How to make a great steak in the oven

Love cooking steak at home but hate smoking up your kitchen? We've got the recipe for you. All you need is a great steak, a large cast-iron skillet, and some kitchen tongs. Any thick cut of steak can be pan-roasted—rib eye, filet mignon, T-bone, and strip steak are all great cuts for this method. (Save thinner cuts like skirt or flank steak for the grill.)

Start with Room Temperature Steak

Cold meat will immediately seize up in a hot pan, so it's best to let the steak come to room temperature before you start to cook it. Take the steak out of the refrigerator and pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub both sides of the steak with a little olive oil, then generously season it all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let it rest on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the Skillet

While the steak rests, preheat the oven to 400˚F and place the cast-iron skillet inside the oven so it can heat up as the oven preheats. The preheated pan will ensure a quick and even sear.

Transfer to the Stovetop

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven (oven mitts, please!) and place it on the stovetop. Set the burner to medium-high heat to keep the skillet hot.

Sear the Steak

Using tongs, place the seasoned steak in the hot pan and let it sizzle and sear for about 1 minute (this step is brief but can get smoky, so run the exhaust fan over your stovetop). Flip the steak over and sear the other side for 1 minute.

Finish in the Oven

Carefully transfer the seared steak in the skillet to the preheated oven (remember, the pan is still hot, so use your oven mitts). Cook, turning the steak halfway through the cooking time, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes total, depending on how thick the steak is and your desired degree of doneness. Use a cooking thermometer inserted in the center to determine the interior temperature, which can range from 125˚F for rare to 155˚F for well-done. Pull the steak out of the oven just before reaching your target temperature.

Let it Rest

Remove the steak from the cast-iron skillet and place it on a plate to rest. Allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain and serving.

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven

Hector Sanchez

Other Steak Recipes

If you're looking for more inspiration, we have loads of mouth-watering steak recipes, from Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak (which provides the best of both worlds, a cast-iron seared and grilled steak in one) to Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables to a delightfully simple Air Fryer Steak. There's no end to all the delicious ways you can serve up steak—just try one of our Juicy Steak Recipes.

How to Cook Steak: An oven baked steak recipe that is melt in your mouth goodness, that’s easy to make and only takes a few minutes!

Cooking a steak in the oven with butter, salt and pepper makes this one of the easiest and BEST steak recipes EVER!

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Sliced Oven Baked Steak

The BEST Way to Cook Steak in the Oven

If you’ve ever had a steak, cooking it on the grill can be delicious. (We feel the same way about pork steak recipes.) However, the best way for cooking a steak is by searing it on the stovetop and then baking it in the oven!

Here’s the recipe that you’ll never stray from once you make it!

More Easy Steak Recipes:

If you love cooking steaks or feel intimidated by it, then you’re going to love the other steak recipes here on the blog because they’re super easy and super flavorful!

The BEST Steak Bites are a huge family favorite, and these BBQ Pork Steaks in the Slow Cooker are so easy for a dump-and-go recipe!

Now if you have venison steak in the freezer, don’t miss this Deer Steak on the Stovetop and this Grilled Deer Steak Recipe.

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Pan Seared and Oven Baked

Restaurant Steak at Home

I had paid very close attention in the past to what my husband said multiple times when we had been eating at a nice restaurant. He would mention something along the lines of,

Well the secret to a perfectly cooked steak is to finish it off in the oven.

What? I had never even thought about that the first time he mentioned it, but now that I know better… I completely agree with what he said.

So I knew that for his birthday a few years ago, this steak was going to be making an appearance in the oven, and I needed to figure out how to do it.

Come to find out, searing it in browned butter in a cast iron pan before slipping it into a hot oven… is my jam and now I’m showing you how to make your own oven steak recipe!

Look how to prepare steaks in this quick video and then we’ll get into the fine details so you can make your own too:

How to Cook Steak in the Oven

It’s no secret that I’m a major fan of cast iron. For goodness sake, I even styled a cast iron party for friends a few years ago!

So although a cast-iron is NOT required to make this recipe, I can’t stress enough how much I love using it to make these.

Ingredients and Types of Steak

You can jump to the recipe card below for all of the ingredients and instructions all in one place.

For this oven steak recipe, I used two thick-cut ribeye steaks. (Almost an inch thick, although you don’t HAVE to have steaks this same thickness.) You don’t have to use ribeye for this steak recipe though.

Feel free to use sirloin, NY strips, t-bone, porterhouse, any cut you like!

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Ingredients

Then, for sides to serve with steaks, we have super easy side dish recipes for steak that pair perfectly!

Seasonings for Steak:

When I say “salt and pepper,” in any of my recipes, you can go ahead and count on that I mean kosher salt and this cracked peppercorn medley.

It is the most DELICIOUS combo of seasonings on a steak.

(Now don’t get me wrong. I love a good garlic pepper, lemon pepper, or any other seasoning for that matter… but it’s hard to beat a steak covered in kosher salt and peppercorn. Combine that with browned butter, and it’s game over with my taste buds. It’s the BEST.)

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Salt and Pepper

You can salt and pepper your steaks, according to your taste. For these two, I used a total of about a tablespoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon of peppercorn to season both.

