Perfect Cast Iron Ribeye Steaks
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Cast Iron Ribeye steaks are tender, juicy, and seared to perfection! Perfect for your favorite carnivore, it’s cooked in a quick garlic and rosemary butter to give you incredibly flavorful results every time. Once the steaks are ready to cook, they’ll be on the table in just about 15 minutes!
Cast Iron Ribeye
We’re big steak lovers in my house! Chad has always been a meat and potatoes guy (with an adventurous spirit… you’d have to be, to be married to a chef like me!), and even Munchkin loves her steak.
I’m always looking for new ways to prep and prepare it, and I have to say one of my favorite methods has to be cooking in cast iron.
You just don’t get a sear like that with other techniques!
These cast iron ribeye steaks are cooked to perfection in a pre-seasoned skillet in just about 10 minutes.
I have so many tips for getting it just right that I’m so excited to share with all of you!
And if you’re looking for other ways to make steak, don’t miss my Air Fryer Steak with Herb Butter, Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce, and Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipes too!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ribeye Steaks – I like 1 ½-inch thick boneless ribeyes for cast iron skillet ribeye. Boneless cuts will cook more evenly in your cast iron.
When choosing your steaks, look for ones with good marbling as that extra fat adds a lot of flavor! - Ghee – To cook your ribeye in cast iron! I like ghee – it has a smoke point of 450°F. You could also use avocado or canola oil, or any other high smoke point oil.
- Garlic – For even more savory flavor. Garlic makes everything better!
- Butter – I add garlic and rosemary to the skillet at the same time as the butter to create a very quick garlic rosemary butter!
It adds so much flavor to the steak, plus the added liquid makes everything juicer. YUM. - Seasonings – As mentioned, you’ll need fresh rosemary — plus some salt to season the meat, and ground black pepper to taste.
Tips and Tricks to Make the Perfect Cast Iron Ribeye Steak
- Proper preparation is key.
Before you do anything, remember to take your steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.
A chilled steak won’t cook as evenly as a room-temperature one. Take yours out, set a timer, and then get started once those 30 minutes are up!
- Pat the steak dry.
Once the meat has come to room temp, use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
If there is too much moisture on the meat, it will steam instead of sear!
- Cast iron 101.
I used a 12-inch preseasoned skillet to make my cast iron ribeye steak recipe — it worked perfectly for 2 steaks.
If you’re only planning on cooking for one, you could use a smaller skillet. If that’s all you have on hand, cook in batches for the best results!
- Don’t overcook.
I recommend cooking your cast iron ribeye steaks to medium-rare or medium. You’ll end up with super flavorful and tender results when you keep the internal temp between 125-130°F.
The longer you let your steak cook, the tougher it gets. I almost never let mine get to well-done for this reason.
- Let the steaks rest.
When your steaks have reached the proper internal temperature, transfer them from the cast iron to a wire cooling rack and let them rest for 5 minutes.
They’ll continue to cook slightly, so be sure to remove the steaks about 5 degrees before your end goal temp. This also gives the juices a chance to redistribute!
I definitely suggest using a wire rack to cool, as it helps keep that delicious crust. If you use a plate or cutting board, the bottom will steam and go soft.
Prep Ahead
- Take the steaks out of the fridge
- Pat dry with paper towels
- Slice the garlic
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- 12-inch Cast Iron – The perfect size for making cast iron skillet steaks.
- Tongs – I love this set of 3, and I use every pair of them. They are so handy and grip amazingly well!
- Digital Meat Thermometer – The easiest way to check the temp of the steak. Not only will you know when it’s safe to eat, but you can make sure it’s not overcooked and dried out as well.
- Wire Rack – Rest your steaks without taking up a lot of counter space.
- Cutting Board – A big solid cutting board for slicing and serving.
Serving Suggestions
After you’ve let your cast iron ribeye rest and the juices have redistributed, slice it up and serve right away.
I love pairing steak with asparagus, broccoli, mashed potatoes, garlic Parmesan skillet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or a side salad.
As you can see, there are a ton of options. Choose your favorite!
Storing and Reheating
I usually don’t have many leftovers when I make this cast iron ribeye steak recipe — it’s that good!
But when I do, I like to slice up the steak for fajitas, a salad, or I’ll make my famous steak fajita pasta salad.
Leftover cast iron ribeye will keep for about 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you need to reheat, throw the steak back in a skillet and heat over medium for 5 minutes or so, or until warmed through.
Cast Iron Skillet Ribeye FAQ
Cut your steaks against the grain for the best results. Before you cook the ribeye in cast iron, look at the direction of the marbling. After the meat is cooked, cut diagonally across the natural grain.
This will make the steak tender and easy to chew — if you cut along the grain, those fibers stay intact and the meat is tougher to chew.
Nope! Ribeye is generally a tender cut of meat so you don’t need to worry about tenderizing it before you get started.
All together, you should cook your ribeye for about 10 minutes. But, in the end, it isn’t really about how long to cook your ribeye in cast iron… the internal temperature is what you really need to look at!
Remember my tips on doneness: I recommend you cook your steaks to medium-rare or medium, so you want the internal temp to be somewhere between 125-130°F.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Perfect Cast Iron Ribeye Steaks
Ingredients
- 32 ounces 2 – 16-ounce 1 1/2” thick boneless ribeyes
- 1- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil
- 2 garlic cloves, cut into 4 long slices
- fresh rosemary, 2 or more sprigs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and allow them to rest on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
- Pat the steaks with a paper towel to dry off the moisture (moisture will cause the steaks to steam).
- Sprinkle the ribeyes all over with salt.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot, about 2-3 minutes. Add the ghee or oil to the pan. Once it is melted, add the steaks to the skillet.
- Press down on the steak with your tongs to make sure the steaks are flat. Allow the steak to sear for 2 minutes and then flip it to the other side. Continue to flip every 1-2 minutes until a beautiful dark brown crust has formed, about 6 more minutes (if you were to pull the steaks right now they would be very rare, about 110°F).
- If the end is not cooking as fast, you can hold in with tongs against the pan until it sears.
- Test with an instant read thermometer. Once the steak reaches 110° add the butter, garlic and rosemary to the skillet.
- Once the butter melts, use a small ladle or large spoon to collect the sizzling butter mixture and spoon it over the steaks. Continue spooning the sizzling garlic rosemary butter over the steak for 1 minute and then flip the steak and repeat until your desired temperature is reached. Sprinkle with pepper.
- Once the steaks have reached 125°F for a medium rare steak (or 130° for medium), remove them from the skillet and place on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. The steaks will continue to cook and the internal temperature will increase (typically 3-5°) so remove the steaks 5° before your goal temp. This will give the juices in the steaks a chance to redistribute, the wire rack will help keep the delicious crust on the steaks. If you rest on a plate or cutting board, the bottom side will steam and get soft, losing that delicious crust you just worked so hard to achieve.
- Serve carnivore style on a cutting board with a pat of butter on top with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of cooked garlic.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2024
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