Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (2024)

  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Method
  • 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.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated March 03, 2024

(15)

WRITE A REVIEW

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.

  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
Sous Vide Pork Chops Recipe
15 Steak Recipes to Satisfy Your Inner Carnivore
Sous Vide Cooking: How to Get Started
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
28 Sous Vide Recipes for Perfectly Cooked Meals, Every Time
Dry-Aged, Sous Vide, Torched-and-Seared Bone-In Ribeyes (a.k.a. The Ultimate Steak) Recipe
Pan-Seared Flank Steak With Peaches and Dandelion Greens Recipe
Reverse-Seared Steak Recipe
Sous Vide Rack of Lamb Recipe
Perfect Pan-Seared Steaks Recipe
Sous Vide Burgers
Pan-Seared, Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Steak Recipe
The Best Ways to Cook Steak, Explained
The Food Lab's Complete Guide to Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Sous Vide Chicken Breast

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Sous Vide Steaks Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you sous vide a steak? ›

Porterhouse & T-Bone Steak
Preferred DonenessTemperatureTime
Very rare to rare120°F / 49°C to 128°F / 53°C45m to 2h 30m
Medium-rare129°F / 54°C to 134°F / 57°C45m to 4h
Medium135°F / 57°C to 144°F / 62°C45m to 2h 30m
Medium-well145°F / 63°C to 155°F / 68°C45m to 3h 30m
1 more row

How do you make sous vide steak more flavorful? ›

Q: Can I add aromatics, like herbs or alliums, to the sous vide bag? Yes, you can. I like to add thyme or rosemary sprigs, along with sliced shallots or garlic cloves, to the bags with my steaks during cooking. Adding the same aromatics to the pan as you sear the steaks will bolster that flavor.

Why is my steak still tough after sous vide? ›

You should select a different cut of steak. A long trip in the sous vide bath is meant to break down connective tissue and tenderize meats. Flank steak is very lean, and inherently tough, so there is little connective tissue to break down, hence is stays tough.

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

A good example of this is flank steak or sirloin. Both cuts can be just heated through and served, but extended cooking can tenderize them slightly more, resulting in a much more tender steak. Most of these cuts can benefit from a 5 to 10 hour time in the sous vide bath.

Can you overcook steak in sous vide? ›

So, while it's certainly very difficult to overcook your food using sous vide, to say that it's impossible is a little bit of an overstatement. Just remember that while you technically can't 'overcook' your food, the quality could start to decline if it's left to cook for a lot longer than is recommended.

How do you sear sous vide steak without overcooking? ›

Chill-based reverse sear is when the meat is taken from the sous vide bath and chilled—still in its cooking bag—in an ice bath. By shocking the meat in an ice bath, we cool the exterior and a thin gradient of the interior so that when we perform the sear, we don't risk overcooking the precisely-temped steak.

Why is my sous vide steak rubbery? ›

On average, fat will begin to render around 130 F and, if not done properly, is the real reason your sous vide meat is rubbery. Because you're cooking the steak low and slow for that optimal tenderness, it's easy for temperatures to not become hot enough to get that crispy edge you crave.

Do most restaurants sous vide steaks? ›

Sous vide steak is becoming more and more popular in restaurants and kitchens all over the world.

What is the most flavorful cut of steak for sous vide? ›

It may not be the most voluminous cut, but flat iron steak is one of the best pieces to sous vide, thanks to a prime balance of tender muscle meat speckled with rich pieces of fat. Fine Cooking calls this slice — also known as top blade steak — a relatively tender piece of meat.

Does steak thickness matter in sous vide? ›

Leave steak with a normal thickness (approx. 2.5 cm) in a warm sous-vide water bath for up to 4 hours. Although the steak will not continue to cook and remains nice and tender, the tenderness will eventually turn into a more mushy texture. This is also a reason not to use too thick pieces of meat.

How long to sous vide steak at 131? ›

🌡 Temperature
DonenessTemp °F/°CTime
Medium Rare131°F/53.9°C1 hour - 2.5 hours
Medium139°F/59.4°C1 hour - 3 hours
Medium Well150°F/65.6°C1 hour - 3 hours
Well156°F/68.8°C1 hour - 3.5 hours
1 more row
May 26, 2020

How long to sous vide 1 inch ribeye? ›

Sous vide is the best way to ensure a perfectly cooked, tender rib eye steak every time! How long does it take to sous vide a ribeye? Sous vide 1-inch thick (or less) steaks for at least 40 minutes, up to 4 hours.. Sous vide 1.5-inch thick (and thicker) steaks for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.

How long to cook 1.5 inch steak? ›

SIRLOIN STRIP STEAKS, RIBEYE STEAKS & PORTERHOUSE STEAKS
ThicknessRare 110 to 120 FMedium 130 to 140 F
1.25"4.5 minutes EACH SIDE6.5 minutes EACH SIDE
1.5"5 minutes EACH SIDE7 minutes EACH SIDE
1.75"5.5 minutes EACH SIDE7.5 minutes EACH SIDE
2"6 minutes EACH SIDE8 minutes EACH SIDE
1 more row

Is it safe to sous vide steak at 125 degrees? ›

What is the Best Sous Vide Steak Temperatures and Times? There are many types of sous vide steaks, but they are usually cooked based on your temp preference. I recommend 125°F (51.6°C) for rare, 131°F (55°C) for medium-rare and 140°F (60°C) for medium.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 6002

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.