Excellent Sous Vide Steak Recipe (Time & Temp Information)

Since studying to sous vide steak years in the past, it’s now the ONLY method I prepare dinner it at residence. My husband is obsessive about having his steak completely medium-rare, and there’s no different technique to get that stage of precision.

Sous vide cooking began as a restaurant cooking methodology, however now residence cooks can obtain the identical restaurant-quality steak proper in their very own kitchen. Whether or not you’re making a sous vide ribeye for date night time or a sous vide filet mignon for an important day, this methodology delivers completely cooked steak from edge to edge — each single time.

Sous vide steak is a technique of cooking steak in water at exact, managed low temperatures for a set period of time. You seal the steak in a bag with butter, herbs, and your favourite sous vide steak seasonings, then gently prepare dinner it in a water tub till your complete steak reaches the precise doneness you need.

• Completely even cooking: There’s no extra worrying about overcooked edges or undercooked facilities. The entire steak cooks evenly from edge to edge, fully hands-off.
• Management like a chef: You select the precise temperature to hit your required doneness. For sous vide steak medium uncommon, I set mine to 130–134°F. A fast sear brings the crust as much as temperature with out altering the inside.
• Restaurant-level steak at residence: In case you’ve ever ordered a steak that got here out completely cooked in minutes, it was most likely sous vide. Now, I get that very same end in my kitchen.
• Unimaginable to overcook: As a result of the water stays at a relentless temperature, you possibly can depart the steak in for a versatile window of time with out worrying about it going previous your goal doneness.

Studying methods to sous vide steak is easy as soon as you understand the steps. The secret is prep, precision, and ending with an excellent sear. Right here’s my step-by-step course of:

1. Arrange a water tub: Fill a big container or pot with water, connect the sous vide immersion circulator, and set the temperature. Verify my sous vide steak time and temp information beneath for exact settings primarily based in your most well-liked doneness.
2. Season and bag the steak: Generously season with coarse salt and pepper. Place the steak in a Stasher, Ziploc, or FoodSaver bag with a tablespoon of butter and a sprig of contemporary herbs. Take away as a lot air as potential from the bag for even cooking and to maintain the steak from floating.
3. Let the sous vide machine work: Submerge the bag within the water tub and prepare dinner for two–4 hours. Two hours is ideal for a 1.5–2 inch steak at medium-rare, however for an extra-tender end result, depart it for as much as 4 hours. For thinner steaks round 1 inch, 40–60 minutes is sufficient to attain temperature.
4. Sear for taste and texture: Take away the steak from the bag, discard the juices, and pat it fully dry with paper towels. Warmth a cast-iron skillet over medium-high warmth and add olive oil or extra butter. Sear the steak for about 1 minute per aspect till the surface is golden brown. You possibly can baste the steak with further butter and herbs right here.
5. Relaxation and serve: Let the steak relaxation for simply a few minutes earlier than slicing. Serve it with a chimichurri sauce, roasted veggies, or any of my favourite sides beneath.

You possibly can eat sous vide steak straight from the water tub, however a fast sear provides taste, texture, and that restaurant-quality crust. I at all times sear, and right here’s how I do it:

Searing Strategies

• Forged iron skillet (my favourite): Warmth a cast-iron skillet over excessive warmth with a high-smoke-point oil like avocado oil. Sear for 45–60 seconds per aspect. The forged iron provides probably the most even, constant crust of any methodology. To baste, add butter and contemporary herbs and spoon the melted butter over the steak whereas it sears.
• Grill: Preheat the grill to 450°F or greater and sear for about one minute on all sides over direct warmth. Nice for summer time cookouts while you don’t need to warmth up the kitchen.
• Torch: A kitchen torch works for a fast sear, particularly on smaller cuts. It received’t produce as deep a crust as forged iron, however it provides minimal warmth to the inside, which is a plus in case you’re nervous about overcooking.

Irrespective of which methodology you select, the important thing to an excellent sear is ensuring the steak is bone dry on the floor. Pat it completely with paper towels earlier than it hits the warmth.

The most effective issues about sous vide is the precision — you possibly can hit your preferrred doneness each single time. This sous vide steak time temp chart covers each stage of doneness for traditional 1.5–2 inch thick steaks. In case you’re going to sear your steak after (and it is best to!), the sear will add a couple of levels to the outside, however the inside temperature stays proper the place you set it.

