When you are hungry for a gorgeous ribeye steak but are pressed for time, only the grill will do, especially if you need to keep the mess out of the kitchen! We’re here to show you how to grill a ribeye steak perfectly every time. Beautiful char, tender and juicy inside, perfect finish, and all the best flavor. What could be better?
✔️ Why This Works
Simply the best. Ribeye is unarguably some of the best meat money can buy. This flavorful cut comes from the prime rib and it’s rich in flavor and juiciness, easy to cook, and nicely tender – the perfectly balanced meat. You can get a more tender cut of beef (filet mignon) and maybe a technically more flavorful cut (New York Strip), but you cannot get a better marriage of the two than ribeye.
Classic Indulgence. If you are having guests or loved ones over for dinner, nothing says generous, thoughtful host like grilled ribeye on the plate. It’s one of those classics with which you cannot go wrong unless you are serving vegetarians.
Simple Instructions. As long as you know what your target temperature is and you don’t forget that you are cooking, it is hard to screw up following our step-by-step instructions for how to grill a ribeye steak.
🛒 Ingredients
Ribeye – Here’s how to pick a good ribeye. First, look for the prime or choice label. You want to find bright, clean-looking, red meat with no grainy areas, brown or yellow sections, or mushy-looking areas. It should have consistent marbling.
The steak we chose was about 1 to 1 1/2″ thick. Thickness does matter because if it is too thin, it will be hard to keep it even the slightest bit pink in the center, and if it is too thick, it will be hard to get the innermost part even slightly warm before the outside is burned.
A bone-in rib eye steak will always be more appealing to me but feel free to choose a boneless cut if that is your preference.
Seasonings – You will make a homemade Montreal seasoning blend using garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, oregano, paprika, red pepper, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper. You will have extra to save.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
- Grill. We used the Big Green Egg which is a Kamado-style charcoal grill but you can also use a gas grill, a pellet grill, or an electric grill with excellent results.
- BBQ Tongs
- Seasoning Shaker
- Wireless Meat Thermometer
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Pull the meat out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about twenty minutes. Preheat your grill to 425°F to 450°F. The high heat will give your steak the perfect sear without overcooking the meat.
Step Two: Mix all of the seasonings in a small bowl.
Step Three: Spread the seasoning all over the meat on both sides. We like to use a small shaker when we can or just spoon it over the meat. Just be careful not to touch the meat with your spoon because you will have extra seasoning to save if it doesn’t get contaminated.
Step Four: Place the meat directly on the grill grates, and sear it for 3-5 minutes on each side, turning 90º halfway through on each side to get diamond-shaped grill marks.
Step Five: Continue grilling the meat until it reaches your desired doneness. Use an Instant Read Thermometer and base doneness on internal temperature since the grill time can vary based on the steak thickness and your grilling temp. For ribeye steak, we usually aim for a medium-rare finish.
- Medium Rare: 130°F-135°F
- Medium: 140°F-145°F
- Medium Well: 150°F-155°F
- Well Done: 160°F-165°F.
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t forget to pull the meat out of the fridge at least 20 minutes ahead of time. Bringing the meat to room temperature helps the ribeye steak cook more evenly.
- Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, lightly tented in aluminum foil before serving. This step is essential as it will allow the juices to redistribute inside the meat, keeping it moist.
- Don’t get hung up on what kind of salt to use. Kosher salt, pink Himalayan salt, or regular table salt will work just as well.
- Use a lid large enough to cover the steak if you experience any flare-ups. This will eliminate any charred steak.
🍳How To Cook Ribeye On The Stovetop
No grill? Your trusty stovetop can deliver an amazing rib eye if you cook it correctly. Here’s what you need to do.
- Take out the ribeye from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or another heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat (as you can see, it will be very similar to the grilling method) for 5 minutes.
- When the skillet is well heated, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add in the steaks, making sure there is some space left between them.
- Sear the steaks over medium-high heat and flip halfway through the cooking time. As a rough estimate, for a medium-rare finish, a 1-inch steak will need 12-14 minutes of cooking time, while a 1 1/2-inch steak will be ready in 14-16 minutes.
Note: Always cook your steak based on its internal temperature and use a meat thermometer to measure it accurately. For medium-rare your target temp is 130-135°F.
🧑🍳 Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover steak in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four or five days. It is easier to reheat if you cut it into strips or cubes.
You can freeze leftover steak for up to six months in a deep freeze, kept in an airtight container or freezer-quality plastic bag that zips.
You can do almost anything with leftover ribeye! One of our favorite ways to enjoy it is with breakfast the next morning – steak and eggs! It also works great on a sandwich, on your salad, on a baked potato, in a taco, quesadilla, or enchiladas, in a potato soup added right at the end just long enough to heat through, in a stir fry, with pasta, alfredo, and gorgonzola cheese, or straight up steak just like you enjoyed it the first time. You really cannot go wrong with steak leftovers unless you cooked it well-done on the grill and then tried to microwave it too long.
