Skillet Steak
Cast Iron Skillet Steak Recipe
Follow our easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to learn how to cook a steak in your cast iron skillet. Printable recipe included.
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You can cook a great juicy steak without an outdoor grill. Just break out your cast iron skillet instead.
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I love a good steak cooked over charcoal, don’t get me wrong about that. But, sometimes it’s just not possible to cook that way.
When I was a teen, my older brother would invite our mom and me over to his house for supper. He owned his own grocery store, and would often cook up Ribeye steaks on his kettle grill for us. His wife would make an awesome salad that included radishes and minced onions, plus she would bake up a big potato with lots of butter. That was some really fine eating to me.
Now days, I don’t get the chance to enjoy a steak over coals as often as I use to. So, sometimes, I’ll just pull out the cast iron skillet and cook one on the stove top. They’re still flavorful and juicy and quicker than waiting on charcoal to get burning good. Smile.
I’m using a T-bone, but you could use Ribeye, New York Strip, whatever you prefer. Just watch it closely so it doesn’t overcook more than the way you like it. I’ll take mine Medium-Rare please. Smile.
Bacon grease goes into the hot skillet for some added flavor, then once the steak is cooking, I add butter and spoon that over the steak until it reaches Medium-Rare for me. Just add a baked potato and some thick slices of Garlic Texas Toast and you’ll be good to go.
Ready to give our steak a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
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Cast Iron Skillet Steak recipe. You’ll need these ingredients.
I’m cooking a T-bone today, but you can do the same with other steaks just as easily.
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Place your steak on a plate or platter, then sprinkle it well with salt.
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Then add some black pepper.
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Garlic powder is optional, but I always add it to mine.
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Now, use your fingers and rub the spices into the steak. Press firmly so it holds on tight.
Flip the steak over and repeat the same process on the other side.
Let the steak rest: I like to leave the steak out for about 30-45 minutes so it can come up to room temperature before we toss it into the skillet. This will help it cook more evenly.
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Place the skillet over Medium heat on your stove. This seems to be hot enough for me, but yours might need a bit more heat to get the skillet good and hot. Part of cooking is being able to watch your food and adjust heat up or down as needed to get the best results.
Let the pan get hot.
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When the pan is hot, add the bacon grease. That’s right… bacon grease. Smile.
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As soon as the bacon grease has melted, swirl the pan to coat the bottom with grease. Then, carefully place the steak into the skillet.
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After the steak has cooked for 3-4 minutes, flip it over.
Once the steak has cooked enough, it will easily release from the pan without sticking. If it tries to stick, just let it cook a bit longer. You can always lift the steak up to see how it’s cooking. Don’t be afraid to check on it.
Cast iron skillets will have a hot spot, usually in the center, so some deeper coloring will occur in that area. Just don’t let it burn.
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I also use tongs to hold the steak up on it’s fat edge to help that cook faster. It only takes a minute or two to do this.
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Once you’ve flipped the steak, add some butter right on top of the steak. Let the butter melt while the steak is cooking on the second side.
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Once the butter has melted, you can begin spooning the melted butter onto the steak. Butter burns easily, so adjust the temperature as needed.
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At this point, you will want to cook the steak to the way you like it. There are several ways to test the steak to see if it’s Rare, Medium, or Well Done. Doing it by feel takes some time to learn, so a digital thermometer is one way to give you a quick and accurate reading of the temp inside the steak.
Rare = 130° to 140°F
Medium Rare = 145°F
Medium = 160°F
Well Done = 170°F
Burnt = Not acceptable. Smile.
Once you remove the steak from the skillet, let it rest again for about 10 minutes before serving. This way it can redistribute the juices throughout the meat. It does take a little patience, but you know the old saying, “Good things come to those that wait.”
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Enjoy!
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Skillet Steak
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Varies
Description
You can still enjoy a flavorful, juicy steak without an outdoor grill. Use your stove top and a big cast iron skillet. Super easy.
Ingredients
1 8-16oz Steak, Ribeye, T-Bone, New York Strip
1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder, optional
Instructions
Place steak on a plate, platter or sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Add black pepper.
Add garlic powder if desired.
Rub the seasonings into the meat, pressing firmly.
