Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak
On August 21, 2023 (Updated May 16, 2024)
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If you are looking for the ultimate steak, look no further than this reverse sear ribeye steak. It’s cooked to a perfect medium rare and seasoned with simple seasoning to bring out all that amazing natural flavor of a quality ribeye.
Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak
After cooking hundreds of steaks, I can confidently say that a reverse seared ribeye is the king among them. Rich and luscious ribeyes, cooked low and slow before getting a hot and fast sear to a perfect medium rare. Few things are better in the world, I tell you.
Ingredients for Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak
These steaks are cooked with simple ingredients so you taste the goodness of the meat instead of an overpowering rub. The key ingredient (besides the steak itself) is using my Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub for the seasoning. This rub is perfectly paired with steak. It contains a salt and pepper base with other seasonings to really enhance the flavor of beef. Snag a bottle today in the Hey Grill Hey Store.
- 4 ribeye steaks (12-16 ounces each and about 1.5 inches thick)
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
How to Reverse Sear a Ribeye Steak
Now that you have everything you need to make this recipe, let’s get into the process. Here’s how to reverse sear a ribeye steak.
- Preheat. Fire up the grill to 225 degrees F for two-zone cooking (one direct heat side of the grill and one indirect heat side of the grill).
- Season. Sprinkle the steaks liberally with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub and press the seasoning into the meat.
- Grill. Place the seasoned steaks on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and cook the meat until it is within 10 degrees of your final target temperature.
- Sear. Move the steaks over to the direct heat side of the grill and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks when they reach your target temperature for your preferred doneness. Refer to my post about Internal Temperature for Meat for more information.
- Rest. Remove the ribeyes from the grill and top them with salted butter. Allow the steaks to rest while the butter melts for around 10 minutes.
- Serve. Once the steaks have had a moment to rest, serve them alongside your favorite side dishes.
How Long to Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak
It will take approximately 1 hour for 1.5-inch thick steaks to hit 120 degrees (for medium rare steaks).
This time may vary depending on how thick your steaks are and how done you prefer your meat. Be sure to monitor the temperature of your ribeye steak while it is on the grill and gauge its doneness based on the temperature and not the time. For a quick refresher on doneness, check out my post for Internal Temperatures for Meat.
If you’re in the market for an awesome instant-read thermometer, I can’t recommend ThermoWorks Thermapen highly enough.
Tips for Reverse Searing Ribeye Steaks
This method works on all types of grills. Pellet grills, charcoal grills, propane grills. You just need to make your grill work for you. Two-zone heat (meaning high heat on one side and no heat on the other) is your friend for gas and propane. A low-heat smoke and heating a cast iron skillet on your stovetop or a gas burner is your best bet for a pellet grill. The goal is low heat to start and high heat to finish.
Check the temperature. The internal temperature of your meat is the key to this whole process working out perfectly. Here’s a little guide to help you out for the first low-temp step of your cook where you want the steak to reach 10 degrees lower than your target finished temperature:
- 110 degrees F for rare
- 120 degrees F for medium rare
- 130 degrees F for medium
- 140 degrees F for medium well
- 150 degrees F for well done
Lastly, USE THE BUTTER. There is a tiny step at the end of the cooking process that calls for a little bit of butter on each hot steak. Don’t skip this. It makes for the tastiest steaks. If you think about it, you’re just getting more yummy beef fat on your meat, and it makes a huge difference.
More Reverse Seared Recipes
Check out these other delicious reverse sear steak recipes from Hey Grill Hey. If you loved the taste of this ribeye steak, you need to try this process on tomahawk steaks, tri tips, and more!
- Perfect Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak
- Reverse Seared Steak on the Grill
- Reverse Sear Tri Tip
Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak Recipe
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Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak
Ingredients
- 4 12-16 ounces each ribeye steak about 1.5 inches thick
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your grill or smoker to 225 degrees F for two-zone cooking. This means that half of your grill will have heat directly under the grates and the other half will have no heat under the grates.
- Season. Season your steaks with Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning or your favorite spice blend. Make sure to press the seasonings into the meat with the flat of your hand as opposed to just sprinkling them on.
- Grill. Place the steaks on the indirect heat side of the grill and close the lid. Cook the steaks at 225 degrees F until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 10 degrees lower than your target finished temperature. (110 degrees F for rare, 120 for medium rare, 130 for medium, 140 for medium well, 150 for well done). Use an internal thermometer to check the temperature. It will take approximately 1 hour for 1.5-inch thick steaks to hit 120 degrees (for medium rare steaks).
- Sear. Once your steaks reach their target temperature for the first cook, it is time for the sear. Move the steaks over to the direct heat, high-temperature side of the grill. Leave the lid open and sear each side of your steak for approximately 2-3 minutes. Cook your steaks to the following temperature for your desired doneness:120 degrees F for rare, 130 for medium rare, 140 for medium, 150 for medium well, and 160 degrees F for well done.
- Rest and serve. Move the steaks to your serving platter and top with a tablespoon of butter on each. Rest the steaks for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
