Description

In this recipe, I’ll show you how to broil a steak using only an oven with a top-mounted broiler. You’ll end up with a steak that’s cooked relatively evenly on the inside, with a bit of browning on the surface.

Ingredients

For Steak:

Any tender steak that’s at least 1 inches (2.5 cm) thick (ribeye, strip steak, picanha, porterhouse, or filet mignon)
1–2 teaspoons (about 5-10 g) kosher salt (1-1.5% of the steak’s weight)
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper per pound (454 g) of steak (optional)
Compound butter

Tools:

Oven with broiler (you’ll need an oven with a top-mounted broiler)
Wire rack and baking sheet
A leave-in probe thermometer
Tongs

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Instructions

Get your ingredients and tools ready first. Then follow the steps below.

all ingredients for broiled steak recipe horizontal view

Prepare the Steak

Pat the steak dry on all sides with paper towels to remove any surface moisture, then trim off any excess outer fat. This helps prevent the fat from burning, which is especially important for steaks thicker than 1 inch (2.5 cm). If there isn’t much outer fat on the steak, feel free to skip this step.
Season the steak generously with 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt (1-1.5% of the steak’s weight). Place the salted steak on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate it uncovered for 4 to 6 hours (see notes).
Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.

pat dry the steak then season with kosher salt

Make the Compound Butter (Optional)

Here’s my step-by-step recipe for a garlic-herb compound butter you can use. I highly recommend making it ahead of time, so you can place a slice right on top of the steak as soon as it comes out of the broiler. (see the notes below for more details)

Preheat the Broiler

Set your broiler to high and let it preheat for about 10 minutes. Every oven is a little different, so make sure you choose the highest broiler setting to get the heating element as hot as possible (most home broilers reach around 500–550°F / 260–288°C).
While the broiler heats up, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier, then place a wire rack on top so the drippings fall away from the steak.
Once the broiler is ready, pat the steak dry again and insert a leave-in probe thermometer into the side of the steak. Make sure the probe tip is centered on the steak so you get an accurate reading. Now the steak is ready to go into the oven.

Broil the Steak

Place the steak on the upper oven rack, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches (6–8 cm) from the broiler, set on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
Make sure the steak runs parallel to the broiler element and sits fully under it, not turned sideways, so it cooks evenly without cold spots (see the photo below).
Broil until the thermometer reads 30°F (17°C) below your target doneness (see the temperature chart below). Then remove the steak from the oven and let it rest uncovered for 5 minutes.

Don’t walk away, broiling happens fast. Watch the steak closely as it browns to avoid burning, and monitor the internal temperature (crack a window for ventilation if needed). There’s usually no need to flip it unless the crust already looks good on one side. I typically flip only thicker steaks, about 2 inches (5 cm) or more, and only once.
Cooking time depends on your steak’s thickness, oven accuracy, and your preferred doneness. That’s why I always recommend using a leave-in probe thermometer with an alarm. It eliminates the guesswork, saving you from constantly opening the oven to check with an instant-read thermometer.

steak oven baked under the broiler temperature chart

Serve the Broiled Steak

While the steak rests, place your compound butter on top so it can melt over the hot surface.
If you don’t have compound butter, use regular butter; it’ll still add great flavor and moisture. Once the steak has rested, slice it thinly and serve it with your favorite sides.

Broiled steak sliced and topped with compound butter

Notes

Flare-ups

If you start seeing flare-ups, I recommend moving the steak a bit farther from the broiler to calm things down and reduce the risk of more flare-ups. For this reason, I don’t recommend this method for highly marbled cuts or steaks with untrimmed outer fat.

Compound Butter

Compound butter is an easy way to add great flavor to steak. I recommend making it ahead of time – either the day before or at least 30 minutes before cooking. Roll it into a log and let it firm up in the fridge or freezer so you can slice off a piece whenever you need it. You can also make a quick batch in a small bowl right before cooking. Use some as soon as the steak comes out of the broiler, then keep the rest in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. And if all you have is butter, add a slice on top of the hot steak. It’ll still melt beautifully and add tons of flavor with almost no effort.

Dry-brining

You can dry-brine the steak even longer than 4-6 hours for deeper flavor, but keep in mind: the longer it sits salted, the more noticeable the gray band just under the crust becomes. If you’re short on time, you can let the salted steak rest uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour, but for this recipe, I don’t recommend it. The steak needs more time to dry properly if you want good browning under the broiler.