Description

A simple cast-iron skillet steak recipe with a deep crust and a tender, juicy center. Finished with garlic herb compound butter for rich flavor, it tastes like a restaurant-quality steak made at home.

Ingredients

For steak:

Aim for a naturally tender steak 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches (1.9–3.8 cm) thick, such as ribeye, strip steak, or filet mignon.
2 tablespoons (30 ml) high-smoke-point oil (I recommend refined avocado oil)
1–2 teaspoons (5–10 g) kosher salt per steak (1-1.5% of the steak’s weight in salt)
1/2 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper per pound (454 g) of steak (optional)

For garlic-herb compound butter

1/4 pound (113 grams) unsalted butter
1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, finely ground
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped (fresh or dried)

For the butter-garlic-herb mixture finish (optional)

2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

Tools

Wire rack and baking sheet (optional)
Cast iron skillet
Tongs
Meat thermometer (instant-read or leave-in probe thermometer)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Before you start, decide how you want to finish the steak. I highly recommend compound butter because it’s the easiest option and adds great flavor to the steak. If you don’t have time to prepare it, you can make a quick butter-garlic-herb mixture in the same pan while the steak rests.
After that, gather your ingredients and tools, then follow the steps below.

Cast iron skillet steak recipe ingredients horizontal view

Prepare the Steak

Pat the steak dry on all sides with paper towels, then season it evenly on all sides with 1–2 teaspoons of kosher salt total (about 1–1.5% of the steak’s weight).
Place it uncovered on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Then choose the next step based on how much time you have and the results you want:

If you’re short on time: Leave the salted steak at room temperature for about 1 hour. That’s the bare minimum for dry-brining.
If you have a few hours: Let it sit uncovered in the fridge for 4–6 hours. This is the best option if you want great flavor, a beautiful crust, and a minimal gray band under the crust. I highly recommend this option.
Want to dry-brine it longer? See notes. If you don’t have at least 1 hour to let the steak rest after salting, don’t salt it in advance. Either season it right before it goes into the pan, or salt it after searing.

Steak being patted dry and salted before cooking

Make the Compound Butter (Optional)

While the steak is dry-brining, prepare the compound butter. In a bowl, combine softened butter with salt, finely ground black pepper, finely chopped or pressed garlic clove, and finely chopped parsley or rosemary (fresh or dried).
To soften butter quickly, microwave it in 5-second intervals, checking after each one, until it’s soft but not melted. Alternatively, cut it into small cubes and leave it at room temperature until it softens.
If you’re cooking more than two steaks, feel free to double the recipe. Want to use different ingredients or make a larger batch for later? See notes.

Garlic herb compound butter in a bowl

Preheat the Cast-Iron Skillet

Regardless of the salting method you choose, make sure the steak sits at room temperature for about 15 minutes before it goes into the pan.
Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat for 3-4 minutes. Then add 2 tablespoons of oil and let it heat for about 1 minute.
While the skillet is heating, pat the steak dry again.
Optional: If using black pepper, season all sides with about 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper per pound (454 g) of steak.
Then immediately move on to the next step.

Sear the Steak in a Cast-Iron Skillet

Searing produces a lot of smoke, so turn on your exhaust fan or open a window before you start.

Steak searing in a hot cast-iron skillet

If you’re cooking a steak with a thick fat cap, such as a strip steak or picanha, start by placing it fat-side down in the hot skillet. Sear for 1–2 minutes, until the fat is browned and crisp. Then lay the steak flat in the pan.
If your steak doesn’t have a thick fat cap, place it flat in the hot skillet right away.
Once the steak is flat in the pan, sear over medium-high heat, flipping every 30 seconds. Cook until a meat thermometer probe inserted into the center reads 20°F (11°C) below your final target temperature.
For medium-rare, remove it from the pan at 115°F (46°C); for medium, 125°F (52°C); and for medium-well, 135°F (57°C).
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes. For rare, well-done, and final rested temperatures, use the chart below.

cast iron skillet steak temperature chart

For steaks thinner than 1 inch (2.5 cm), use the same final temperatures but pull the steak about 15°F (8°C) below the target instead of 20°F (11°C). See the notes for the thinner-steak chart.

Compound Butter Finish

Place a bit of compound butter on top of the steak right after you take it out of the pan and let it melt as the steak rests.
Optional: If you don’t have compound butter, use the same pan you seared the steak in. Lightly brown a few peeled garlic cloves over medium heat, then add a couple sprigs of rosemary or thyme and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of unsalted butter. Let the butter melt, turn off the heat, and pour the garlic-herb butter over the sliced steak before serving.

Slice and Serve the Steak

After the steak has rested for 5 minutes, thinly slice it. For well-marbled, naturally tender cuts, slice it however you like. For cuts like outside skirt, hanger, or flank steak, be sure to slice against the grain (see notes).
Serve with your favorite sides.

Cast iron skillet steak with garlic butter

Notes

Dry brining for 12-24 hours: You can dry-brine the steak for 12–24 hours, but expect a thicker gray band under the crust. The flavor and crust will be excellent, but not everyone likes the deeper, saltier flavor that develops after a long dry brine, especially when the steak sits closer to 24 hours. If you want to try a longer dry brine, I recommend starting with 12 hours first. Then, next time, you can go longer and see if you like the difference. Just keep in mind that the closer you get to 24 hours, the more noticeable the gray band under the crust becomes.

Compound butter: If you want to make a larger batch to keep on hand, roll it into a log and let it firm up in the freezer. It’s much easier to store this way, and you can slice off only what you need whenever you cook steak. If you’re looking for other flavor ideas, check out my compound butter recipes for steak, where I share different ingredient combinations with step-by-step instructions.

If you keep the compound butter in a bowl in the fridge, storage time depends on the ingredients. For garlic-herb compound butter, use it within 4 days. Follow the conservative rule recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation for homemade garlic-in-oil mixtures, because garlic stored in fat can be a botulism risk if handled incorrectly. Keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or lower. For longer storage, freeze it. You can keep compound butter frozen for a few months, but for the best quality, use it within 2–3 months.

For steaks thinner than 1 inch (2.5 cm), expect less carryover cooking during the same 5-minute rest. Pull them from the skillet about 15°F (8°C) below your target final temperature.

Slicing against the grain: This technique shortens the muscle fibers, making each bite easier to chew. It’s one of the simplest ways to make tougher, chewier cuts noticeably more tender because your teeth don’t have to work as hard to break through long muscle fibers. If you’re not sure how to find the grain direction or how to slice the steak properly, check out my guide to slicing steak against the grain.