Pan Seared Steak Recipe
Skip the expensive steakhouse prices and make restaurant quality Pan Seared Steak at home! It’s golden brown, juicy and butter basted with garlic and rosemary. It comes together in 10 minutes and is perfect for special occasions or date night dinner in!
There’s nothing like a juicy, Pan Seared Steak for a special dinner, but who wants to pay those expensive steakhouse prices?
My husband and I always marvel at how expensive steak dinners are when we go out. We rarely order them because we know we can prepare it just as well at home with better quality beef. And it’s much more affordable!
This tutorial will teach you how to make a restaurant quality butter basted steak for a fraction of the price in about 10 minutes at home.
Pair it with delicious sides like yukon gold mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or the perfect date night dinner in.
You’ll may never order one out again. 🙂
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This pan seared steak recipe is so easy to follow, and produces golden brown, melt in your mouth tender steak that rivals any fancy steakhouse.
- You can prepare it at home at a fraction of the price and you can control the quality of the beef.
- It takes 10 minutes to prepare and can be customized a number of ways with various herbs, garlic, peppercorns and seasoning.
Recipe ingredients
Preparing pan seared steak with butter at home is so simple that you may never want to order it out again.
A few simple ingredients are all you need to allow the flavors of the meat to shine through.
Ingredient notes
- Steaks. For best results, use a high quality steak such as rib-eye or New York strip. The steak should be about 1″ in thickness. Grass fed beef is more expensive, but it has a ton of flavor and is a more sustainable choice as well.
- Seasoning. Season the steaks simply with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Oil. The pan seared steaks are seared at a high temperature, so it’s important to use a high heat oil such as avocado or it will become rancid. Ghee or clarified butter may also be used.
- Butter. Restaurants generally prepare butter basted steaks because the butter adds flavor and results in meat that melts in your mouth. If you prefer not to baste them in butter, simply cook them in the oil with the garlic and herbs. The butter is added during the last minute or so of cooking at a lower heat to avoid burning it.
- Garlic. Smashed garlic flavors the butter, which in turn adds great flavor to the steak.
- Rosemary. Adds an earthy, herby flavor to the steak. Sub with your favorite fresh herb such as thyme.
How to pan sear steak
I recommend pan searing steak in a cast iron skillet because once the skillet is hot, it stays hot. The hot pan helps to create the perfect golden brown char, or crust, on your steak.
It’s best to have all of your ingredients ready to go as this recipe goes very quickly!
Pro tip: I use a 12″ cast iron skillet, which is large enough for (2) steaks. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use any non-reactive pan like stainless steel. Non-stick pans are not recommended.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Pat the steaks dry on both sides with a paper towel.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the steaks and cook on the first side until a golden brown crust has formed, about 3-4 minutes. When the steaks release easily from the pan, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes more or until the steak reaches the desired doneness. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to determine doneness (125 degrees for medium rare; 135 degrees for medium rare; 145 degrees for medium; 150 degrees for medium well; and 160 degrees and above for well done).
- During the last minute of cooking time, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, garlic and herbs to the pan. When the butter has melted, tilt the pan and allow the butter, garlic and herbs to pool on one side. Fill a spoon with the butter and baste the steaks until they reach the desired doneness. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
FAQs
I used New York strip steak in this pan seared steak recipe, but rib-eye and filet mignon are great options as well.
For best results, use a cast iron skillet, stainless steel pan or any non-reactive pan. Non-stick pans are not recommended.
Start with a high heat oil such as avocado oil as the pan must be very hot to sear the steaks. Once the steaks have been seared, reduce the heat to medium and baste them in butter for the remainder of the cooking time if desired.
Start by preheating a cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan over medium high heat. Add oil and sear the steaks on both sides until a golden brown crust is formed. Reduce the heat to medium and add butter, herbs and garlic, and continue cooking the steak until it reaches the desired doneness, basting with the butter the remainder of the cooking time.
A steak that’s about 1″ thick will take roughly 10 minutes to cook in a cast iron skillet on the stove top. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your steak as well as the desired doneness.
Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to determine doneness — 125 degrees for rare, 135 degrees for medium-rare, 145 degrees for medium and 160 for well done.
The temperature of the steak is a personal preference, but for tender, melt in your mouth meat, I strongly recommend not cooking your steak over medium temperature, or 145-150 degrees.
Serving suggestions
This cast iron steak is a special dinner no matter how it’s served up!
- Change things up with a variety of herbs and seasonings such as thyme, peppercorns, blackened seasoning or even jerk seasoning.
- Top with fresh, healthy chimichurri sauce or pico de gallo.
- It’s great as a date night or Sunday dinner served with butter lettuce salad, air fryer baked potatoes, and chocolate mousse for dessert!.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: I use a 12″ cast iron skillet, which is large enough for (2) steaks. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use any non-reactive pan like stainless steel. Non-stick pans are not recommended.
- Prep the cast iron steaks by seasoning them well with salt up to 24 hours in advance. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature for a minimum or 30 minutes prior to cooking which will help them cook more evenly.
- Cooking time is an estimate. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your steak and the level of doneness that you prefer.
- If you prefer not to cook your steak in butter, simply pan sear the steaks in high heat oil, herbs and garlic without basting.
More beef recipes you’ll love!
- Air fryer hamburgers
- Beef Bourguignon
- Beef Short Ribs with Mushroom Risotto
- Beef Tips and Gravy by Spend with Pennies
- Grilled Burgers
- Grilled Tomahawk Steak
- Irish Beef Stew
- Skillet Lasagna
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Pan Seared Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. New York strip or rib-eye steaks about 1" thick
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil sub with your favorite high heat oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season generously on both sides with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow the steaks come to room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes before you're ready to cook them.2 lbs. New York strip or rib-eye steaks, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the steaks and cook on the first side until a golden brown crust has formed, about 3-4 minutes. When the steaks release easily from the pan, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes more or until the steak reaches the desired doneness. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to determine doneness (125 degrees for medium rare; 135 degrees for medium rare; 145 degrees for medium; 150 degrees for medium well; and 160 degrees and above for well done).2 tablespoons avocado oil
- During the last minute of cooking time, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, garlic and herbs to the pan. When the butter has melted, tilt the pan and allow the butter, garlic and herbs to pool on one side. Fill a spoon with the butter and baste the steaks until they reach the desired doneness.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Remove the steaks from heat and rest the steaks for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Serve whole or slice against the grain and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: I use a 12″ cast iron skillet, which is large enough for (2) steaks. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use any non-reactive pan like stainless steel. Non-stick pans are not recommended.
- Allow the steaks to come to room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to cooking which will help them cook more evenly.
- Cooking time is an estimate. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your steak and the level of doneness that you prefer. Â
- Steak temperature tips:Â Rare 125 degrees; Medium rare 135 degrees; Medium 145 degrees; Medium well 150 degrees; Well done 160 degrees.
- If you prefer not to cook your steak in butter, simply pan sear the steaks in high heat oil, herbs and garlic without basting.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
4 Comments on “Pan Seared Steak Recipe”
This post is so helpful Marcie! We usually BBQ steaks but I’ve never pan seared them. I actually picked up some striploin a few days ago for Valentine’s Day (because we like to keep it low key too), so I may have to give this a try!
Thank you Leanne! Normally we grill steaks so it was fun to prepare them a different way. I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day!
I’ve heard a lot about Butcher Box and I think it’s great that they’re supporting sustainable and humane farmers. The more we can get away from factory farming, the better!
I totally agree with you Sarah!