Doneness	Temperature Vary	Timing (1.5–2″ steaks)	Finest For
Very Uncommon to Uncommon	120–129°F	1–2.5 hours	Sushi-quality beef, steak tartare lovers
Medium-Uncommon	130–134°F	1.5–4 hours	Hottest — juicy, pink, buttery texture
Medium	135–144°F	1.5–4 hours	Barely firmer with heat pink heart
Medium-Effectively	145–155°F	1–3 hours	Largely cooked via, slight pink
Effectively-Executed	156°F+	1–3 hours	Absolutely cooked via, agency texture

Thickness issues: For thinner steaks round 1 inch, scale back the preliminary prepare dinner time to about 40–60 minutes to achieve temperature. Thicker steaks (2.5 inches+) might have an additional 30–60 minutes. When doubtful, use a meat thermometer to verify.

⚠️ Meals security observe: Steaks cooked at temperatures beneath 130°F mustn’t stay within the water tub for greater than 2.5 hours. Beneath this temperature, dangerous micro organism can multiply. In case you want uncommon steak, hold your sous vide steak time on the shorter finish and sear instantly after.

Not each minimize of steak is identical, and the fantastic thing about sous vide is which you could dial within the excellent temperature and time for every one. Right here’s my go-to sous vide steak temp information for the preferred cuts:

Minimize	Temperature	Time	Notes
New York Strip	130–135°F	2–4 hours	My private favourite. Juicy, beefy taste with a pleasant fats cap. Nice at medium-rare.
Ribeye	134–139°F	2–4 hours	Sous vide ribeye advantages from barely greater temps to render the marbling and intramuscular fats. The result’s wealthy, buttery, and extremely flavorful.
Filet Mignon / Tenderloin	130–134°F	1.5–3 hours	Sous vide filet mignon is melt-in-your-mouth tender. These cuts are leaner, so don’t go above medium or they will dry out. Add further butter within the bag.
T-Bone / Porterhouse	130–135°F	2–4 hours	Cook dinner for the strip aspect’s preferrred temp. The tenderloin aspect will probably be barely extra executed however nonetheless wonderful.
Skirt / Flank Steak	130–135°F	2–4 hours (as much as 8 for further tender)	Leaner, more durable cuts grow to be extremely tender with longer prepare dinner instances. Slice in opposition to the grain. Scrumptious in my steak tacos!

The largest takeaway: fattier cuts like ribeye do higher at barely greater temps, whereas lean cuts like filet mignon shine at decrease temps with a shorter prepare dinner time. No matter minimize, intention for steaks which are no less than 1.5 inches thick for the most effective outcomes — 2 inches is even higher. Thinner steaks can overcook throughout the sear.

The most effective issues about sous vide is that you should use practically any minimize of steak, so long as it’s no less than 1 inch thick (although 1.5–2 inches is right). Thicker steaks take longer to achieve the goal temperature, however they arrive out further tender and offer you a greater sear with out overcooking the inside.

I’ve examined all the things from smaller ½-pound steaks to 1-pound T-bones, and so they all turned out scrumptious. Listed below are my favourite cuts for sous vide:

• New York Strip: That is my private favourite. It’s juicy, tender, and excellent for medium-rare.
• Ribeye: Wealthy and flavorful with a bit extra marbling. A sous vide ribeye actually advantages from barely greater temps (round 134–139°F) to render that fats.
• Filet Mignon: Essentially the most tender minimize you should purchase. Sous vide filet mignon comes out buttery-soft and melts in your mouth. Because it’s leaner, add further butter to the bag.
• T-Bone & Porterhouse: These are nice for a show-stopping steak dinner. Simply ensure that the thickness is constant so each side prepare dinner evenly.
• Skirt or Flank: Leaner cuts profit from the mild sous vide prepare dinner, which retains them tender moderately than chewy. Sliced flank steak is scrumptious in my steak tacos recipe!

You solely want a couple of components earlier than you add your steak to the sous vide. Listed below are the necessities:

• Steak: I used New York strip for this sous vide steak recipe, however any minimize of steak will work. For the most effective outcomes, select steaks which are no less than 1.5 inches thick.
• Coarse sea salt + black pepper: At all times season earlier than the water tub. Coarse salt and pepper give the most effective taste and texture. Skip the finely floor stuff right here.
• Recent herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and oregano are my favorites. Including them to the bag infuses the steak with delicate herb taste because it cooks.
• Butter: Don’t neglect so as to add the butter to the sous vide bag earlier than you add it to the water tub. The butter melts and provides a wealthy, buttery taste to the steak.
• Olive oil: The olive oil is used for searing after sous vide. If most well-liked, swap it for extra butter to get a golden, flavorful crust.