Cooking Steak in Browned Butter

I know it sounds like a step you can skip but trust me… DON’T skip this! Browning the butter (which means just cooking it at high heat for a minute or two, until the butter starts browning) is the KEY to so much flavor added to a steak!

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Melt butter

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Allow butter to brown

Sear the Steaks

Once the butter has browned, you’ll add the steaks to the hot skillet to sear on each side for just a minute, and then it will go in to the oven. (Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe card with step-by-step instructions!)

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Sear the steaks

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Sear other side

How Long to Cook Steak in Oven

The steak will only need 3 minutes in the oven after searing, and it will come out sizzling and smelling like you’re in a delicious steakhouse! If using your cast iron, go ahead and slip the whole pan in the oven.

Just soak in that sizzle sound and heavenly smell during this process, would ya?

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Steak Cooked in Oven

Baked Steak

Within minutes, you have a baked steak that’s ready to devour, and if this is your first time cooking a steak… congratulations!!! Wasn’t that easy!?

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Add butter if preferred!

How do you cook the perfect steak?

The secret is to keep it simple, use butter, simple spices, sear and broil it in the oven for a few minutes! It turns out to be the perfect steak every time!

How do you make steak flavorful?

Browned butter adds more flavor than you think it would. The combination of browned butter with kosher salt and peppercorn medley creates a steakhouse flavor that does NOT require steak sauce!

Is it better to cook steak on the stove or in the oven?

Both! You wouldn’t think it would make that big of a difference, but it really does. The pan-searing on the stove gives the browned flavor you love and the really hot oven helps cook the steak through!

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven
Slice and serve!

Steak Dinner Ideas

No steak is complete without amazing side dishes to go with it, right? When cooking a steak, a good way to “round out” the dinner is to serve a vegetable and a potato with it.

Sides for Steak

Now, of course, there are many options for steak sides, but there is an absolute favorite.

The side salad for steak is the best on the planet. (Seriously, it has almost 500 reviews).

We love having roasted garlic broccoli, and fiesta potato wedges with a buffalo blue cheese bacon dip, to complete this dinner but there are a lot of easy side dish recipes to choose from!

Dessert for a Steak Dinner

Then, to follow up… a no-bake Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle for dessert, or browse our dessert recipes for the perfect idea for your steak dinner! Browse my easy dessert recipes!

More Easy Dinner Recipes!

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    How to make a great steak in the oven

    Crock Pot Goulash

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    How to make a great steak in the oven

    Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

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    How to make a great steak in the oven

    20 Chicken Casserole Recipes

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    How to make a great steak in the oven

    Venison Spaghetti

How to make a great steak in the oven
How to make a great steak in the oven

The BEST! How to Cook Steak in the Oven + Pan

Jessica Burgess

Pan Seared & In the Oven: Cooking with browned butter in a cast iron skillet, baked for only minutes, and coated in cracked peppercorn and kosher salt, is ALL this ribeye needed!

4.53 from 117 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 7 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 steaks

Calories 570 kcal

Ingredients 

  • 2 Ribeye Steaks
  • 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
  • Kosher Salt to taste
  • Cracked Peppercorn Medley to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • For a "Medium" Steak – Preheat oven to 475 degrees before you even start to season your steaks.

  • Coat your steaks with salt and pepper, on both sides.

  • Over medium to high heat, melt the butter in an oven proof skillet

  • When the butter is melted and has turned a golden brown, place the steaks into the skillet. Let them sear for about 1 minute (less if you prefer more of a rarer steak, and if thinner than 1-in. thickness.)

  • Flip and let sear on other side for the same amount of time.

  • Place skillet in the oven for about 3 minutes and then serve immediately or steak will continue to cook.

Video

Notes

What to do with leftover steak:Once it has cooled off, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Simply reheat the leftover steak in a skillet on the stove or even slip in to the oven for just a few minutes.Or, slice and serve steak on nachos, salads, in tacos, etc.!

Nutrition

Serving: 1steak | Calories: 570kcal | Protein: 45g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 605mg | Vitamin A: 385IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 3.9mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

How do you keep steak moist in the oven?

Cover your meat with parchment paper or foil before cooking it. Place your section of meat on a baking tray, then rip away a section of foil and parchment paper. Drape the paper or foil over your meat, then stick it in the oven for the required time.

What is the most tender steak to cook in the oven?

This part of the steer is divided into the top sirloin and the bottom sirloin. The top sirloin is smaller, more tender, and pricier. The bottom sirloin (often just called sirloin) can cost about 10 to 30 percent less, but it's not as tender as the top sirloin.

Do you cook steak covered or uncovered in the oven?

Bake the Steak Place your entire skillet or ovenproof pan into the oven uncovered. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until steak is medium doneness (160°F). The timing will depend on the thickness of your cut of meat, so be sure to use a meat thermometer to determine when your steak is finished and sufficiently oven-baked.

How long to cook a steak at 400 in the oven?

This is the time required to cook strip steak in the oven at 400F from rare to well done..
Rare: 6-8 minutes..
Medium rare: 9-13 minutes..
Medium done: 13-15 minutes..
Well done: 16-18 minutes..