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Steak is one of the meals that will make you feel gourmet. Let us be honest, who will ever say no to a big hunk of meat beautifully cooked with that crust? Just delicious. Indeed, steak is a winning meal, and it will always make you feel special.
If you have already cooked a steak at home or are trying it for the first time, you already know about one important piece of cookware. We are talking about cast iron, and many will say it is the only cookware that will cook a perfect steak with that beautiful crust.
Let us be honest, if you have a cast iron pan or skillet, you can use it for cooking a steak. But buying a cast iron can be expensive and you cannot straight off buy a cast iron skillet and start cooking steak. You always have to go through the seasoning and iron cast pan process; honestly, we do not have time for that now.
But worry not; we have the perfect method of cooking the steak without a cast iron skillet. We have been cooking steak in the oven for a long, and the result is just as excellent as cooking in the cast iron skillet. Honestly, we have found this method very easy and perfect for beginners if you know the right temperature. Therefore, we have our favorite recipe and guide to cooking a perfect steak at home in the oven.
The best temperature to cook the Steak in Oven
Before we jump on which steak to cook and for what duration, let us discuss the temperature of the oven.
The first and most crucial thing for the oven-baked steak is the temperature. We will recommend the ideal temperature for the steak to cook in the oven is 400 degrees F, whereas the time duration for cooking the steak can differ according to the cuts of the steak. Now that we have set the temperature bar, we can quickly determine the cooking time for different steaks.
Types of Steak to Cook in Oven
You can enjoy eating and cooking many steak cuts at home. Here are the few that we have tried cooking in the oven, and they were absolutely delicious:
- Flank Steak
- Strip Steak
- T-bone Steak
- Chuck Steak
- Sirloin Steak
- Ribeye Steak
Each steak comes in a different thickness and fat-to-meat ratio. Therefore, the cooking time will vary from steak to steak. Just for an idea, here are the cooking times these steaks need from rare to well-done cooking:
Flank Steak
The thin cut makes flank steak hard to cook in the oven. We advise cooking it to a maximum of 8 to 10 minutes. any longer cooking time than 10 minutes will result in a chewy texture.
Strip Steak
Strip steak can take 6 to 18 minutes in the oven to be fully cooked to well done. For rare, we suggest 6 to 8 minutes, for medium rare, 9 to 11 minutes. for Medium for 12 to 14 minutes and for medium well for 14 to 16 minutes. and finally, 16 to 18 minutes for well-done strip steak.
T-bone Steak
An inch of T-bone steak will be cooked perfectly within the time duration of 10 to 15 minutes. we suggest 10 minutes for rare, 12 minutes for medium rare, and 15 minutes for well-done T-bone steak.
Sirloin Steak
Sirloin steak needs 8 to 12 minutes in the oven to cook. We also suggest using the sear first method for a minute on a pre-heated oven tray and cooking the rest in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. For rare, cook the steak for 8 minutes, for medium for 8 to 10 minutes, and for well done 10 to 12 minutes. Getting a medium rare and medium well steak is tricky because of the difference in temperature just by a minute. Thus, we recommend using a thermometer for it too.
Ribeye Steak
Ribeye steak usually comes in an inch or 2 inches in thickness. For an inch thickness, the total cooking time is 10 minutes to well done. The 2-inch thick steak will need 10 minutes for rare, 12 minutes for medium rare, and 14 minutes for well-done. The window of getting the medium-well steak is pretty short, so we recommend 12 minutes of cooking and 8 minutes of resting.
Seasonings for the Steak
We love to celebrate the authentic flavors of the steak. Therefore, the best seasoning is salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and olive oil. But if you like to jazz things up, you can use spices and rubs for the steak.
Suppose you are marinating thin steaks like flank steak, especially in liquid condiments like soy sauce. In that case, we will suggest removing the steak from the marinating liquid and letting drip off the excess liquid at least an hour before cooking. This will give you that golden crust on the steak.
How to cook a steak in the oven without a cast iron skillet?
Cooking a steak in the oven can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t even need a cast iron skillet to do it! All you need is an oven-safe dish (baking sheet or rack) and some basic seasonings.
The key to cooking a perfect steak in the oven is to make sure that your oven is hot enough. Most ovens should be set to at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. If your oven doesn’t go that high, you can try using the broil setting instead.
Cooking a steak in the oven is more like baking chicken. All you have to do is preheat the oven, meanwhile, season the steak. Then put the steak on a baking tray. And finally, bake it. This works great for the thinner cuts like flank and strip steak.
For thicker steak like ribeye, we suggest placing the baking tray in the oven while it pre-heats. Season the steak and put it on a hot tray to have that sear on both sides and continue cooking in the oven until cooked to the desired doneness.
Tips and Tricks for Best Steak in the oven
- Take the steak out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before seasoning.
- It is better to trim excess fat over the steak; otherwise, the fat will render and make the steak oily making it a bit challenging to cook.
- Pat the steak dry with a clean kitchen towel and then season it. We want to remove moisture from the surface of the steak to get the perfect golden crust.
- You can use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the steak. Just for an idea here is the temperature for rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, and well done for all steaks:
- Rare (Red): 125-degree F
- Medium Rare (Bright or deep pink): 130-degree F
- Medium (Light pink): 138 to 140 degrees F
- Medium Well (Pink center): 148 to 150 degrees F
- Well Done (No Pink): 160-degree F
Garlic Butter Steak: The Recipe
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serving: 2
Ingredients
- 2 Ribeye Steak, about 2 inches thick
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly Crushed Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp Cumin, crushed (Optional)
- ½ tsp Cayenne (Optional)
- 1 tbsp Garlic Herb Butter, for finishing
Method
- Start pre-heating the oven at 400 degrees F. Place the baking tray or ovenproof pan in the oven while it pre-heats.
- Now take the steaks and cover them with oil completely.
- Season them with salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne, and pat the season down gently onto the steak.
- Now carefully take the baking tray out of the oven and place the steak over it. You will hear it sizzling. Wait for a minute.
- Now flip the steak and bake it for 4 minutes.
- Flip the steak again and continue baking it for 4 minutes.
- Place the Garlic herb butter on top of the steak and cook for 2 minutes for rare, 4 minutes for medium rare, and 5 minutes for well done.
- Take the oven out and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Cut or serve with your favorite sides.