Quick Look at How to Grill a Perfect Steak EVERY TIME!
- Ready In: 20 minutes!
- Serves: 2
- Main Ingredients: steaks of choice, salt and pepper!
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
- Best For: quick weeknight dinner, backyard cookout, special occasion, Valentine’s Day, 4th of July
- Why You’ll Love It: Everyone, including beginners, should know the basics of how to grill a perfect steak on the gas grill! Follow along as I share all of the pro tips and tricks learned over MANY years of cooking steaks on our Weber gas grill. You will quickly become a grill master and impress everyone at your next cookout!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Steaks – option to use any cut of steak (i.e. NY strip, ribeye, filet mignon, etc). They can all use the same grilling technique but some will cook longer than others.
- Kosher Salt + Ground Black Pepper – always a must when cooking any cut of meat.
How To Prepare Steaks For The Grill
- Room Temperature: take steaks out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
- Pat Dry: use a paper towel to pat steaks and remove excess moisture. This helps the steaks get a better sear.
- Season or Marinate: whether using salt + pepper, the best steak dry rub or quick steak marinade, it is best to add a little seasoning!
How To Grill A Perfect Steak
Step 1 – Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2 – Option to also add flavor with a marinade or dry rub.
Flavor Variations
A really nice cut of steak will be delicious with just some salt and pepper, but feel free to use a homemade steak dry rub, easy steak marinade, or quick steak fajita marinade to get even more flavor!
Step 3 – Sear steaks for 3-4 minutes per side and finish to desired internal temp.
Step 4 – Let steaks rest for at least 5 minutes.
Grill Temperature for Steak
The best temperature to grill a steak is high heat (450-550 degrees F). After cleaning the grill grates, spray it with a grill-worthy non-stick spray and then turn it up to 450-500 degrees F.
Internal Temperature Chart for Steak
Keep track of internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the steak (on the side, not the top). Here are the temperature ranges to look for (depending up on how you like your steak done):
- Rare (still quite red): 120 – 130 degrees F
- Medium-Rare (pinkish red): 130 – 140 degrees F
- Medium (pink): 140 – 145 degrees F
- Medium-Well (a little pink): 145 – 155 degrees F
- Well-Done (no pink): 160 degrees F
After the quick sear, steaks can be moved to indirect heat to finish cooking.
Best Ways To Use Grilled Steak
There are a variety of different ways to serve a perfeçtly grilled steak! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Solo: serve it up with some garlic herb butter or sautéed mushrooms and onions on top!
- Salad: cut into pieces and enjoy on our easy steak salad recipe.
- Tacos: try our incredible grilled steak tacos with chipotle lime sauce.
- Rice Bowls: toss some on a street corn steak rice bowl for dinner!
- Side Dishes to go with Grilled Steak: keep it all on the grill with grilled potato wedges and grilled asparagus.
Other Simple Steak Recipes For Dinner You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 2 steaks (NY strip, ribeye, filet mignon), 1-inch thick
- kosher salt & ground black pepper
Optional Marinade or Seasoning:
Instructions
- Prep: Clean grill and preheat to a High Heat (450-550℉).
- Season: Put 2 steaks (NY strip, ribeye, filet mignon) on a plate and season with kosher salt & ground black pepper on both sides. Set aside until the outdoor grill is hot (option to use a simple steak marinade or swap out the salt and pepper for my steak dry rub for grilling).
- Grill: Place steaks on grill grates over direct heat, close grill, and turn the heat down slightly. Let sear for 3-4 minutes. Flip steaks, keeping them over direct heat, and close the lid. Let cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Internal Temp: Open the lid and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature at the thickest part of each steak. If the steak hasn't reached your desired internal temperature (see Notes) then move steak to indirect heat (I usually just turn off the middle burner and move the steaks there) until they do reach your desired temperature.
- Rest + Serve: Remove steaks from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. We love serving our grilled steak with this easy herbed butter or sautéed mushrooms and onions!
Notes
- Filet Mignon: most filets are thicker than 1-inch. You still want to sear them on both sides for 3-4 minutes and then move to indirect heat until they have reached your desired temperature.
- Fattier Cuts + Marinades: If cooking a fattier meat, like ribeye, you need to be extra careful of flare-ups (this can also happen with marinated steak, be sure to shake off excess marinade before grilling). Keep a water spray bottle nearby and don’t be afraid to spray the flames to keep them tamed or, if that isn’t working, move steaks to indirect heat sooner.
- Internal Temperature: Rare: 120-130 degrees F; Medium – Rare: 130-140 degrees F; Medium: 140-145 degrees F; Medium-Well: 145-155 degrees F; Well: 160 degrees F.
- Leftovers: store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. We love using leftovers to make this simple steak salad recipe!
- Nutrition Info will vary depending on the type of steaks you choose!
Nutrition
Originally published 5/27/16. Updated on 5/24/21 with additional information and updated pictures.
Bridget says
Thank you – this was super helpful!
daman gem says
This post is so helpful! I never knew the importance of resting the steak before cutting into it. Can’t wait to try the tips and impress my friends at the next BBQ! 🍖🔥
Bridget Montag says
Nothing better than a perfectly grilled steak! Thanks for coming back to leave a review!
Sound of Text says
Great tips on grilling the perfect steak! I’ll definitely try this method next time I fire up my grill. Thanks for sharing!
four pics says
I love this method of grilling a steak! It’s so easy and the steak comes out perfect every time.
Jen says
I grilled a few ribeyes last night following your instructions and they were excellent! Typically I sear steaks in a cast iron on the stove but now I’ll do them on the grill since they turned out so well!
Erin says
So glad to hear that, Jen!
Donna Merrill says
Hi Erin,
I came across your website while looking up on how to cook steak! Just a question though, if you don’t put oil, will the steak burn or stick to the pan?
~ Donna
Erin says
Hi, Donna! Thanks for the question – most likely yes, if you don’t put oil or butter (or ghee) or something similar in the pan first, the steak will stick to the pan to some extent. This depends upon the type of pan, of course, but the oil or butter/ghee adds flavor and also helps prevent that sticking. Hope that helps!!