This pan-seared ribeye steak is easy to make, juicy, tender, and loaded with tons of flavor that everyone will love. Of course, there is always the question of which method is the best for preparing steak, but this tasty steak is undeniably delicious. Your ribeye will be seared to perfection whether you choose to add some garlic cloves and fresh herbs or not.
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As we live in the North, we have come to really appreciate a perfectly pan-seared steak. Now don't get me wrong, I love grilling steak as much as anyone else.
However, when it's already covered in snow outside with below-freezing temperatures and an intense wind chill...well, I'm just not going to brave the elements. Seriously, we had blizzards this week before Valentine's Day. Definitely not going out to eat.
This steak turns out absolutely tender and tasty each and every time as this pan-seared method is so easy to do!
🥘 Ingredients
The beauty of steak is that it doesn't need many ingredients in order to taste fantastic. Just grab a few spices and some butter, and let the natural flavor shine.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for searing your steak.
- Ribeye Steak - An 8-ounce ribeye is the perfect size for this recipe!
- Steak Seasoning - ½ tablespoon of steak seasoning. I love my homemade blend, but you can use a store-bought version if you like.
- Butter - 1 tablespoon of butter. Use a type of butter with high-fat content, like Irish or other European kinds of butter.
- Fresh Herbs (optional) - Rosemary and thyme are my preferred herbs. They add tons of flavor, but you can still enjoy a tasty steak without them.
- Garlic Cloves (optional) - 2 garlic cloves that have been peeled and left whole.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Pan Sear Ribeye Steak
Pan-searing steak is not a difficult task. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be making it all the time. Go ahead and grab your cast iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed skillet), some tongs, and a meat thermometer.
This recipe is written for one ribeye, but you can easily scale it up to accompany as many steaks as you need.
Prepare the Steak
- Heat. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a medium-large skillet or frying pan and bring it to medium-high heat, making sure that it is really HOT before you place your steak(s) in the pan.
- Season the ribeye. Coat both sides of your 8-ounce ribeye steak with a very small amount of olive oil (grape seed oil works, too), spreading the oil to evenly cover both surfaces and edges. Season the side facing up with ½ tablespoon of steak seasoning.
Cook and Serve
- Sear. Place your steak in the pan, seasoned side down, and then season the side of the steak that is facing upward. Do not move the steak until you are ready to flip it over to cook the other side. If your steak is about 1" thick, cook the first side for 3-4 minutes. If it is 1½" thick, let it cook for about 5 minutes (for medium rare).
- Turn the steak and cook for the same amount of time, depending on the steak thickness (3-4 minutes for a 1" thick steak or 5 minutes for a 1½" thick steak). The fat should all be rendered from the steak when done, and the internal temperature should be about 135ºF (57ºC).
- Baste. Place 1 tablespoon of butter (plus the optional 2 cloves of garlic and fresh herbs) in the pan. Once you have turned your steak(s), let it melt, then spoon over the cooked side of your steak (basting or 'arroser') while you finish cooking.
- Rest. Remove the cooked steak from the frying pan or skillet, allowing the steak to REST for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
You can pair with so many different things, check out my list of what to serve with ribeye steak for some tasty ideas. Enjoy!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- By allowing your steak to reach room temperature, your steak will cook faster and not end up completely raw on the inside. You get a beautiful even cook by doing this, even for only 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Adding salt too soon to your steak will draw out moisture. I suggest adding your steak seasoning literally right before you cook the steak. The suggested timing is that your salt and seasoning should be on the steaks less than three minutes before cooking!
- A really hot pan is needed to achieve a great sear. How hot? Very hot; your oil in the pan should just be starting to smoke.
- Be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point. Olive oil works and this is typically what I use, but light olive oil actually has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil.
- The cast iron skillet caramelizes the steaks better and results in a better flavor. However, that is a personal preference so any medium to large skillet or frying pan will work.
- If you are cooking more than one ribeye at a time, it is important not to crowd your frying pan or skillet. If you need to, use multiple pans or cook your steaks in batches.
- Typically, the resting period of your steaks (or any meat) is half the total cooking time.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftover ribeye stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few days at most.
I have an entire guide on the best ways to reheat steak so make sure to take a look at it! For an easy and tasty leftover steak, simply pop it in the oven at 250 °F (120 °C) until heated through to your liking.
❓ Recipe FAQs
The arroser technique (or basting) is spooning the melted butter and fat drippings in the pan up and over your cooking steak in the last 1 to 3 minutes. Sometimes, garlic cloves and fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme are added to the butter to add great flavor.
Adding this very simple technique will blow you away and completely change your cooking on almost any steak cooked in a pan. It keeps your steaks tender and juicy and helps to finish off the cooking evenly.
Ribeye steak is a super versatile cut that tastes fantastic both ways (and even baked in the oven!) Check out my grilled ribeye and baked ribeye so you can decide which method is your favorite!
Typically, you'll want to rest your steak (or any type of meat) for about half the time that it took to cook. For this recipe, 5-10 minutes of resting should be sufficient. You'll always want to make sure that you rest your meat in order to ensure a juicy and flavorful steak!
