Baked Steak

Contrary to popular belief, you really don’t need a grill to cook a delicious steak. This oven-baked steak recipe yields a tender sirloin with a pleasantly caramelized exterior. The trick? Starting the steak on the stovetop gives the steak a good brown crust and seals in the juices.

Our baked steak recipe uses a top sirloin steak, which is a great cut of beef for this oven method because it has a good meaty flavor without much fat. One secret when learning how to bake a steak in the oven is not to overcook it: Medium-rare is the ideal, but medium will taste great too. Rather than frying the steak until it’s cooked, which can lead to tougher edges, transfer the steak to the gentler heat of the oven until it is perfectly cooked.

Oven-baked steak is perfect for any night of the week, whether serving the whole family or making a romantic dinner for two. Make some of your favorite steakhouse sides like buttery mashed potatoes, a big wedge salad and creamed spinach for a night out spent in.

Ingredients for Baked Steak

• Olive oil: You need a bit of olive oil in the pan to sear the steaks before baking them.
• Beef top sirloin steaks: Top sirloin is generally a thick cut of meat from the loin. It’s great for all cooking techniques: grilling, broiling, sauteing, pan-frying and baking. Stick with top sirloin steaks that are 1 to 2 inches thick. That way, they won’t cook or dry out too fast.
• Seasonings: Most steak recipes don’t require many complicated spices. For this one, you just need salt and pepper. A good coarse salt, like kosher salt, is ideal for seasoning meat.
• Butter: Butter adds flavor and fat to lean steaks. Add it to the tops of the steaks before popping them in the oven to create a simple sauce at the end.

Directions

Step 1: Season the steaks

TMB STUDIO

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Brown the beef

TMB STUDIO

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until quite hot, then add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay the steaks into the pan, in batches to make sure they don’t touch. Cook until the edges form a golden brown crust, two to three minutes per side.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure the skillet is nice and hot before adding the steaks. Not preheating the skillet enough is one of the biggest cast-iron cooking mistakes. Heating the oil just right is important too; make sure it’s slick and thin before adding the meat. Spacing the steaks in the pan encourages them to brown; crowding them together will make them steam instead and you won’t get a nice crust.

Step 3: Bake the steak

TMB STUDIO

Top each steak with 1 tablespoon butter.

TMB STUDIO

Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the meat reaches the desired doneness, three to four minutes.

Editor’s Tip: You want a good meat thermometer to take the temperature of the steaks. You’re looking for 135° for medium-rare, 140° for medium and 145° for medium-well.

Step 4: Let the meat rest

Let the steaks stand for five minutes before cutting into the meat.

Editor’s Tip: One of the most common mistakes when cooking steak is not letting the meat rest. If you slice too soon, moisture will seep out of the steak. Let it sit and the beef will “relax,” absorbing the juices and keeping the steak moist and rich. When cutting a steak, make sure to cut against the grain so it stays nice and tender.

TMB STUDIO

Recipe Variations

• Pump up the seasonings: While a good piece of beef doesn’t need much seasoning, it tastes great with a wide variety of spices. Think herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary or even dried dill. A sprinkle of brown sugar alongside a savory spice like mustard or paprika adds complex flavor (and boosts the browning). Or, try adding heat with cumin, cayenne or pepper flakes, or stick to classics like garlic salt and onion powder. Make your own steak seasoning and keep it handy.
• Change the beef: You can bake other cuts of steak using the same method: Ribeye and porterhouse steaks are good options.
• Serve with sauce: Open a bottle of steak sauce (or make homemade steak sauce), blitz up punchy and herb-y chimichurri, whisk together a kicky peppercorn sauce or stick to a simple shallot sauce.

How to Store Baked Steak

We think steak tastes best freshly cooked, but you certainly can save it (and there are plenty of ways to eat leftover steak). Let the steak cool, then wrap it tightly in storage wrap or foil. This tight wrapping keeps air away from the surface of the meat, keeping it fresh longer. You can also seal it in an airtight container. Then, store it in the refrigerator.

How long does baked steak last?

Refrigerated leftover steak will keep for three to four days.

How do you reheat steak?

First, remove the oven-baked steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. For the juiciest reheated steak, place it on top of a wire rack on a baking sheet. Heat in a 250° oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Then, sear in a hot cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil to restore the tasty crust.

For a quicker (and easier) reheat, place the steak on a microwave-safe plate covered with a wet paper towel. Heat in 30-second intervals, flipping the steak between each blast until heated through.

Baked Steak Tips

TMB STUDIO

How do you bake steak without drying it out?

The best way to avoid dry meat is to avoid overcooking the steak. As the end of the cooking time approaches, watch the steak closely. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the steak so you can remove the steak from the oven as soon as it reaches your desired doneness.

If the steak goes further than you meant to, don’t stress. Make a note for next time, and this time, serve the steak with your favorite steak sauce or one of the homemade sauces suggested above.

What’s the best way to slice a steak?

Slicing a steak correctly ensures that the meat will be tender and delicious. First, look closely at the meat; the muscle fibers running in a parallel line are called the grain. You want to cut against the grain, meaning in the opposite direction of the fibers. This breaks up those long muscles into smaller pieces, ensuring tender bites. Cutting alongside the grain keeps the muscles in long lengths, making for a chewier experience. Angle the steak so your knife slices perpendicular to the grain.

What can you serve with baked steak?

Surprisingly, steak can be a quick and easy dinner: Just serve with a simple green salad tossed with a punchy lemon vinaigrette and a loaf of crusty bread—done! There are plenty of other steak sides to round out the meal. If you have the oven on, consider a roasted side like Parmesan roasted broccoli, baked potatoes or artichokes. Vegetable sides like snappy green beans, asparagus or kale balance the steak’s richness, while a starch like glazed sweet potatoes, fresh corn or herbed rice pilaf will fill you up without overloading on red meat. If it’s a special occasion, don’t forget a decadent dessert!