Reverse Sear Ribeye

This reverse sear ribeye is the foolproof way of cooking this thick steak and yields the most gorgeous crust. Minimal prep is needed, and the meat is perfectly cooked every time.

Looking for more steak and beef recipes? Try arrachera, flank steak, sirloin steak, and New York steak.

There is nothing worse than badly cooked ribeye steak. To guarantee perfectly cooked steaks, I cook them using a few tried and tested methods. These include pan seared steak, air fryer steak, sous vide steak, and reverse searing it. 

Reverse searing the meat is one of the best ways to cook it to ensure it is moist and juicy inside with a flawlessly crispy crust. 

Table of Contents

1. What is reverse sear steak?
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to reverse sear a ribeye steak
4. Tips to make the best recipe
5. How to store leftovers
6. More delicious steaks
7. Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak (Recipe Card)

What is reverse sear steak?

The reverse sear method is a two-step cooking process for steaks. It implies cooking the steak in the oven on low heat first and searing it in a skillet to give the steak a dark crust and a mouthwatering look.

Here are some benefits of reverse searing and why I love this recipe:

• It creates a beautiful crust. Cooking the steak in the oven dehydrates its surface. Thus, searing the steak in hot butter for only a minute per side is enough to create the most incredible crust. 
• No need to make a sauce. As the steak cooks in the oven, it releases lots of flavorful juices. These pan drippings are the perfect sauce to drizzle over the steak when serving it (we often do this with cast iron steak and flat iron steak).
• Helps avoid overcooking the steak. The low oven temperature cooks the steak evenly without overcooking the edges.
• Just 2 minutes of prep. Along with skirt steak, this has to be one of the easiest ways to cook steak. 
• Impressive. What I love about this recipe is that it jazzes up the standard piece of steak and can be served for quick weeknight dinners or something a little fancy. 

Ingredients needed

• Ribeye steak. The steak should be 1½ to 2 inches thick. While technically any steaks work, I find that the ribeye yields the juiciest results.
• Garlic. Use a bulb of garlic cut in half horizontally. 
• Kosher salt. To taste.
• Black pepper and paprika.
• Olive oil. To bake the steak in the oven. 
• Unsalted butter. To sear the steak. 

How to reverse sear a ribeye steak

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Season the steak. Pat dry the ribeye steak. Rub it with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and smoked paprika. Make sure the steak is well-seasoned on all sides. 

Step 2- Bake the steak. Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Put the steak in the skillet, followed by the garlic head cut in half. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated oven or until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F (medium-rare). 

Step 3- Sear the serve. Remove the steak from the oven and then the skillet, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet and place it over medium- high heat. Once the butter melts, add the steak back to the skillet and sear it for a minute on each side until it has a brown crust. Slice and serve immediately with your favorite side dish and some vegetables.

Tips to make the best recipe

• Use a meat thermometer. Yes, if you’ve made countless recipes of mine, you know this is my #1 tip when working with meat. The internal temperature for fully cooked steaks is 120-130F for rare and anything above 160F for well done.
• Salt in advance. Salt the steaks up to 45 minutes before cooking to allow the salt to penetrate the meat, yielding a juicier and more tender meat.
• Sear quickly. The searing part of this method is to give the edges a gorgeous crust, not to cook the meat any longer. 2 minutes per side is plenty.
• Rest after searing. Like with any steak recipe, allowing the meat to rest before slicing/serving it will redistribute the juices and make the meat even more flavorful.
• Choose steaks of at least 1 1/2 inches in thickness, as anything less risks being overcooked.

How to store leftovers

To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days. 

To reheat: The best way to reheat leftover steak is in the oven. Set the oven to 275 degrees and reheat the steak for around 4 minutes or until the internal temperature of the steak is 130F degrees. You can also reheat reverse sear steak in a skillet over low heat. 

To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled steak in a heavy-duty ziplock bag and eat it within 6 months. 

More delicious steaks

• Porterhouse steak– Not for reverse searing but perfect for the grill or stovetop.
• Denver steak– An affordable cut that is always juicy and tender.
• Bavette steak– French-style flank steak that is perfectly seasoned.
• Ranch steak– One of my family’s favorite steaks you’ll ever make.