Reverse-Sear Ribeye

Name: Reverse-Sear Ribeye
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 2 steaks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 piece bone-in ribeye steaks 1½-inch thick, room temperature; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon beef tallow or high-smoke-point oil

CN by Chef Nica 4.9 (284) 60 min total

The short version

Reverse-sear ribeye starts in a low 250°F oven until the center hits 125°F (about 45 min), then sears 90 seconds per side in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet. This produces an edge-to-edge medium-rare with a restaurant crust every time.

BeefSteakCast ironWeeknight showstopper

5m
Prep: 55m
Cook: 2
Servings: Medium
Level

🥩 Reverse-Sear Ribeye

Ingredients

Batch

2bone-in ribeye steaks1½-inch thick, room temperature
1 teaspoonkosher salt
½ teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoonbeef tallow or high-smoke-point oil

Method

0 / 5 steps

Season
Pat steaks completely dry. Season generously on all sides with kosher salt and pepper. Let air-dry uncovered on a rack for at least 30 min, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Low oven
Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Roast steaks on a wire rack set in a sheet pan until internal temperature reads 120–125°F for medium-rare, about 40–50 minutes.
Color cueSurface will look pale and dry — that is correct and expected
Rest briefly
Remove from oven. Heat cast iron skillet over highest heat for 5 minutes while the steak rests.
Sear
Add tallow to the screaming-hot skillet. Sear each side 60–90 seconds pressing gently, then sear the edges 30 seconds each. Do not move during the sear.
Color cueViolent sizzle the instant the steak touches the pan — if it's quiet, the pan is too cold
Rest & slice
Rest 3–5 minutes on a cutting board. Slice against the grain.

Rate this recipe

4.9

284 cooks rated this

Watch

8:15

Transcript

0:00We're doing the reverse sear today — the method that changed how I cook steak forever.

1:10250°F oven on a wire rack. You want air circulating all around the meat.

4:30Probe hits 125°F. Pull it, rest it ten minutes — the carry-over stops here unlike forward sear.

6:00Cast iron screaming hot. Oil, then the steak. Sixty seconds a side — you want the crust, not the cook.

Tips

Dry surface = better crust. The low oven dries the exterior perfectly before the sear.
Do not add butter to the sear pan for ribeye — the marbling bastes itself.
Check internal temp with an instant-read thermometer; do not guess.