Smoked Ribeye Steak Recipe

Slices of smoked steak with herbs and seasoning on a black surface, garnished with a sprig of rosemary.

5 from 1 vote

Smoked Ribeye Steak Recipe

Take your steak game to new heights with our mouthwatering smoked ribeye recipe. This guide walks you through selecting the perfect cut, seasoning it just right, and mastering the smoking process to create a steak that's tender on the inside with a flavorful, smoky crust that'll have your guests raving.

Prep Time8 5

Cook Time1

Resting Time10

Total Time9 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 637kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

For the steak

1 thick-cut bone-in ribeye steak
Kosher salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter

To garnish

Rosemary and thyme
Compound butter
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prep the Steak

Start by removing your ribeye from the package and patting it dry.
Liberally season the steak on all sides with kosher salt.
Place the steak on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours.

Preheat the Grill

Prep your grill for a 2-zone fire and clean and oil the grill grates. See our notes below for charcoal, gas and peller smokers.
Prep the grill for a temp of 250 - 275 degrees F.

Smoke the Steak

Place the steak on the cool side of the grill and close the lid.
Melt the butter in a small cast iron or oven safe skillet and set it aside.
Smoke the steak until it reaches an internal temperature that is 10 to 15 degrees below your desired finished internal temperature. For us, that is medium rare (130°F) so we smoke the steak to 110-115 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on the thickness and weight of the ribeye.
Using an herb brush or basting brush, baste the steak every 10 minutes with melted butter.
Using long grilling tongs, remove the ribeye from the grill and place it on a baking sheet.

Sear the Steak

Remove the grill lid and increase the heat on the grill to sear, 450+ degrees F. See our tips for searing in cast iron in the notes below.
When the grill has preheated, and you can only hold your hand a few inches above the hot side of the grill for 1 to 2 seconds, place the ribeye on the hot side of the grill. Use caution, as adding the fatty hot steak to the direct heat, it can cause flare-ups.
Sear the steak for 60 to 90 seconds to get good sear marks, flip and repeat.
Using long grilling tongs, carefully remove the smoked ribeye from the grill.

Rest and Serve

Place a dollop of compound butter, fresh rosemary and thyme over the ribeye and let it rest for 7 to 10 minutes.
Set the herbs aside and, using a sharp knife, slice the steak against the grain into thin ¼” to ½” strips for serving.
Nestle the steak back over the melted butter and aromatics.
Sprinkle with flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

Notes

If you don’t have a thick-cut ribeye, this recipe still works. A normal ribeye steak will be about an inch thick. Simply smoke to the same internal temperature, which won’t take as long as the thick cut, before searing it as directed in the recipe card.

We love using an herb-basting brush for thick cuts. It imparts a light, aromatic flavor to the meat as you baste it throughout the cook.

For a better crust, consider searing in a preheated cast iron skillet on the grill.

For a Charcoal Grill:

Once your charcoal is lit, arrange it to one side of the grill.
Place the grill grate back, clean and oil it, and adjust the air vents to preheat the grill to 250°F.
Slow cook the steak as per the recipe.
When ready to sear, take the steak off the grill, keep the lid off, and open the air vents for maximum airflow. Let the coals get extremely hot before finishing the steak as directed.
We use Cowboy Brand Lump Charcoal and Jack Daniel's Barrel Chunks for our charcoal grill.
If using a ceramic grill, use the diffuser plates while smoking but remove them before you increase the heat to sear.

For a Gas Grill:

Set up the grill for indirect cooking. Begin by preheating with all burners on, then clean and oil the grates. Turn off the heat on 2 of the 3 (or 3 of the 4) burners, allowing the grill to cool to 250°F.
Once preheated, place the steak on the cooler side of the grill and cook as per the recipe.
When it's time to sear, increase the heat on the active burner to high and let it preheat. Move the steak to the hot side and sear as directed.

For a Pellet Grill:

Start by preheating your pellet smoker to 250°F.
Place the steak on the grill grates and smoke as per the recipe until it reaches 10°F below your target temperature.
Transfer the steak to a baking sheet or cutting board and increase the grill temperature to its maximum setting.
Once preheated, sear the steak as directed.

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