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Home Recipe Index Beef

The Perfect Pan-Seared Steak

★★★★★ 4.7 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 4/19/23Updated: 2/9/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a plate

Simple method to cook the perfect pan-seared steak that starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. Read the reviews–this works! Grab your cast iron skillet and let’s go.

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a plate
Contents hide
How I Finally Conquered Cooking Steak
6 Steps to Cook the Perfect Pan-Seared Steak
Steak Doneness Chart
Best Sides for Steak
How NOT to Catch Your Kitchen on Fire
How to Put Out a Stovetop Fire
More Steak Recipes to Try
The Perfect Pan-Seared, Oven-Finished Steak

“This was so easy! I had no idea how to make a steak before this, but it turned out so well. Thanks!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Margaret

“This method worked perfectly. Thanks!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Gosia

How I Finally Conquered Cooking Steak

I struggled for a long time to cook a pan-seared steak the right way on the stovetop. And then…I did it perfectly. (That was after setting my kitchen on fire. More on that in a moment.)

That first perfect steak happened on Valentine’s Day for my family. To avoid yet another failure and get it exactly right, I swung by our local Hy-Vee before the big day to consult with my expert friend, Chef Bryan Williams.

valentine's day menu on chalkboard

Chef Bryan helped me select the best cut of steak for our occasion and walked me through exactly how to prepare the perfect pan seared, oven finished steak. Upon his suggestion, I went with the New York Strip, since it was on sale and had nice marbling (read: ripples of fat throughout but not too much).

two raw sirloin steaks on a white plate

Friends–IT WORKED! Chef Bryan’s method worked! We enjoyed the perfect pan-seared steak, along with some peel-and-eat shrimp, twice-baked potatoes, broccoli with Homemade Cheese Sauce, strawberries, and brownies. Nothing fancy, but it pleased the little picky minions in my house tremendously.

I’ve now made steak this way for years with success!

6 Steps to Cook the Perfect Pan-Seared Steak

For the perfect steak in a pan, follow Chef Bryan’s top 6 steps. Even the newest of cooks can do this! Printable recipe with more details below.

seasoned pan-seared steak that is sliced on a wooden cutting board

Set Your Steak Out

It’s important to let your steaks come to room temperature instead of cooking them from cold. So, set them on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat Your Oven

For this AMAZING recipe, Chef Bryan directed me to create a crust on the steak over the stove and then finish cooking it in the oven. So, you’ll preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pat Your Steak Dry and Season

A dry steak allows for browning to occur in a hot pan. So, pat it dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper or your favorite steak seasoning.

Sear the Steak in a Super Hot Pan

The goal of this step is to create a nice crust on the outside of your steak and seal in the flavor. Place an OVEN-SAFE, large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat for just a few minutes. Sear the steaks on the first side (without moving them!) for 1-2 minutes. When they come away from the pan easily and have sufficient browning on one side, flip the steaks to another part of the pan where it’s really hot (not the same spot it was just in). Sear steaks for 1-2 minutes on this side until browned well.

Finish Cooking Your Steak in the Oven

Transfer your oven-safe pan directly to the preheated oven. Let steaks bake for 5-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks and how you like them done (medium-rare, medium, etc). Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to test for doneness near the end of the cooking time. Remove the steaks about 5 degrees sooner than the optimal finished temp, because they will continue to cook while they rest. (See optimal doneness temperature below.)

Let the Steaks Rest

Once the steak is at your desired internal temperature, use oven mitts to remove the hot pan from the oven. Transfer steaks to a plate and cover loosely with foil. LET REST FOR 5-10 MINUTES so it finishes cooking and the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a wooden cutting board

Steak Doneness Chart

Keep in mind that your steak will continue to “carry over cook” once you remove it from the oven, rising another 5 degrees as it rests. For the perfect doneness, according to Chef Bryan Williams, remove steaks at the temperatures below:

  • 115-125 degrees = Rare
  • 125-135 degrees = Medium Rare
  • 135-145 degrees = Medium
  • 145-155 degrees = Medium Well
  • 155-165 degrees = Well Done

After removing your steak, transfer it to a plate or cutting board and cover with foil. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Best Sides for Steak

If you’re making a steak dinner, you have to include some of these go-to side dishes. Oh, and be sure to serve it with some Garlic Herb Butter to make your steak extra special!

Baked twice baked potatoes

Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

Oven Roasted Asparagus

steak fries dipped in ketchup

Oven Baked Steak Fries

Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Microwave Corn on the Cob

Texas Toast

Imagine a cross between brownies and chocolate chip cookies. With basic ingredients in any pantry and a recipe that's easy enough for kids to make, Chocolate Chip Blondies make the perfect afternoon snack to enjoy and then share with others.

Blondie Brownies

The BEST Boiled Baby Potatoes

How NOT to Catch Your Kitchen on Fire

Public Service Announcement: Like I mentioned, I caught my kitchen on fire in the process of making pan-seared steak once. So I wanted to circle back and make sure you don’t do the same!

In this recipe, you’ll be instructed to get your pan extremely hot on the stove-top. Instead of using a cast iron, one time I used my stainless steel pan with a copper bottom. I forgot that they get VERY hot over my electric stove. Too hot in fact. When I poured in a little bit of olive oil in, the pan burst into flames. (I will NOT instruct you to put oil in the pan in this recipe, so don’t worry! I don’t think it even needs oil.)

steak and pan on a stove top

How to Put Out a Stovetop Fire

Needless to say, catching my pan on fire was very scary! So, what should you do if you have a fire on the stovetop? My friend, Chef Bryan, told me to calmly find a lid or sheet pan and set it over the fire to smother it. Another messy option is to douse the pan in baking soda (always have some right by the stove top).

