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.
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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!
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.
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
- Canola oil or other high-heat oil
- Compound butter or regular 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Sous Vide Recipes
- Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak
- Sous Vide Short Ribs
- Sous Vide Prime Rib with Au Jus
- Sous Vide Denver Steak
If you’re looking for the best way to make the perfect ribeye, try the sous vide method.
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Sous Vide Ribeye Steak
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
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Save Recipe BookmarkRecipe FAQs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!