No Fail Pan-Seared Stove Top Steak (VIDEO)

This no-fail pan-seared stovetop steak recipe teaches you how to make a gourmet comfort food dinner that rivals what you get at a fancy steak house!  An easy way for cooking steak on a stove with no fancy ingredients necessary. The steak is the best way to get perfectly seared edges and tender, juicy meat inside at any temperature doneness you desire.  Topped with a steak house butter for deliciousness in each bite.

Nothing beats a great steak dinner in my book. Being from the midwest I’m a true believer in having a great steak as often as you can.  Going out for dinner can get expensive though.  I’m here today to share a steak on a stove recipe that tastes just like you are at a fancy steakhouse!

A gourmet comfort food meal that not only is cooked to perfection (tender, juicy and flavorful,) it’s also slathered in a homemade steakhouse butter that will make you want to get every last drop up of before finishing eating.  Oh, did I mention how this is the easiest and best way to cook steak on a stove and how much cheaper to make this steakhouse dinner at home is? A complete win!

If you’ve been following me for a while you know I love a good grilled steak like this bourbon garlic buttered grilled ribeye. But sometimes the weather doesn’t allow for grilling outside.  When that happens I use a tried and true method of pan-searing a steak on the stovetop.

Cooking steak need not be stressful when making it for company.  Today I’m going to share all of the things you’ll need to know to make a gourmet steakhouse dinner with complete confidence.  At the end of this post you will know how to:

• Buy the best steak for cooking in a pan
• Know what kind of pan to use to cook steak on the stovetop
• What temperature to cook a steak to
• Tips to guarantee a great steak dinner

What is the best steak to cook in a pan?

• Filet/Tenderloin
• Rib Eye
• New York Strip
• Sirloin

Quality cuts of beef like the tenderloin/filet, a ribeye or a New York strip, sirloins are ideal cuts to cook in a pan.  They can be cooked quickly at high heats and still be tender.

Cuts like briskets, roasts and London broils are not suited to this method as they need a longer time cooking to break down the fibers to achieve a tender piece of meat.

Buy a filet/tenderloin, ribeye or a strips steak and look for nice marbling.  (Marbling means great flavor and tender texture.  

Pay attention to the width of the cut of steak you get.  A slightly larger thickness 1 1/4″ -1 1/2″ thickness is perfect.  Thick enough you can get a nice pink center and remain nice and juicy.

What type of pan for cooking steak on stovetop and why?

Once you’ve gotten the steak home you’ll want to cook the steak on the stovetop in the right pan.  What kind of pan do I recommend for this steak dinner?  I recommend a cast-iron skillet to pan sear a steak. They conduct heat really well. They are usually heavy and heat very evenly which means that your steak will cook the same everywhere.

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The best way to cook steak on a stove

1. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper
2. Heat the cast iron pan to extremely hot to get a good sear

   

3. Leave the steak alone- only flip it once to get a perfect seared crust
4. Place a butter disc on the steak once you flip the steak
5. Once the steak is at the desired doneness, remove from the skillet and allow it to rest
6. Serve the steak with an additional pat of Bercy butter on top

What temperature to cook steaks to:

Use a thermometer to check the temperature for perfect doneness every time.

• Rare                              125°
• Medium                       135°-140°
• Medium  Well             140° – 150°

Remember that the steak will have carryover cooking even after you are done cooking the steak in a skillet and place it on a plate.  It will continue to cook and rise in temperature about 5° so bear that in mind when testing for doneness.

Tips and Questions you may have when making a steakhouse dinner at home:

• Buy quality meat and look for cuts that are the same thickness in the whole steak.  This makes it easier to get the steak done the same throughout.  No rare in one area and medium in another if the steak is all the same thickness.
• Always bring the steak to room temperature before cooking it.  A cold steak not only takes longer to cook, but it can also cook very unevenly.
• Season the steak generously.  Salt brings out the flavor of the steak and also helps give the steak a great crust.
• Can you freeze the leftovers?  Pan-seared steak is much better if it is eaten right away and I don’t recommend freezing it.
• How to warm up leftover steak?   I suggest heating the steak in a pan on low, paying careful to not let the meat get to dried out.  Add additional butter when cooking to keep the steak nice and juicy.
• How long does a cooked pan-seared steak last?  Stovetop steak will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
• What if I don’t own a cast-iron skillet?  Not to worry if you don’t own a cast-iron skillet for cooking the steak.  Use a heavy bottom pan,  like copper core or any solid pan that is not coated for nonstick.  Using non-stick pans for a stovetop steak donuts let a good crust form in them so I do not recommend using one for cooking steak.

Do you like cooking steak on the stove?  Be sure and try these other pan cooked meals made on the stove!

• Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Balsamic Glaze 
• Stove Top Chicken Breasts
• Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken
• Greek Style Lamb Chops 

More Steak recipes you might enjoy:

• Bloody Mary Steak
• Chimichurri Steak
• Steak with Bourbon Garlic Butter

What to serve with pan-seared stovetop steaks?

• Twice Baked Potatoes  (in the photo with the steak! )
• Crispy Roasted Greek Potatoes
• Easy Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
• Cheesy Broiled Endive
• Grilled Asparagus (lemon garlic butter)
• Buttered Mushrooms
• Garlic Sugar Snap Peas

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Yield: 4

Pan-seared Stove top Steak recipe

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This no fail pan-seared stove top steak recipe teaches you how to make a gourmet comfort food dinner that rivals what you get at a fancy steak house!  Easy method with no fancy ingredients necessary to serve steak with perfectly seared edges and tender, juicy meat inside at any temperature  doneness you desire.  Topped with a steak house butter for deliciousness in each bite.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 8 ounce Tenderloin steaks , 1 1/4" thick steaks
• 8 ounces Bercy Butter, cut to 8 small coin slices., steakhouse butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove steak from fridge and allow to come to room temp.  
2. Heat a cast iron skillet to high.... allow it to get very hot, about 10 minutes.  While skillet is getting hot, use a paper towel to pat the steak dry then season both sides of steaks generously with salt and pepper.
3. Place steaks into pan allowing 2" between each steak.  If you have a smaller skillet, cook in batches.  You should hear sizzling when you ad the steaks to pan. Do not move the steak until its time to flip it to allow a good solid crust to form.
4. Use a thermometer to cook to desired doneness. If using the thermometer to determine doneness, cook to 125° for rare 135-140° for Medium 140-150° for medium well. (See notes for time estimations)  Flip at half way through.  When you flip the steak place  one small pat of Bercy butter on top to allow it to melt while it finishes cooking. 
5. Do Not move the steak until it is time to remove it from the skillet.
6. Once steak is to desired doneness, remove to a side plate to rest.  
7. Allow steak to rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with one additional pat of Bercy butter on top of the steak when done resting. 

Notes

Steak cooking time estimates for 1- 1/4" steak.

Rare -6-7 minutes total

Medium Rare 8-9 minutes total

Medium 10-11 minutes total

Medium Well 12-13 minutes total

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 742Saturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 267mgSodium: 529mgProtein: 50g

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