How to Reverse Sear a Ribeye on the Grill: 5 Steps to Edge-to-Edge Perfection, Every Time.

Reverse sear ribeye is one of the best ways to cook a thick steak on the grill. Cooked the usual way, hot and fast from the start the outside edges often overcook by the time the center hits medium-rare, leaving a gray band of overdone meat under the crust. Reverse searing fixes that. The steak cooks low and slow first, then finishes with a short, hard sear, which produces a crust across the entire surface and an interior that’s the same color from edge to center.

This Reverse Sear Ribeye method takes patience, but the results are worth it. Once you understand the timing, Reverse Sear Ribeye becomes a dependable way to cook a thick steak.

It takes a little longer than a standard grilled steak, but the method is almost impossible to mess up, and it’s a good one to have on hand for anyone cooking on a new deck or patio this season.

Why Reverse Searing Works

Searing a cold steak over direct heat sears the surface almost immediately, but the inside then has to catch up while the outside keeps cooking. That’s what causes the overdone ring just under the crust. A Reverse Sear Ribeye comes up to temperature gradually over indirect heat first, so the whole cross-section finishes close to the same doneness. Once the steak is nearly at target temperature, a fast sear over direct heat builds the crust in a couple of minutes, before the interior has a chance to overcook.

Recipe Overview

Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 ribeye steaks, 1.5 to 2 inches thick (bone-in or boneless)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
• Neutral oil (avocado or canola) for the grates

I believe no matter what you’re cooking, the ingredients make all the difference, and the fresher, the better. I like to source our meats from Meat People Butcher on Monona Drive in Madison. I like them for their support for locally sourced meats and support of our local farmers.

Instructions

1. Dry brine the steaks. Pat the steaks dry and season all sides generously with kosher salt. Set them on a wire rack over a baking sheet, uncovered, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. This draws moisture to the surface, then reabsorbs it back into the meat, which seasons the steak throughout and helps the crust form later.
2. Make the herb butter. Mash the softened butter with the garlic and rosemary or thyme. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking. On a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side, leaving the other side empty. On a gas grill, light only one or two of the burners and leave the rest off. The goal is one zone around 275 F for indirect cooking and one zone that can go very hot for the sear.
4. Bring the steaks to room temperature. Pull them from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling and season with the black pepper.
5. Cook the Reverse Sear Ribeye over indirect heat.
6.  Place the steaks on the cool side of the grill, close the lid, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads about 10 to 15°F below the final target, roughly 115°F for a finished medium-rare. This typically takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on thickness and grill temperature; start checking at the 25-minute mark.
7. Rest briefly and oil the grates. Move the steaks to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Open the vents (or turn the burners to high) to bring the direct-heat side up to maximum temperature, then oil the grates.
8. Sear. Place the steaks over the hottest part of the grill and sear for 60 to 90 seconds per side, including the fat cap edge, until a deep brown crust forms.
9. Rest, top, and serve. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, then top each with a spoonful of herb butter and serve.

Doneness Temperatures

Pull the steaks off the indirect side at these internal temperatures, then sear the temperature will climb another 5 to 10°F during the sear and rest:

• Rare: pull at 105°F, finish around 120°F
• Medium-rare: pull at 115°F, finish around 130°F
• Medium: pull at 125°F, finish around 140°F
• Medium-well: pull at 135°F, finish around 150°F

Notes

A wire rack keeps air moving under the steak during the indirect stage, which dries the surface and helps the sear form faster — a plate works if a rack isn’t available, just expect the sear to take slightly longer. Charcoal and wood both work well for the indirect stage; a couple of chunks of oak or hickory added to the coals will pick up a light smoke flavor over the 30-to-45-minute cook without overpowering the beef. An instant-read thermometer is the one piece of equipment worth having for this method — checking for doneness by feel is much less reliable on a thick-cut steak cooked this way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can reverse searing be done in the oven instead of on the grill?
Yes. Use a 250°F oven for the indirect stage, then finish in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet for the sear. The grill version adds a light smoke flavor the oven version won’t have.

Does this method work on thinner steaks?
Reverse searing is best suited to steaks at least 1.5 inches thick. Thinner cuts don’t spend enough time in the indirect stage to get the benefit, and are better suited to a standard direct-heat sear.

What’s the best cut for reverse searing besides ribeye?
Strip steak, sirloin, and thick-cut porterhouse all respond well to the same method. It’s especially useful on thicker, well-marbled cuts where an even interior matters most.

A good grilling setup is one more reason a deck earns its keep through the fall: plenty of room for the grill, a spot to work, and a place for everyone to sit down once the steaks come off.

If you are grilling a Reverse Sear Ribeye, Wisconsin summers can bring stretches of hot, dry weather, and that naturally raises questions about grilling on a deck. If you have concerns about where to safely place a grill, or want to know more about fire-resistant steel deck framing, feel free to reach out to us. We’re glad to share what we know.