Don’t microwave leftover steak. The best way to reheat it is on the stovetop in a hot cast iron skillet, in an air fryer, or the oven. I like to cut it into cubes because that makes it faster to reheat, and it doesn’t dry out as much.
🌶️Additions and Substitutions
- We love using this homemade Montreal seasoning, but there is nothing wrong with buying a steak seasoning blend, either. We do both! If you need the easy button this week, by all means, purchase a pre-mixed steak seasoning blend instead.
- Did you find New York Strip, T-Bones, or Porterhouse Steaks instead? The method for grilling these steaks is essentially the same. Check out our New York Strip vs Ribeye and Porterhouse vs Ribeye comparisons to see the differences between these cuts. And if you never cooked these types of steak before, check out our recipes for grilled Porterhouse steak, grilled T-Bone steak, Perfect Tomahawk Steak and smoked New York Strip.
- Some people like to use steak sauce; I like to add a pat of butter to my hot steak on the plate instead. It gives the steak a richer taste that never disappoints!
- Get fancy and serve this gorgeous ribeye with a blue cheese sauce or some compound butter.
🍽️Serving Suggestions
It is my humble opinion that ribeye can serve as a meal all unto itself. Hey! I like protein, okay? If you aren’t a fan of that approach, add anything your heart desires. A green salad and mashed potatoes is a classic pairing.
A smoked baked potato, grilled beer corn on the cob, or sweet potatoes grilled in foil are iconic side dishes for steaks. A plate of crispy fries covered in bacon and cheese is decadent.
Fresh-baked rolls are over the top. I will tell you the easiest way to get fresh-baked rolls: buy the brown-and-serve or frozen varieties at your grocery store and follow the instructions on the package.
Of course, it’s also possible to lighten up this meal, considering ribeye is pretty filling on its own. You can always choose a veggie side such as grilled carrots with balsamic glaze or grilled broccolini to pair with your steak.
🥩More Ribeye Steak Recipes
Looking to upgrade your ribeye grilling game? There are so many ways to enjoy this tasty cut!
The ribeye cap, also known as spinalis steak has amazing flavor and texture. My grilled ribeye cap steak is a must-try for all BBQ enthusiasts.
A thick cut like the Cowboy benefits from using the reverse sear method. This grilled reverse-sear Cowboy ribeye turns out perfect every time and makes for a showstopping dish to impress your guests!
Herb butter adds a touch of magic to the classic ribeye. With an added smoky touch, we find ourselves coming back to this herb butter grilled rib-eye steak again and again.
When you have some extra time on your hands, smoked ribeye steak is definitely worth the longer wait. The rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth experience will be impossible to forget.
❓ Recipe FAQ
You want a good sear of three to five minutes on each side, and then you need to keep cooking the ribeye until it reaches the right temperature for your desired level of doneness. This could take anywhere from five to twenty more minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak, grill temperature, presence of bone, and how cooked you want it. For the perfect medium-rare steak, grill until the internal temperature reaches 130°F-135°F.
Two things. One, pull it out of the fridge so that it can get close to room temperature before you grill. Two, coat it lightly in seasoning on both sides before grilling on a preheated grill.
A light covering of seasoning is perfect; you don’t want too much or too little. You can go as simple as salt, pepper, and garlic, or get the fanciest steak seasoning you can find. Ribeye has so much flavor on its own; the seasoning is there to take it over the top.
Yes, but it’s a delicate balance. Oiling the steak helps achieve a more even sear and prevents sticking to the grill. A thin layer of a high-smoke-point oil like canola or grapeseed is ideal. However, too much oil can cause flare-ups and impart a greasy flavor. Also, if you’re aiming for a pure beef taste, adding oil might slightly alter the flavor profile. A light coat of oil can enhance grilling, but moderation is key to avoid any drawbacks. I usually choose a well marbled ribeye, in which case, it has enough fat to keep it from sticking to the grill grates without any oil added.
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How to Grill a Ribeye Steak
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
Homemade Montreal Seasoning
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- ½ tsp mustard
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
Homemade Montreal Seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings together and stir to combine well. This will make ¾ of a cup of seasoning. You will NOT use all of this for the steak. Place the homemade Montreal seasoning into a seasoning shaker.
How to Grill a Ribeye Steak
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes (that is the prep time noted above) to bring the steaks to room temperature.
- Using a shaker, shake the seasoning on all sides of the steak and rub it into the meat.
- Heat up the grill to 425°F to 450°F.
- Place the steaks on the grill and cook 3-5 minutes each side. Optional: Rotate the meat half way 90 degrees to capture the cross hatch marks from the grill grate.
- Grill until the meat reaches the internal temperature you desire. Medium rare: 130°F-135°F Medium: 140°F-145°F Medium Well: 150°F-155°F and Well Done: 160°F-165°F.
Nutrition
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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