

When you have a good steak, the best way to season it is with salt and pepper! No need for crazy steak seasonings, let the meat shine. Finish it with a little unsalted butter at the end and those are the only three ingredients you need. The main idea here is to enhance the natural flavor of a good steak, not to cover it up.

What Are Good Sides To Serve With Steaks?

Potatoes are always our go-to to serve with steaks, so comforting and so many ways to cook them: roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, fingerling potatoes.
Vegetables make an easy light and can be a comforting side: haricots verts, pan roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, roasted carrots, sauteed mushrooms.
Salads are another nice and light options for a steak dinner: Caesar salad, apple salad, Greek salad.

What Are Some Good Steak Sauces?

When you do want a nice steak sauce, you have several options like red wine steak sauce, a delicious creamy steak sauce, and our favorite peppercorn sauce. All are super fast and simple to cook right in the skillet after you take out the steaks.

I get this question so often and it is actually my least favorite one. I can understand the ease of setting a timer and wanting the steak to take that exact time and voila, it’s perfect. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, especially when making steaks in the oven.

REMEMBER: You have to track the steak’s temperature and not the time! Each steak is different in amount of fat, thickness, muscle structure, and simply the way it will react to cooking.

To get truly the steak you want at the level of doneness that you want, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The times that I will give you below is just the estimates and to be used as a guide and not exact measurement.

For thick steaks that are around 1 1/2 inches thick and cooking at 450°:

Rare (125°) – 2 minutes to sear and 9-11 minutes in the oven

Medium-rare (135­°) – 2 minutes to sear and 13-16 minutes in the oven

Medium (145°) – 2 minutes to sear and 16-19 minutes in the oven

Medium-well (150°) – 2 minutes to sear and 18-20 minutes in the oven

Well (160°) – 2 minutes to sear and 20-24 in the oven

For thinner steaks that are around 1 inch thick and cooking at 450°:

Rare (125°) – 2 minutes to sear and in 3-4 minutes the oven

Medium-rare (135­°) – 2 minutes to sear and 5-7 minutes in the oven

Medium (145°) – 2 minutes to sear and 8-10 minutes in the oven

Medium-well (150°) – 2 minutes to sear and 10-12 minutes in the oven

Well (160°) – 2 minutes to sear and 12-15 minutes in the oven

PRO TIP: different steak thickness will take different amount of time!