Finest Sous Vide Steak Seasoning

Relating to sous vide steak seasoning, much less is usually extra — however you could have some nice choices past the fundamentals:

• The traditional base: Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper is all you actually need for an unimaginable steak.
• Recent herbs: Rosemary and thyme are my high picks. Add them on to the bag so the flavors gently infuse throughout the prepare dinner.
• Garlic: Crushed garlic cloves within the bag add depth with out overwhelming the meat. Garlic powder works too if that’s what you could have available.
• Compound butter: Combine softened butter with herbs, garlic, and a pinch of flaky salt — then add a slice to the bag or soften it over the steak after searing.
• Spice rubs: Right here’s a key tip — daring dry rubs and spice blends truly work higher when utilized after cooking, proper earlier than the sear. The excessive warmth of the sear blooms the spices and creates a flavorful crust. Including heavy spice rubs to the bag may end up in a muted, steamed taste.

Sous vide steak is fairly simple, however a couple of key instruments make the method foolproof. Right here’s what you’ll want:

• Sous Vide Immersion Circulator: That is important. It heats and maintains the water on the precise temperature you set. In case you don’t have one, there are many dependable, budget-friendly choices out there on-line.
• Container or Pot: You want one thing deep sufficient to totally submerge the steak. I take advantage of a big pot, however a plastic bin, a small cooler, or perhaps a kitchen sink works in a pinch.
• Baggage for Cooking: Stasher baggage, vacuum-seal baggage, or Ziploc freezer baggage are all nice. The secret is to take away as a lot air as potential so the steak stays totally submerged. You need to use a vacuum sealer for this you probably have vacuum-seal baggage.
• Forged Iron Skillet or Grill: These are non-obligatory however extremely advisable for searing. A scorching cast-iron skillet is my most well-liked methodology for that excellent crust. Add tongs for flipping.
• Meat Thermometer: That is extremely advisable for precision and peace of thoughts. I take advantage of the Thermapen from ThermoWorks for my steaks.

Frequent Sous Vide Steak Errors

Sous vide is forgiving, however there are nonetheless a couple of errors that may maintain you again from the absolute best steak. Listed below are the commonest ones I see:

• Not drying the steak earlier than searing: That is the number-one mistake. If the floor of the steak is moist, you’ll steam it as an alternative of searing it, and also you received’t get that golden-brown crust. Pat the steak completely with paper towels — each side — earlier than it hits the recent pan.
• Utilizing steaks which are too skinny: Steaks below 1 inch thick can overcook throughout the sear, leaving you with a grey band across the edges. Purpose for no less than 1.5 inches, and a pair of inches is right for sous vide steak.
• Overcrowding the water tub: Be certain every bag has area round it so the water can flow into freely. Stacking baggage or cramming too many in can result in uneven cooking.
• Not eradicating sufficient air from the bag: Air pockets insulate the steak from the water and trigger uneven cooking. Use the water displacement methodology (slowly decrease the open bag into the water and let stress push the air out) or a vacuum sealer.
• Skipping the sear: Sure, you can eat sous vide steak with out searing — however the sear is what provides you taste, texture, and that attractive crust. Don’t skip it!
• Searing too lengthy: The sear must be fast — 45 to 60 seconds per aspect, max. Any longer and also you threat making a thick grey band of overcooked meat just under the floor.

Sure! You possibly can completely sous vide frozen steak straight from the freezer without having to thaw it first. The method is almost equivalent to cooking contemporary steak — simply add further time to account for the steak arising from frozen to your goal temperature.

Right here’s how a lot further sous vide steak time so as to add for frozen steaks:

• 1 to 1.5 inch thick steaks: Add 60 minutes to your regular prepare dinner time.
• 2 inch thick steaks: Add 90 minutes to your regular prepare dinner time.

The feel and taste are nearly the identical as contemporary steak. Sous vide gently brings the steak as much as the goal temperature, so it doesn’t lose moisture, and the meat stays tender and juicy. After cooking, simply sear it the identical method you’d a contemporary steak to get that golden-brown crust.

Meal prep tip: I like to season and vacuum-seal steaks forward of time, then freeze them flat within the freezer. On busy weeknights, I simply seize a bag from the freezer, drop it within the water tub, and dinner is prepared with zero prep. It’s some of the handy weeknight dinner hacks I do know.

To retailer, let the steak cool barely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 3–4 days.

