Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (2024)

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  • Sous Vide
  • Sous Vide Beef

Thanks to precise temperature control, this steak turns out more consistently than traditional steak, every time.

By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated March 03, 2024

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Why It Works

  • Slow, precise cooking followed by high heat gives you perfectly even results with a nice dark crust.

Sure, with a little technique, it's not difficult to produce excellent steaks through pan-searing alone. But for flawlessly even edge-to-edge cooking and consistently foolproof results, sous vide is absolutely the better way.

To achieve a nice crust along with that perfectly cooked meat, finish these sous vide steaks in a pan or on the grill. For information on what temperature settings to use and how long to cook steak sous vide, see the note at the bottom of this recipe.

Sous Vide Steak Guide | The Food Lab

Portions of this recipe were developed as part of our partnership with Anova Culinary.

March 2010

Recipe Details

Sous Vide Steaks

Prep20 mins

Cook65 mins

Active20 mins

Total85 mins

Serves4 steaks

Ingredients

  • 2 (1 1/2– to 2-inch-thick) ribeye, strip, porterhouse, or T-bone steaks (about 1 pound/450g each), or 4 tenderloin steaks (6 to 8 ounces/170 to 225g each)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 sprigs thyme or rosemary (optional)

  • 2 cloves garlic (optional)

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced (optional)

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil (if pan-searing; optional)

  • 2 tablespoons (30g) butter (if pan-searing; optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat a sous vide cooker to desired final temperature. (See note below for temperature and timing charts, or find the same charts here.) Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Place in sous vide bags along with herbs, garlic, and shallots (if using) and distribute evenly. Seal bags and place in water bath for desired time according to charts.

    Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (3)

  2. To Finish in a Pan: Turn on your exhaust vents and open your windows. Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Add vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil to a heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, then place over the hottest burner you have and preheat skillet until it starts to smoke.

  3. Gently lay steak in skillet, using your fingers or a set of tongs. If desired, add a tablespoon of butter; for a cleaner-tasting sear, omit the butter at this stage.

    Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (4)

  4. After 15 to 30 seconds, flip steak so that the second side comes into contact with the pan. Repeat, flipping steak every 15 to 30 seconds, until it has developed a nice brown sear, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If you did not add butter earlier, add butter to skillet about 30 seconds before steak is done for added richness. Serve steak immediately.

    Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (5)

  5. To Finish on the Grill: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

  6. Remove steak from water bath and bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Place steak directly over hot side of grill and cook, turning every 15 to 30 seconds, until a deep, rich crust has formed, about 1 1/2 minutes total. If the fire threatens to flare up as the steak drips fat into it, suffocate the fire by closing the grill lid until the flames die out. Alternatively, transfer steak to cooler side of grill, using a set of long tongs, until flames subside. Do not allow steak to become engulfed in flames.

    Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (6)

  7. Transfer cooked steak to a cutting board or serving platter and serve immediately.

    Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

Immersion circulator; tongs; heavy cast iron or stainless steel skillet, or grill

Notes

Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse/T-Bone, and Butcher's Cuts: Temps and Times

DonenessTemperature RangeTiming Range
Very rare to rare120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)1 to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)1 to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)1 to 4 hours
Medium-well145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)1 to 3 1/2 hours
Well-done156°F (69°C) and up1 to 3 hours

Tenderloin: Temps and Times

DonenessTemperature RangeTiming Range
Very rare to rare120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours
Medium-rare129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)45 minutes to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours max if under 130°F/54°C)
Medium135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)45 minutes to 4 hours
Medium-well145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)45 minutes to 3 1/2 hours
Well done156°F (69°C) and up1 to 3 hours

Read More

  • The 3 Best Ways to Cook Steak: A Pros and Cons List
  • Sous Vide Cooking: How to Get Started
  • Dry-Aged, Sous Vide, Torched-and-Seared Bone-InRibeyes (a.k.a. The Ultimate Steak) Recipe
  • Reverse-Seared Steak Recipe
  • Perfect Pan-Seared Steaks Recipe
  • Sous Vide Beef
  • Dairy-free Mains
  • Gluten-free Mains
  • Steaks
  • Porterhouse Steak
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
369Calories
26g Fat
0g Carbs
34g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories369
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g33%
Saturated Fat 11g57%
Cholesterol 106mg35%
Sodium 708mg31%
Total Carbohydrate 0g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 17mg1%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 380mg8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes

Sous Vide Steak Guide | The Food Lab
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Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Sous Vide Cooking: How to Get Started
15 Steak Recipes to Satisfy Your Inner Carnivore
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Pan-Seared Flank Steak With Peaches and Dandelion Greens Recipe
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28 Sous Vide Recipes for Perfectly Cooked Meals, Every Time
Sous Vide Rack of Lamb Recipe
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The Food Lab's Complete Guide to Sous Vide Chicken Breast
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Reverse-Seared Steak Recipe

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Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you sous vide a steak? ›

Strip and Ribeye Steak
Preferred DonenessTemperatureTime
Very rare to rare120°F / 49°C to 128°F / 53°C1h to 2h 30m
Medium-rare129°F / 54°C to 134°F / 57°C1h to 4h
Medium135°F / 57°C to 144°F / 62°C1h to 4h
Medium-well145°F / 63°C to 155°F / 68°C1h to 3h 30m
1 more row

What seasonings to use for sous vide steak? ›

Seasonings – coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper is all that was used for this reverse-seared steak. Herbs – I used fresh thyme sprigs to enhance the flavor of the steak during the sous vide and searing process. Other herbs you could use are rosemary, sage, or oregano.

How to make sous vide steak tender? ›

Temps and Times for Sous Vide Tenderloin Steaks

I cook my tenderloin steaks at several degrees Fahrenheit lower than fattier cuts, like ribeye or strip. I like my tenderloin in the very-rare-to-rare range, between 120°F (49°C) and 128°F (53°C), for optimal tenderness and moistness.

Do you sous vide steak with or without butter? ›

Here at Sous Vide Tools we often like to add a small amount of butter to the bag and find that for best results, flavoured butter works really well to add a little something extra during the cooking process. Our preference is to place butter into the bag itself, rather than on top of the product.

What is the best temperature to sous vide steak? ›

What Temperature Should I Sous Vide?
Sous Vide Steak Temperature Chart
Very Rare to Rare120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)1 to 2 1/2 hours
Medium Rare129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)1 to 4 hours
Medium135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)1 to 4 hours
Medium-Well145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)1 to 3 1/2 hours
2 more rows

Can you overdo steak in sous vide? ›

For example, many chefs recommend that sous vide steak should not be cooked for longer than four hours because the connective tissue begins to break down and the steak can become mushy.

Should I marinate a steak before sous vide? ›

Another thing to note is that cooked meat doesn't absorb marinades, and the outside of meats cook in roughly 5 to 10 minutes sous vide, so you always want to marinate first before sous vide cooking — even if you leave the marinade in the bag.

Why was my sous vide steak tough? ›

While the protein in beef, specifically, gets tender when you're cooking it low and slow via the sous vide method, sometimes, the fat doesn't fully render, according to Delishably.

Can you use Ziploc bags for sous vide? ›

Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.

How long to sear steak after sous vide? ›

What else do I need to know about how to sear steak after sous vide?
  1. You will likely need only 45 - 90 seconds per side if the pan is hot enough.
  2. DO NOT CROWD THE PAN. ...
  3. You need consistent surface area contact to sear, so once you drop the meat in the pan, do not flip repeatedly or push it around.
Nov 2, 2023

How long does it take to sous vide a 2 inch steak? ›

For sirloin sous vide, set aside about one hour of time per inch of steak thickness. So, for a one-inch sirloin, you'll need about two hours, and a two-inch sirloin needs about three hours. Regardless of thickness and your preferred doneness level, you shouldn't need longer than four hours to sous vide sirloin steak.

Can I sous vide with olive oil? ›

While we most often use robust extra virgin olive oil in our cooking and preparations, mild olive oil is a better option when infusing with the Anova Sous Vide precision cooker. Mild olive oil won't overpower the rosemary — which we chose for our herb infusion.

How long does it take to sous vide a 1 inch thick steak? ›

My rule of thumb is TWO to FOUR hours for a TWO INCH STEAK, ONE to TWO hours TOPS for a ONE INCH STEAK and no longer. Sure, you can do it for MUCH longer (I've had steaks that has been sous-vided for more than EIGHT hours) but you're really not going to like the texture.

Does cooking a steak longer in sous vide make it more tender? ›

Sous vide allows for long, slow cooking at a low temperature, which breaks down these tissues and results in tender, juicy meat. Prepare the meat with generous salt and any other desired seasonings, then cook for a long time at a low temperature.

Does meat get more tender the longer you sous vide? ›

Turning Tough Cuts Tender: Collagen proteins unwind into moisture-holding gelatin at temperatures as low as 122°F/50°C. Sous vide cooking allows us to hold tough, collagen-heavy cuts of meat at lower temperatures for longer periods of time and get the same tenderizing effect as braising.

References

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