Take your steak recipes to the next level with this sous vide ribeye recipe. Using the precision low-temperature water bath method produces an incredibly juicy, evenly cooked ribeye with a gorgeous ruby-red interior.

Sliced grilled steak garnished with herbs and spices, accompanied by seared scallops and garlic on a dark platter.

In this recipe:

There’s nothing better than a juicy steak. One of our favorite ways to level up our beef recipes is with the sous vide method. We love using this method because you can set it in the water bath and forget it until it’s at the perfect internal temperature. We use this cooking method for all types of steak like sous vide chuck steak and sous vide filet mignon. With this method, you don’t need to stand by the stove or grill. Just plop it in water, set your precision cooker with your desired final temperature, and wait in anticipation!

A person using a sous-vide machine to cook steak, placing a vacuum-sealed bag of meat and herbs into a water bath in a kitchen.

What Is the Sous Vide Method?

This cooking technique involves sealing food in a vacuum-sealed bag and then cooking it in a precisely controlled water bath at a consistent low temperature. The water bath is contained in a bucket or small countertop tub with a sous vide machine, so you can set it and forget it.

By cooking food at a precise temperature for an extended period, sous vide ensures even cooking throughout the entire piece of food. This gentle cooking process is particularly popular for cooking steak to perfection, as it allows you to achieve the perfect steak temperature, from rare to well-done, with minimal risk of overcooking. Plus, because the food cooks gently in its own juices, it tends to be incredibly tender and flavorful. 

Two raw ribeye steaks on parchment paper, with rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper on a dark tiled surface.

Sous Method Ribeye Steak Ingredients

  • Boneless ribeye steaks – These should be 1 to 1.5 inches. Look for fattier steaks with a decent amount of marbling. 
  • Kosher salt, plus more for serving
  • Garlic cloves
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs
  • Canola oil or other high-heat oil
  • Compound butter or regular unsalted butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper

How to Cook Steak Sous Vide

First, prep your steak by removing it from the package and patting it dry with paper towels. Next, season it liberally on all sides with salt. Then, lay the steak on a wire rack over a baking sheet and let it sit in the fridge overnight to dry brine.

    Two raw steaks garnished with garlic and herbs on a dark surface.

    2. Now, prepare your water bath and preheat it to 120 degrees with a sous vide immersion circulator. Remove the steaks from the fridge and place them in a vacuum-sealed bag with the smashed garlic and aromatics like thyme and rosemary. Seal the bag by removing all of the air with a food sealer. Place the bag in the preheated water bath and allow the steaks to cook sous vide for 2 hours.

    Raw ribeye steaks in a vacuum-sealed bag with herbs and garlic, ready for sous vide cooking, viewed from above on a light background.

    A sous vide cooker attached to a clear container filled with water and various foods, displaying a temperature of 124.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Next, remove the steaks from the water bath and then remove them from the bags, keeping the garlic and herbs. Pat the steaks dry again.

    Preheat a large cast iron skillet or carbon steel skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the oil to the pan and carefully add the steaks to the pan. We’re going to do a quick sear to get that nice outer crust. 

    Sear the ribeye steak for 45 to 60 seconds until a crust forms. Add the garlic and herbs, flip the steak, and sear the other side. If the steaks have a fat cap, use long tongs to flip the steaks and sear that quickly as well.

    Two ribeyes cooking in a skillet on a stove, with juices bubbling around the edges of the meat.

    Finally, remove the ribeyes from the skillet, top with a dollop of roasted garlic compound butter, and sprinkle flaky salt and pepper. Let the steaks rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin strips. Serve immediately.

    Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tip

    If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, use the water displacement method to remove all air from the bag. To use the water displacement method, place your food in a zip-lock bag, leaving a small opening in the seal. Slowly submerge the bag into the water with the sealed side above it. As you lower the bag into the water, it pushes the air out. When the bag is almost entirely submerged, seal it completely to create a vacuum-like environment ideal for sous-vide cooking.

    You could finish these steaks on the grill for a hint of flame-kissed flavor. However, we feel a good sear, the crust you get from the Maillard reaction of a cast iron or carbon fiber pan can’t be beaten and minimizes the risk of overcooking.

    Sliced sous vide ribeye steak arranged beside scallops on a rustic wooden table, garnished with herbs and spices.

    What to Serve With Sous Vide Steak

    Want to turn this meal into a surf and turf extravaganza? Pair your steak with pan-seared scallops. Add a touch of decadence with a side of creamed leeks and crispy onions for an aromatic addition. Feeling saucy? Drizzle some red wine steak sauce or horseradish cream sauce for a restaurant-worthy meal and a kick of flavor. 