But, DON’T DO WHAT I DID! I ran the pan to the sink and threw the water on…which was the absolutely WRONG thing to do. I learned later that I could have splattered oil and fire everywhere! I’m lucky the flames didn’t travel to our paper towel roll right next to the sink, too. My husband and I made a strong mental note to get our fire extinguisher recharged (they lose their ability to work over time) at the fire department this week, too.

More Steak Recipes to Try

vertical shot of steak fajitas lined up on a tray with guacamole and lime wedges in the background

Restaurant Quality Steak Fajitas

Szechuan Steak Stir-Fry Recipe

Szechuan Steak Stir-Fry

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a wooden cutting board

The Perfect Grilled Steak

Grilled Steak Kabobs

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So, now that you know not to catch your kitchen on fire, let’s get on with this easy pan-seared, oven-finished steak recipe that may win over the heart of someone you love.

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a plate
★★★★★ 4.7 from 20 reviews

The Perfect Pan-Seared, Oven-Finished Steak

The perfect pan-seared, oven-finished steak isn’t complicated and turns out great every time if you use this chef’s method. Using a cast iron skillet, the steak starts on the stove and finishes in the oven.

Yield: 2 steaks 1x
Total: 45 minutes
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Scale:

Ingredients

  • 2 steaks (suggested: New York Strip) (Get meat you can trust here.)
  • Steak seasoning

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Set Steaks Out: Pull the steaks out of the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before cooking and let rest on counter.
  2. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. Season Steaks: Pat steaks dry on both sides. Then, season generously with steak seasoning on all sides, rubbing it in with your fingers.
  4. Preheat Skillet: Place a cast iron skillet* over medium-high heat for just a few minutes. To test if it’s hot enough, sprinkle a little water on it. If it sizzles, it’s ready. 
  5. Pan-Sear Steak: Using tongs, place steaks in pan without letting them touch. You will hear them immediately start to sizzle. Let them sear on this first side (without moving them!) for 1-2 minutes. When they come away from the pan easily and have sufficient browning on one side, flip the steaks to another part of the pan where it’s really hot (not the same spot it was just in). Sear steaks for 1-2 minutes on this side until browned well. The goal of this step is to create a nice crust on the outside of your steak.
  6. Finish in Oven: Transfer your oven-safe skillet* directly to the preheated oven. Let steaks bake for 5-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks and how you like them done (medium-rare, medium, etc). Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to test for doneness near the end of the cooking time. You want to remove the steaks about 5 degrees sooner than the optimal finished temp, because they will continue to cook while they rest. Remove the steak at the temperatures listed below for the perfect doneness.
  7. Cover & Rest: Once the steak is at your desired internal temperature, use oven mitts to remove the hot pan from the oven. Transfer steaks to a plate and cover loosely with foil. LET REST FOR 5-10 MINUTES so it finishes cooking and the juices can redistribute throughout the meat. (This is a very important step!)

Steak Doneness Temperatures: Remove steaks at these temperatures before resting for the perfect doneness:

  • 115-125 degrees = Rare
  • 125-135 degrees = Medium Rare
  • 135-145 degrees = Medium
  • 145-155 degrees = Medium Well
  • 155-165 degrees = Well Done

Equipment

Silicone Tip Tongs

Tongs

Buy Now →

Cast Iron Skillet

Buy Now →
thermopen

Meat thermometer

Buy Now →

Notes/Tips

*What to Use in Place of Cast Iron Skillet: Use an oven-safe pan that is all metal and does not have rubber or plastic on the handle. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, then any OVEN-SAFE, large, heavy-bottomed pan will work. Or, if you don’t have an oven-safe pan, then preheat a metal sheet pan (with sides) in the oven. After the steak has been seared, transfer the steak using tongs to this hot sheet pan to finish in the oven. For easy clean up, you may want to cover it with foil.

How to Grill Steak: Trying making your steak on the grill with our Perfect Grilled Steak recipe instead.

Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, organic chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Stovetop and Oven

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarKathy Gambini-Melvin says

    Posted on 5/6/23 at 5:00 pm

    Perfect steak every time I follow this recipe!! I also never tried this before, always thought the only way to a great steak was on the grill. This is a perfect option if I don’t feel like messing with the grill.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 5/8/23 at 9:23 am

      Thanks for leaving a review Kathy. I was surprised the first time I made it as well. It turned out so good and sometimes it’s just easier than the grill!

      Reply
  2. AvatarSuzanne Smith says

    Posted on 4/20/23 at 6:01 pm

    It tasted like it was off the grill but better

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/21/23 at 9:45 am

      Yes! That is great to hear Suzanne. This has come to be my favorite way to cook steak as well.

      Reply
  3. AvatarJoyce Klein says

    Posted on 4/18/23 at 9:13 am

    I normally grill my steaks on a gas grill but saw this recipe. As it was a little chilly outside, I thought I would give it a try. I used rib eye steaks and they were perfect. Will do this again. Thanks

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/18/23 at 10:42 am

      So glad to hear this Joyce. Thank you for leaving a review!

      Reply
  4. AvatarGosia says

    Posted on 3/14/23 at 8:28 pm

    This method worked perfectly. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 3/15/23 at 10:02 am

      So glad to hear it Gosia! Thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
  5. AvatarMargaret says

    Posted on 3/1/23 at 9:10 pm

    This was so easy! I had no idea how to make a steak before this, but it turned out so well. 🙂 Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 3/2/23 at 9:07 am

      Yay Margaret! So glad we could help! Thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
  6. AvatarSusan says

    Posted on 2/26/23 at 2:52 pm

    Love my steaks. I fancy Ribeye. Your oven instructions worked!! Yea! I am a new fan!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 2/26/23 at 4:10 pm

      So glad to hear this Susan! Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply
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