Flip the steak over and repeat adding seasonings.
Let sit on counter for 30-45 minutes to come up to room temperature.
Place skillet over Medium heat on stove top. Let pan get hot.
Add the bacon grease, let it melt.
Add the steak. Cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned on bottom.
Use tongs to hold steak on edge to cook the layer of fat.
Flip steak over.
Add butter and let melt.
Spoon melted butter on top of steak.
Cook steak until it reaches temp you desire.
Remove to plate and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Notes
Use a digital thermometer to cook steak to desired temp.
Keywords: skillet steak, cast iron steak, ribeye, t-bone, new york strip, bacon grease, butter
Your Comments:
Have you ever cooked a steak in a cast iron skillet? What’s your favorite way to cook steak?
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Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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You might also like this: Grilled Vidalia Steaks with Sweet Italian Sausage
Or, maybe this one: Liver and Onions
How about this? Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits
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Category: Beef, Main Dishes
Hi Steve, almost like my mom did also, minus the bacon grease which sounds delicious. Growing up in the 50’s we had the little cast iron charcoal grill that sat on the ground, it only was used for special occasions in the summertime. Otherwise she’d use my Nana’s cast iron frypan. I grill in snowstorms but it’s cold winter rain in coastal Massachusetts that drives me inside usually to roast something…looking forward to using your recipe for this stovetop steak.
Hi Susan, I hope you’ll get to try the Skillet Steak soon, but not just because it’s raining. Smile. Winter rains are cold here too. I do appreciate your visit today and I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hello Steve. This is just a great tasting steak. We like ours medium, wrapped tight and rested. Meanwhile deglaze the skillet with (minimum amount) black coffee. Pour this up along with the juices of the resting steak. This is some fine sopping with your garlic toast or gravy for your potato or grits. I know you don’t like coffee. (smile) Use a bit of branch water.
What is your thoughts, or maybe some of your readers, why coffee became used as a gravy base (red eye, bulls eye)? A reason may be that our families always had a coffee boiler on the stove and the liquid was available and hardly anything was ever wasted. Also may have been coloring agent. Be blessed
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Hi Anthony, Thank you for your comments today. I’m glad you stopped by. I’d like to think that some old cowboy chuck wagon cook came up with the idea of using coffee for the gravy. It was probably all he had, water had been scarce, so he just poured some in that big pan hanging over the camp fire, and next thing you know, he had gravy. Smile. It would really be interesting to know how some of these things actually came to be. I appreciate your visit and your support. I hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve,
I tried this before & it’s Good!
After you’ve taken the steak out to rest.
Put 2-4 pats of butter in the still hot pan.
Add a table spoon of brown sugar.
Scrape the brown bits up & mix,put in at least quarter cup of Balsalmic Vinegar, stir & cook down umtil thick. Then pour it over your steak!
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Hi Jimmy, I’ll have to try your sauce suggestion next time I can afford a steak. Smile. Thank you for the suggestion and recipe. I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Just wanted to update you on our giant T-bone steak. I have not added butter to steak during cooking, but I did today. Yummy! I also baked our potatoes in the air fryer which is quicker than the oven and makes for a crispy skin. There is enough steak leftover for our supper; maybe on a sandwich or in a salad. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I agree, nothing tops a steak from the grill.
Years ago relatives from Iowa visited us when we lived in D.C. My parents took us all out to dinner. My mother ordered her steak rare. When her cousin from Iowa looked over and saw the steak and said, “Ruth, I’m going to pretend you’re eating ham.”
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Hi Gail, Thank you for sharing your story. I learned not to order a steak rare many years ago. But, let’s not get into that. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. Smile. I appreciate you taking the time to write. Thank you for your visit and be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve,
Your newsletter today brought back a memory for quite a few years ago. I went to visit my Great Aunt and Grandmother in Cincinnati. I was born and raised there until I was 10, (78 now) and all my relatives were Southern cooks, so that is my cooking background. On this particular trip to celebrate my visit, they went down to the local butcher, and bought a beautiful thick T-Bone steak. They then proceeded to thoroughly flour it and cook for about a half an hour or maybe more. It was tasty but what a waste of a nice piece of meat.
