I absolutely love me some delicious steak, and occasionally I make it at home. This Pan Seared Steak recipe is the easiest way to make a delicious steak on the stove top!

What cut of steak to use?

What cut of steak to pan sear is up to you. For this recipe, I recommend 24 oz of meat – so that could be two 12 oz ribeye steaks, or two 12 oz New York strip, etc.

If you’d like to learn more about the various types of cuts of steak – check out my Different Cuts of Steaks blog post here!

I buy my steaks from my local grocery store, but if you’re looking for really good cuts of meat and can’t find any locally, you can also order online! For example, Crowd Cow – they ship to anywhere in the US other than Alaska and Hawaii sustainable and healthy meats/seafood!

Equipment You Need

Here’s what you need:

Cast Iron Skillet

I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet. Cast iron pans heat very evenly and retains heat extremely well. A pre-heated cast-iron skillet provides the intense heat needed to sear the outside of a steak to a crispy, golden-brown, and also cooks the inside well.

Tongs

You don’t exactly need tongs but whatever you use to flip the steak without hurting yourself is the idea. So tongs are great with this.

Stove

This is pretty self explanatory as we are pan searing you will need a stove.

Oven

This sounds pretty weird that we are using the oven too but the goal is actually to heat up the cast iron so that it is super hot right before we sear the steak – this will give it a nice golden brown crisp.

What kind of oil do you use for steak in a cast iron skillet?

The oil you use should be one with a high smoke point, for example canola oil. If you do not have canola oil, you can also use vegetable oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil.

How long to pan fry steak?

This really depends on your temperature preference on your steak. I prefer medium rare – in my opinion this is the perfect temperature to enjoy your steak – but everyone is allowed to have their own opinions 🙂

The below times are estimated times, if you are following my recipes – but pay attention to when you flip and also the heat level:

How long to pan sear steak for medium rare?

The total time for medium rare is about 6 minutes.

How long to pan sear steak for medium?

The total time for medium rare is about 7 minutes.

How long to pan sear steak for medium well?

The total time for medium well is about 8 minutes.

How long to pan sear steak for well done?

The total time for medium well is about 9 minutes.

How much is one serving of steak?

Technically, 1 serving of steak is supposed to be 3 oz, and that is estimated to be 279 calories. However, I don’t know about you but I don’t think that’s enough.

For the nutritional data in the recipe card, it is based off the typical serving size of 3 oz. So if you have more than 3 oz, let’s say 6 oz, make sure to double the estimated calories.

How to Pan Fry Steak

First gather your ingredients:

24 oz of steak (I used two 12 oz ribeye steaks)
Salt and pepper as desired
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. This might seem like a weird start to “Pan Seared Steak” but the goal is we will be heating up the cast iron so that it’s sufficiently hot when we pan sear the steak.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, and then rub with the salt and pepper.

Place cast iron in oven for 15 mins. Remove carefully using oven mitts.

Add oil to the cast iron and heat on high. Be careful NOT to touch the cast iron at any point with your bare hands or arms!

Place steaks in the pan and watch out for splattering oil – there should be a very nice sizzle.

Now leave the steaks alone for about 3 minutes. This will help it develop a golden brown crust.

Add the butter and then flip steak to cook the other side.

The cooking time depends on the temperature you prefer – I like my steaks medium rare, so I let it cook another 3 minutes or so, however if you like yours at medium, let it cook about 4 minutes. If you like it at medium well, give it another 5 minutes. If you like yours at well done, let it cook for 6 minutes.

Remove from heat, and transfer steaks to a warm plate, and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Pan Seared Steak

Name: Pan Seared Steak
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 24 oz of steak (I used two 12 oz ribeye steaks); Salt and pepper as desired; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 1 tablespoon butter

There's nothing that's more comforting that a nice pan seared steak - and it's easy to make at home too - here's how we do it.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 6 minutes

Ingredients

24 oz of steak (I used two 12 oz ribeye steaks)
Salt and pepper as desired
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. This might seem like a weird start to “Pan Seared Steak” but the goal is we will be heating up the cast iron so that it’s sufficiently hot when we pan sear the steak.
Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, and then rub with the salt and pepper.
Place cast iron in oven for 15 mins. Remove carefully using oven mitts.
Add oil to the cast iron and heat on high. Be careful NOT to touch the cast iron at any point with your bare hands or arms!
Place steaks in the pan and watch out for splattering oil – there should be a very nice sizzle.
Now leave the steaks alone for about 3 minutes. This will help it develop a golden brown crust.
Add the butter and then flip steak to cook the other side. The cooking time depends on the temperature you prefer – I like my steaks medium rare, so I let it cook another 3 minutes or so, however if you like yours at medium, let it cook about 4 minutes. If you like it at medium well, give it another 5 minutes. If you like yours at well done, let it cook for 6 minutes.
Remove from heat, and transfer steaks to a warm plate, and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

3 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 93mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 22g

The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information. Keep in mind that if there is a marinade, often times not all the ingredients will be consumed.