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Slices of medium-rare steak on a cutting board.

Juicy Cast Iron Skillet Steak

Needing steak dinner ideas? I always do. Steak recipes are very popular in this household since I've got a bunch of carnivores that are hungry ALL the time. Juicy Cast Iron Skillet Steak is one of our favorites because the cast iron skillet cooking method guarantees a juicy, tender, medium-rare steak experience every single time.
Servings: 2 servings
Chef Alli
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 rib-eye steaks or 1 t-bone steak, about 1 1/2-inches thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions
 

  • 1-2 hours prior to when you want to cook the steaks, remove them from refrigeration to let them rest, still uncovered, on the kitchen counter.
    When the rib-eyes have had 1-2 hours of beauty rest on the counter, pat them dry with paper towels, then season each one once more with a sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    kosher salt and black pepper, 2 rib-eye steaks or 1 t-bone steak, about 1 1/2-inches thick
  • Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat until almost smoking hot; add the oil and butter to the skillet at that point.
    When the fats are sizzling, add the steaks, side-by-side in the skillet but not touching each other, searing each one on both sides, approx. 1-2 minutes per side, until the exterior of each steak is deeply browned and crusty.
    **Don't play with the steaks when they are searing! Otherwise they can't brown nicely.
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Once the steaks are nicely seared on the exterior of both sides, turn the heat to medium, continuing to cook the steaks, until the internal temperatures reaches 120 degrees F. at the center of each steak when tested with an instant-read meat thermometer.
    Remove the skillet from the heat, covering it tightly with foil, letting the steaks rest for 10 additional minutes. **Please Note: This resting time after cooking is essential for tender and juicy steaks!!
    During this final 10 minutes of resting time, the steaks will continue to cook from residual heat, raising to the perfect medium-rare internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F.
  • If you are slicing the steaks, place the rib-eyes onto a cutting board and slice across the grain into fat slices, or as preferred. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips for the Best Cast Iron Skillet Steak

  • Start with a good quality steak. We prefer rib eye, t-bone, porterhouse, and KC strip
  • Make sure you give the steak plenty of beauty rest before cooking it and 10 minutes after cooking it - this is ultra important!! 
  • Always preheat your cast iron skillet so the steak will get a nice sear when it's hits the surface.  Preheating should take just a couple of minutes and you want the butter and oil in the skillet to be shimmering, almost smoking. 
  • Dabbing the steaks dry with paper towels makes for a drier exterior which means you'll get a more crispy sear to enjoy. 
  • Always use an instant read thermometer to test the internal temperature. No one wants an an overcooked (medium well) steak! And, using an instant read meat thermometer means you won't have to cut into the steak to check the doneness - this wastes precious steak juices needlessly.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 46gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 119mgPotassium: 609mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 384IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Chef Alli is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate.

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