Sous Vide Steaks

Thanks to precise temperature control, this steak turns out more consistently than traditional steak, every time.

Updated March 03, 2024

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Why It Works

Slow, precise cooking followed by high heat gives you perfectly even results with a nice dark crust.

Sure, with a little technique, it's not difficult to produce excellent steaks through pan-searing alone. But for flawlessly even edge-to-edge cooking and consistently foolproof results, sous vide is absolutely the better way.

Medium rare steak halved on a cutting board — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

To achieve a nice crust along with that perfectly cooked meat, finish these sous vide steaks in a pan or on the grill. For information on what temperature settings to use and how long to cook steak sous vide, see the note at the bottom of this recipe.

Sous Vide Steak Guide | The Food Lab

Portions of this recipe were developed as part of our partnership with Anova Culinary.

March 2010

Recipe Details

Sous Vide Steaks Recipe

Prep 20 mins

Cook 65 mins

Active 20 mins

Total 85 mins

Serves 4 steaks

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Ingredients

2 (1 1/2– to 2-inch-thick) ribeye, strip, porterhouse, or T-bone steaks (about 1 pound/450g each), or 4 tenderloin steaks (6 to 8 ounces/170 to 225g each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs thyme or rosemary (optional)
2 cloves garlic (optional)
2 shallots, thinly sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil (if pan-searing; optional)
2 tablespoons (30g) butter (if pan-searing; optional)

Directions

Preheat a sous vide cooker to desired final temperature. (See note below for temperature and timing charts, or find the same charts here.) Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Place in sous vide bags along with herbs, garlic, and shallots (if using) and distribute evenly. Seal bags and place in water bath for desired time according to charts.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
To Finish in a Pan: Turn on your exhaust vents and open your windows. Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Add vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil to a heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, then place over the hottest burner you have and preheat skillet until it starts to smoke.
Gently lay steak in skillet, using your fingers or a set of tongs. If desired, add a tablespoon of butter; for a cleaner-tasting sear, omit the butter at this stage.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
After 15 to 30 seconds, flip steak so that the second side comes into contact with the pan. Repeat, flipping steak every 15 to 30 seconds, until it has developed a nice brown sear, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If you did not add butter earlier, add butter to skillet about 30 seconds before steak is done for added richness. Serve steak immediately.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
To Finish on the Grill: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Place steak directly over hot side of grill and cook, turning every 15 to 30 seconds, until a deep, rich crust has formed, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If the fire threatens to flare up as the steak drips fat into it, suffocate the fire by closing the grill lid until the flames die out. Alternatively, transfer steak to cooler side of grill, using a set of long tongs, until flames subside. Do not allow steak to become engulfed in flames.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
Transfer cooked steak to a cutting board or serving platter and serve immediately.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Special Equipment

Immersion circulator; tongs; heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, or grill

Notes

Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse/T-Bone, and Butcher's Cuts: Temps and Times

Doneness	Temperature Range	Timing Range
Very rare to rare	120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)	1 to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare	129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)	1 to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium	135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)	1 to 4 hours
Medium-well	145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)	1 to 3 1/2 hours
Well-done	156°F (69°C) and up	1 to 3 hours

Tenderloin: Temps and Times

Doneness	Temperature Range	Timing Range
Very rare to rare	120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)	45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare	129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)	45 minutes to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium	135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)	45 minutes to 4 hours
Medium-well	145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)	45 minutes to 3 1/2 hours
Well done	156°F (69°C) and up	1 to 3 hours

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
369	Calories
26g	Fat
0g	Carbs
34g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	369
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 11g	57%
Cholesterol 106mg	35%
Sodium 708mg	31%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 17mg	1%
Iron 3mg	18%
Potassium 380mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.