To reheat, the most effective methodology is a heat water tub, identical to the unique sous vide. Set the water tub to 120–130°F and let the steak heat for five–8 minutes. (Thicker steaks will want extra time.) This retains it juicy with out overcooking.

In case you don’t need to sous vide once more, you can too reheat in a skillet over low warmth or within the oven at 250°F till warmed via, then shortly sear for a contemporary crust. Keep away from microwaving, as it may possibly dry out the steak and spoil that tender texture.

The steak is the star of the meal, however the fitting sides take it to the subsequent stage. I adore it with a chimichurri sauce, however listed below are a couple of extra of my favorites:

Sous vide steak is flexible. It’s excellent for a particular dinner, a vacation feast, or perhaps a summer time barbecue. With the fitting sides, it’s simple to make it really feel like a restaurant-quality meal at residence.

Are you able to overcook steak with sous vide?

Technically, you possibly can’t overcook steak within the sous vide within the conventional sense — it’ll keep on the identical temperature for nevertheless lengthy you allow it. Meaning you received’t find yourself with a well-done steak simply because it’s been in there all day. Nonetheless, in case you let your steak sit for longer than 4 hours, the protein construction begins to interrupt down and the feel can grow to be mushy, shedding that fabulous chew.

What are the professionals and cons of sous vide steak?

Sous vide meals assure completely cooked meat from edge to edge, staying juicy, tender, and stuffed with taste. You additionally get full management over doneness, so hitting medium-rare on steaks is easy, and the timing is forgiving. On the flip aspect, it requires a sous vide setup, takes longer than a fast grill or pan-sear, and you continue to want a quick sear for the most effective crust and taste.

Which containers work greatest when utilizing a sous vide?

There are a lot of sorts of containers for sous vide steak. My go-to is a big pot, however ensure that it’s giant sufficient to totally submerge the steak in water. Different choices embody a 12 qt. plastic bin, a small cooler, or perhaps a kitchen sink.

How thick ought to steak be for sous vide?

For the most effective outcomes, I like to recommend steaks which are no less than 1.5 inches thick — 2 inches is even higher. This offers you an ideal edge-to-edge prepare dinner and sufficient thermal mass to sear with out overcooking the inside. Steaks below 1 inch can work for sous vide, however they warmth via shortly (about 40 minutes) and usually tend to overcook throughout the sear.

Ought to I put butter or oil within the sous vide bag?

Butter is nice within the sous vide bag — it provides richness and helps carry the flavour of herbs and garlic into the steak. Oil, however, can truly dilute the beefy taste by pulling fat-soluble taste compounds out of the meat and into the oil (the place they get discarded with the bag juices). My advice: use butter within the bag, and save the oil for the sear.

Can I season my steak forward of time?

I like to recommend seasoning proper earlier than bagging, or after cooking simply earlier than the sear. In case you salt the steak hours or days upfront after which sous vide it for a very long time, the salt can draw out an excessive amount of moisture and create an virtually cured, ham-like texture. A beneficiant seasoning proper earlier than the prepare dinner provides you the most effective taste and texture.

Do I must relaxation sous vide steak after searing?

In contrast to historically cooked steak, sous vide steak wants very minimal relaxation time — a minute or two at most. As a result of the steak was cooked evenly at a low, constant temperature, the juices are already distributed evenly all through the meat. There’s no scorching heart pushing juices to the perimeters like there’s with a grilled or pan-seared steak. Slice and serve!

Can I reheat sous vide steak within the sealed bag?

Sure — if the steak was initially cooked at 130°F or above, you possibly can chill it in an ice tub proper after cooking, retailer it sealed within the fridge, and reheat it later by dropping the bag again right into a water tub set to the unique cooking temperature. This can be a nice methodology for meal prepping steak for the week. Simply ensure that to make use of it inside 3–4 days.

What’s the most effective searing methodology for sous vide steak?

Forged iron is my high choose — it provides you probably the most even, constant, deep-brown crust. A grill works nice too, particularly in summer time. A kitchen torch is a stable choice if you would like minimal warmth switch to the inside, however it produces a thinner crust. Irrespective of which methodology you select, ensure that the floor is screaming scorching and the steak is totally dry for the most effective outcomes.

How lengthy to sous vide steak?

For most traditional 1.5–2 inch steaks, 2 hours is the candy spot for medium-rare. You possibly can depart it within the water tub for as much as 4 hours with none detrimental results. Thinner steaks (round 1 inch) solely want about 40–60 minutes to achieve temperature. In case you’re cooking from frozen, add 60–90 minutes relying on thickness. Verify the time and temp tables above for cut-specific steerage.