Hi Judi, Thank you for the chuckle. I guess it’s the thought that counts. Right? Smile. Thank you for sharing your memories with us. I hope you’ve enjoyed some good steaks since then. I appreciate you taking the time to write and visit. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
When I cook a steak inside like this I do it almost exactly the same.
But I take those pan juices and pour over my baked potato, and sop up the excess with homemade buttermilk biscuits.
Thanks, Steve. I always enjoy your Monday morning email visit.
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Hi Stephen, I hadn’t thought about pouring the pan juice over the baked potato. It’s butter, so why not? Smile. I really appreciate you being a subscriber to the Newsletter. Thank you for your support. Keep enjoying those steaks, and be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve. Greetings from California! I too cook my steak in my cast iron skillet. I love to cook with bacon grease but usually I cook my steak with olive oil and butter. I love steak but only eat it occasionally. I’ll have to try it your way. That’s the way my Mom and Dad used to cook. Bless you.
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I look forward each Monday to hear from you. Thank you for the time and effort you put into the newsletter and, especially the recipes. Glad to see the steak recipe today. My husband and I ran across a good deal on steak and bought a T-bone that will feed both of us with some leftover. (It’s huge.) I will fix it tomorrow as I have a defrosted chicken in my refrigerator today. Besides, I need to get some baking potatoes to go with it. Yummy dinner tomorrow.
Hi Karen, That must be one more huge T-Bone if it will feed two people. Or, you don’t eat like an old Southern boy. Which is it? Smile. It’s my pleasure to share the recipes. Thank you for your very kind comments and for being a subscriber to the Newsletter. I will always be grateful for your support. I do hope the chicken and the steak turn out well. I appreciate your visits and hope you know the door is always open for you. Stop by any old time. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thanks for sharing your recipes and thoughts with us. I really enjoy your blog which I just stumbled on recently as I’m a recipe collector. I am a southern gal born and raised up here in Halifax Co. and enjoyed my childhood in the 60’s and 70’s. Many of your recipes and writings recall to my mind memories of those times and my Mama’s cooking. I loved her hot biscuits, baked fresh everyday, busted open and smeared with butter and some country ham with red-eye gravy. Also those tender and sweet collards! And sweet potato biscuits too! I could go on and on. Those were the days! Got to try your Mama’s Biscuits too. Smile.
Hi Brenda, Thank you for your kind comments about our recipes. I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern and subscribed to our Newsletter. I appreciate you sharing your memories with us. Sounds like we share a lot of similar tastes. Smile. Now I want a fresh made biscuit. I do hope you’ll try our recipe for making some. I’d love to know how they turn out for you. I appreciate your visits and your support and do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This recipe looks really good. If I have a steak I should use this one.
Hi Sylvia, I do hope you’ll try the recipe. Please let us know how it turns out for you. Thank you for your visit today. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve! Happy August to you! Yep those gardens and all that canning will soon come to an end. But boy will those good veggies go well with that steak. I have cooked steaks in cast iron for years, I’m 65,so yes it’s a great way to cook a steak. As for my tweak to your recipe I like to sprinkle on some hickory smoke flavoring and a little worcestershire to add depth and not use as much salt. I use kosher salt also. Then let it come to room temp just as you do. I love your recipes and I live by your old fashioned beef stew! Best I ever ate! Have a blessed day Steve! Your friend from Arkansas, Joyce
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Hi Joyce, Greetings to Arkansas. Thank you for sharing your comments with us. I like the idea of the hickory smoke and the Worcestershire sauce too. It would certainly add to the flavor profile. I’m glad you’re tried our Beef Stew recipe and liked it. I appreciate you being a subscriber to our Newsletter and thank you for all of your support and visits. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This is how my mom used to cook our steak in winter when I was growing up – without the bacon fat and butter – although it often was a bone-in round steak. Now I sear mine on the stove and finish it in the oven.
HI Roxanne, Thank you for sharing your memories of your mom cooking steak in her skillet. I bet they tasted awesome. I know a lot of folks finish their steaks in the oven, but I’ve never seen the need for that. I like my steak medium-rare, and they are usually done by the time I flip them and let them cook another minute or two. But, thank you for sharing your way of doing steaks with us. I appreciate your visits and do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve