The Best Way to Cook a Perfect Steak Without a Grill

Craving a perfectly cooked steak but don’t have access to an outdoor grill? No problem! With the right tools and techniques, you can prepare a perfectly cooked steak with a delicious crust, juicy center and tender interior—all without an outdoor grill.

Whether you're preparing a New York strip, filet mignon, or ribeye steak, the methods described in this post will help you achieve the best results every time. Let’s explore the top cooking methods for cooking steak indoors. Whether it’s your first time or you’re looking to perfect your technique, this guide will show you the best way to cook steak with minimal effort and maximum flavor, all inside your kitchen.

Jump to:

• Choosing the Right Cut of Steak
• Preparing Your Steak for Cooking
• Choose Your Cooking Method
• Storage
• Top Tips
• Final Thoughts
• Related

Choosing the Right Cut of Steak

The first step in cooking the perfect steak is selecting the right type of steak. Some popular choices include:

• New York Strip: A great balance of tenderness and flavor
• Filet Mignon: A tender steak with minimal fat
• T-Bone: A New York Strip and a Filet Mignon in one big steak with a bone
• Porterhouse: A T-Bone with larger portions of the New York Strip and Filet.
• Ribeye: Known for its marbling and rich flavor
• Top Sirloin: A budget-friendly cut that still delivers great flavor

Thicker steaks, like filet mignon and ribeye, are ideal for techniques involving high temperatures and longer cooking times. Thinner steak require less time but can still be prepared with a flavorful crust.

Preparing Your Steak for Cooking

1. Bring the Steak to Room Temperature: Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If you put a cold steak on a hot skillet, the outside will be way overdone by the time the inside reaches medium-rare.
2. Pat it Dry with Paper Towels: To achieve that crispy crust and the Maillard Reaction, the steak needs to be dry. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
3. Season Steaks Generously: Season both sides of the steak with freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt to bring out the flavor and help create the perfect crust on the outside.
4. Prepare Your Tools: Make sure that you have everything you need before you start cooking. You will need an instant read meat thermometer, aluminum foil, vegetable oil, and an exhaust fan (to avoid setting off smoke alarms).

Choose Your Cooking Method

Now you need to choose how you are going to cook your steak. The four most popular ways to cook a steak without a grill are:

• Searing in a cast-iron skillet and finishing in an oven
• Starting in an oven and reverse searing in a cast-iron skillet
• Cooking sous vide techniques and finishing with a reverse sear
• Broiling in the oven

Let’s explore each in more detail.

Method 1: Cast-Iron Skillet with Oven Finish

A cast-iron skillet and oven combo is a great way to cook a steak indoors. Using a cast-iron skillet in the best pan for searing because it retains heat really well. With this technique, you can prepare a juicy, flavorful steak with a crispy crust that rivals any steakhouse.

1. Preheat Your Oven: Set the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the Skillet: Heat a cast-iron skillet on the range top over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until it’s piping hot. A hot skillet is critical for developing a crust without overcooking. Cast iron take a long time to heat up but, once hot, has excellent heat retention properties. Add a little bit of oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil, to the pan. You only need enough to lightly coat the surface. Olive oil has a low smoke point and is not suitable for searing. It’s OK if it smokes, just make sure to have the exhaust fan turned on.
3. Sear the Steak: Place the steak in the hot pan and let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Avoid the temptation to flip it too early, it will just tear off the crust. The Maillard Reaction develops a better crust if left undisturbed. Flip the steak over and sear the other side for another 3 minutes. If it sticks, let it cook for another 10-15 seconds and try again. The steak should form a golden-brown crust on each side.
4. Finish in the Oven: Transfer the steak to a wire rack over a baking sheet and cook in the oven. There are two reasons for transferring the steak to the wire rack for cooking in the oven. First, if you used a carbon-steel pan instead of a cast-iron skillet, many carbon-steel pans are not oven safe. A lot of them have enameled handles that cannot take the heat of the oven. Second, the cast-iron skillet is likely much hotter than 400°F. If you put the cast-iron skillet in the oven, all of that excess heat that is in the cast-iron will continue to cook the underside of the steak. The result will be a steak that is more done on one side. Finishing the steak on a wire rack solves both problems. Remember, your steak will continue to cook after removing it from the heat. The internal temperature will go up about 5°F while resting.
5. Rest the Steak: Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes for a juicy steak.

Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak and your desired level of doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature:

• Rare: 120-125°F
• Medium-Rare: 130-135°F
• Medium: 140-145°F

Method 2: Cast Iron Skillet with Reverse Sear

The reverse sear method is a great way to cook a thick steak to perfection. Cast iron pans retain heat exceptionally well, ensuring a crispy crust on the outside while keeping the inside tender.

1. Preheat Your Oven: Set the oven to 250°F. Place the steak on a wire rack over a baking sheet and cook in the oven until the internal temperature is 10-15°F below your target level of doneness.
2. Rest the Steak: Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes for a juicy steak.
3. Heat the Skillet: While the steak is resting, heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until it’s piping hot. Add a little bit of oil with a high smoke point to the pan.
4. Sear for a Perfect Crust: Remove the steak from the oven and sear it in the piping hot pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately. The steak does not need to rest again.

Ribeye with reverse sear in a cast-iron skillet.

Method 3: Sous Vide with Reverse Sear

For precise temperature control, sous vide is the best method for perfectly cooked steak.

1. Sous Vide Preparation: Season the steak and vacuum-seal it in a bag. Set the sous vide to your desired internal temperature (e.g., 128°F for medium-rare).
2. Cook in the Water Bath: Submerge the steak in the sous vide water bath and cook for 1-2.5 hours, depending on thickness. This method also works well with a frozen steak.
3. Heat the Skillet: When the steak is almost done, heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until it’s piping hot. Add a little bit of oil with a high smoke point to the pan.
4. Sear in a Hot Skillet: After sous vide cooking, pat the steak dry with a paper towel, then sear it in a cast-iron pan for 1-2 minutes on each side.
5. Serve the Steak Immediately: There is no need to rest a steak that is cooked using the sous vide method.

Filet Mignon steaks in a sous vide water bath.

Method 4: Broiling in the Oven

Broiling is an easy way to cook steak indoors, but it won’t have the perfect sear that you would get in cast iron.

1. Preheat the Broiler: Place the oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler element.
2. Prepare the Steak: Pat the steak dry, season generously, and place on a broiler pan or a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
3. Broil the Steak: Cook the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness and desired doneness. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.
4. Rest the Steak: Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.

Storage

Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Final Thoughts

All of these methods will create a great steak with a perfect sear. My personal preference is cook the steak using the sous vide method followed by a hot sear in cast iron. The reason is that it produces a perfect edge-to-edge medium-rare steak with a delicious crust.

Make sure to slice the steak against the grain for maximum tenderness. Pair it with side dishes like Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Guanciale, Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes or a Spinach Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette.

By following these easy step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn to cook a terrific steak without an outdoor grill and enjoy restaurant-quality results at home.

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