🥩 What To Serve With Ribeye Steak
- Twice Baked Potatoes - Potatoes and steak are a match made in Heaven.
- Garlic Green Beans - These easy-to-make green beans are a quick and tasty veggie side dish.
- Sauteed Broccolini - Broccolini has a milder flavor when compared to broccoli, but it is still super tasty.
- Turmeric Rice - Fluffy rice is loaded with flavor from turmeric and other spices.
- Vermicelli Rice - A tasty dish that combines vermicelli pasta and basmati rice.
- Bacon Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes - This recipe uses bacon and cream cheese to take your mashed potatoes to the next level.
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📖 Recipe Card
Perfect Pan Seared Ribeye Steak
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 8 oz ribeye steak
- ½ tablespoon steak seasoning (see recipe)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- fresh herbs (optional, rosemary and thyme are my first choice)
- 2 garlic cloves (optional, peeled and left whole)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Bring a medium to large skillet or frying pan to medium high heat, making sure that it is really HOT before you place your steak(s) in the pan.
- Coat both sides of your steak with olive oil, spreading the oil to evenly cover both surfaces and edges. Season the side facing up with my steak seasoning, using your finger tips to press the seasoning in to set it firmly on the steak ( do not rub it onto the steak as the seasoning can be more heavily concentrated in areas if done this way ). Season the fatty sides for extra flavor!
- Place the steak in the pan, seasoned side down and then season the side of the steak that is facing upward. Do not move the steak until you are ready to flip it over to cook the other side. If your steak is about 1" thick, cook the first side for 3-4 minutes, if it is 1 ½" thick let it cook for about 5 minutes ( for medium rare ).
- Turn the steak and cook for the same amount of time, depending on the steak thickness ( 3-4 minutes for 1" thick steak, or 5 minutes for a 1 ½" thick steak ). The fat should all be rendered from the steak when done, and the internal temperature should be about 135℉ (57℃).
- Place the butter, garlic, and herbs into the pan once you have turned your steak(s), let it melt, then spoon over the cooked side of your steak ( basting or 'arroser' ) while you finish cooking.
- Remove the cooked steak from the frying pan or skillet and tent a square of aluminum foil over it, allowing the steak to rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Forrest Aldrich says
I can confirm, that this is a wonderful approach. The spices really make a difference, as does the method of searing and basting in butter. Finally, I did this right! Thank you.
Tom says
Excellent recipe!
We cooked a 1 1/2 pound ribeye, using your notes as a guide, and it turned out fantastic. The flourish of rosemary butter at the end was the perfect addition.
So easy and so simple. Thank you!
Christie White says
This is amazing, the best method to make a ribeye steak for sure! The added butter is fantastic and adds a whole added richness!!! Thank you.
Tina says
I loved how easy this was thanks!
Teddy says
Never have cooked a steak in the pan, this was really awesome it totally worked i am so excited, thank you for the recipe!
Eric L says
The butter added here, made my ribeye steak so tasty and tender. I will use this recipe 100%^ in the future, thanks!
Kimberly says
There have been a lot of wild fires in Texas lately so burn bans were in effect. I was afraid to even fire up the grill. This recipe is awesome! I’m glad I have a cast iron pan. The steaks were tender juicy and delicious!!!
Florida Kat says
I usually do pan-fried steaks (easier for me), but this was the very BEST recipe ever. I don’t have cast iron, but use my IronClad nonstick pan, and it sears really well when heated on a high temp. I think the butter and basting once I turned the steak made all the difference (everything is better with butter)! Didn’t have any fresh herbs, and forgot to add some garlic cloves, but turned out great. Husband and I split a nice thick ribeye with fried onions, baked potato and corn on the cob. We don’t often indulge like this, but it was the best steak we’ve had in a LONG time!
Ann says
I tried the recipe and the steak was so delicious. When I ate the steak for dinner and the leftovers the next night, the steak was so tender and juicy. I love this recipe and will continue to use it in the future every time I cook steak for dinner. Thank you for this recipe.
Miko says
Omg i did tried this recipe for dinner today and it was awesome. Usually my steaks are dry and not juicy enough, buti followed step by step and it was a hit. Thanks.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Awesome! We love hearing that! Thanks for coming back to share your success!!
Timothy Wanner Jones says
I tried your recipe and the steak was marvelous.
Anonymous says
Delicious and good directions. Thank you.
Dru says
Was very good tender family enjoyed it
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Fantastic to hear, thanks for letting us know you enjoyed it!
Stephanie says
When do the garlics make their entrance?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
At the same time as when you add the butter and herbs, of course, they can also be in the pan during the whole cooking time. At the least, they add flavor to the butter for the arroser (basting) while cooking the second side of the steaks. Hope that helps!
Jaine Blaize says
Ok but where does the butter come in?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Sorry! Once you turn the steak(s) to cook the second side, add your pat(s) of butter and let them melt in the pan. Then spoon the melted butter over the cooked side of your steak(s) that are facing upward in the pan. That's what the butter is for, and it makes your steak turn out even better 🙂 Enjoy!
shaquille hanna says
thankyou for sharing it 🙂