    Leftovers & Reheating

    Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

    Before reheating, take your steak out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. 

    To reheat, place a large skillet over medium heat. Place leftover steak in the skillet and reheat for a few minutes until warmed through. 

    Sliced medium-rare steak seasoned with herbs and spices, focused in the foreground with a blurred background.

    More Sous Vide Recipes

    If you’re looking for the best way to make the perfect ribeye, try the sous vide method.

    Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.

    Sous Vide Ribeye Steak Recipe

    5 from 3 votes
    Prep: 5 minutes
    Cook: 2 hours 10 minutes
    Resting Time: 5 minutes
    Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Sliced medium-rare steak served with scallops and herbs on a black plate, garnished with fresh rosemary.
    This sous vide ribeye steak recipe makes incredibly juicy, evenly cooked ribeye steaks using the precise temperature-controlled water bath method. Perfectly cooked edge-to-edge! 🥩

    Ingredients  

    • 2 lbs Ribeye steaks boneless, about 1 lb each
    • 1 tbsp Kosher salt plus more for serving
    • 2 to 4 Garlic cloves smashed and peeled
    • Fresh rosemary
    • 1 tbsp canola oil or other high heat oil
    • 2 tbsp compound butter
    • Freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions 

    • Prep your steak by removing it from the package and patting it dry with a paper towel.
    • Season it liberally on all sides with salt.
    • Lay the steak on a wire rack over a baking sheet and let it sit in the fridge overnight to dry brine.
    • Prepare your water bath and preheat it to 120 degrees with a sous vide immersion circulator.
    • Remove the steaks from fridge and place them in a vacuum seal bag with the smashed garlic and rosemary.
    • Seal the bag by removing all of the air with a food sealer.
    • Place the bag in the preheated water bath and allow the steaks to cook sous vide for 2 hours.
    • Remove the steaks from the water bath then remove them from the bags. Keep the garlic and herbs.
    • Pat the steaks dry again
    • Preheat a large cast iron or carbon steel skillet over medium high heat until just smoking.
    • Add the oil to the pan and carefully add the steaks to the pan.
    • Sear the ribeye steak for 45 to 60 seconds until a crust forms.
    • Add the garlic and herbs, flip the steak and sear the other side.
    • If the steaks have a fat cap, use long tongs to flip the steaks and sear that quickly as well.
    • Remove the ribeyes from the skillet and top with a dollop of compound butter and sprinkle of flakey salt and pepper.
    • Let the steaks rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin strips.
    • Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1848mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 0.02g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: French
    Author: Kita Roberts

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    Recipe FAQs

    How is sous vide cooking different than traditional methods?

    The sous vide method is quite different from traditional cooking methods in a few key ways. First off, unlike traditional methods where food is exposed to direct heat, sous vide involves cooking food in a precisely controlled water bath at a low and consistent temperature. This means there’s no risk of overcooking or undercooking, as the food reaches the desired level of doneness evenly throughout.
    Additionally, because the food is sealed in a vacuum-sealed bag, it retains all its moisture and flavors, resulting in incredibly tender and juicy dishes. This is quite different from traditional methods, where moisture and flavors can escape during cooking. Overall, sous vide offers a more precise and foolproof way of cooking, ensuring consistent and restaurant-quality results every time.

    Should I marinate the steak before cooking it using the sous vide method?

    That’s totally up to you. A ribeye steak is tender enough that it doesn’t not benefit from a marinade. We use the dry brine method, where we rub the steak down with seasonings and let it sit in the fridge to remove moisture. But you could use a steak marinade if you like. 

    How long does it take to cook a ribeye steak using the sous vide method?

    It should take around 2 hours for medium-rare steak 1 to 1 1/2″ steak.  Adjust for the thickness and weight of your cut of beef.

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    Well, Hey, Y’all.

    Kita is a multi-talented individual, boasting numerous accomplishments such as being an award-winning recipe developer, world-traveled professional photographer, and journalist. As the lead creative force behind Girl Carnivore®, she is widely recognized as an authority on all things meat.

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    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Comments

    1. 5 stars
      You don’t say what temp. your finished steaks are. If you take them out at 120F and sear them for 45sec. a side, what is your finished temperature? I have cooked them like this for quite some time with good results. I particularly like cooking a big pork loin this way. I can still get a great sear later and no dried out pork.

      1. Hey hey Jim! Great Q. Our finished temp is 125 for these ribeyes. Yeah, pork loin and other lean cuts are great cooked with the sous vide method too!