How to Cook Steak Well Done

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and Amy Bobinger

Last Updated: December 2, 2021 References

While there are plenty of people who’ll rave about how easy it is to cook a perfect medium steak, it’s not as easy to get a nice, juicy steak that’s cooked all the way through. However, if you prefer your steak well-done, it is possible to get a delicious steak without seeing any pink in the middle. Whether you want to grill your steak or cook it indoors, start with well-marbled, high-quality steaks that are at least 1–1 ¹⁄₂ in (2.5–3.8 cm) thick to ensure your steaks stay as juicy as possible.

Ingredients

Grilled Steak

Your choice of 8–12 oz (230–340 g) steak (rib-eye and New York strip work well for this)
1 tsp (4.9 mL) canola or vegetable oil per steak
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 1 serving

Pan-Seared Steak

Your choice of 8–12 oz (230–340 g) steak (rib-eye, New York strip, T-bone, etc)
Salt
1 ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (22 mL) vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp (30-45 g) butter
1-2 sprigs of thyme (optional)

Makes 1 serving

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Grilled Steak

1
Choose a steak with plenty of marbling. Since you'll be cooking the steak to a well-done temperature, you'll need plenty of fat to keep the meat from drying out. New York strip and rib-eye, in particular, are known for having a good distribution of fat throughout the meat.
- An 8–12 oz (230–340 g) steak is a good size for a single portion.^{[1]
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- If you live in the U.S., USDA Prime is the best cut of meat available, and indicates rich marbling. If you can't afford that or it's not available, USDA Choice is the next best, followed by USDA Select.
2
Let the steak sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. You’ll get a more even cook on your steak if you start with one that’s room-temperature. Take the steak out of the package and place it in a dish on the counter for about 20-30 minutes so it can start to warm up.^{[2]
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- The steak may release some of its juices as it warms, so place it on the counter in a rimmed baking dish.
- You should never allow raw meat to sit at room temperature for too long, as it can start to spoil. Keep a close eye on the time while you're bringing your steaks up to room temperature and do not exceed 30 minutes.
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3
Heat one side of your grill to high heat. If you have a gas grill, only turn on one of the burners. If it’s a single-burner grill, you can just turn down the temperature after you flip the steaks.
- If you’re using charcoal, group the hot coals to one side of the grill. If you hold your hand 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) over the hot side of the grill, you should only be able to leave it there for about 2 seconds before it's too hot.^{[3]
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- While you want the high heat to get a great sear on the outside of your steak, you can’t cook it on high heat the whole time, or the outside will finish cooking faster than the inside.
- To avoid this, focus the heat on one side of your grill, so you’ll have a cooler zone to transfer the steaks to after they sear.^{[4]
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4
Brush your steaks with about 1 tsp (4.9 mL) of vegetable oil. The vegetable oil will help keep the steaks from sticking to the grill. Be sure to cover both sides in a light coat of the oil.^{[5]
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- You might not need to use all of the oil for smaller steaks. On the other hand, for very large steaks, you may need to use a little more.
5
Season your steak generously with salt and pepper. A delicious grilled steak only needs salt and cracked pepper to bring out the natural flavor of the meat, especially if you’re using a good cut of meat. Since the seasoning needs to reach all the way into the steak, it’s best to use a liberal amount, although the exact measurement will vary depending on the size of your steak and your personal taste.^{[6]
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6
Place the steaks on the hot side of the grill for 4-5 minutes. You should hear a sizzling sound as the steak hits the grill grates, and it shouldn’t be long before you start to smell the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat. However, don’t be tempted to move the steak around too much. It’s best to leave the steak where it is so it can get a good sear. Searing may help hold in the steak's juices, resulting in a more tender well-done steak.^{[7]
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- Don't crowd the grill too much; there should be at least 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) between the steaks.
- After 4 or 5 minutes, the steak should be golden brown and slightly charred.
- If you want diagonal grill marks, you can rotate the steak 45° once during the sear, but otherwise, leave it alone.
7
Flip the steaks with tongs and move them to the side with lower heat. As you’re flipping the steaks, move them to the cooler side of the grill. If you’re using a single-burner gas grill, turn it down to medium heat.^{[8]
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- Whenever you’re cooking steaks, you should always use tongs. This is because tongs won't pierce the meat, so the steaks will be able to retain more of their juices as they cook.
8
Continue cooking the steak for about 10-12 minutes. This will give you a steak that’s well-done, but it shouldn’t be tough and chewy. If you want to be sure the steak is done, use a meat thermometer and remove the steak from the grill when it reaches 165 °F (74 °C).^{[9]
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- The temp for a well-done steak is 170 °F (77 °C). However, since the steak will continue cooking for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat, you’ll get the best results by taking it off the grill just before it reaches that temperature.^{[10]
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9
Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before you serve it. When a steak is cooking, all the juices gather in the center of the meat. By letting it rest, you give the juices a chance to redistribute through the entire steak.^{[11]
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- When you’re cooking a steak to well-done, it’s especially important to let the juices settle, since the longer cooking time has a tendency to dry out the meat.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Pan-Seared Steak

1
Choose a high-quality steak with even marbling. Look for a steak with the USDA Prime or USDA Choice labels, which indicate a high level of marbling. Marbling means you can see fat running throughout the meat, which will give you a juicier steak. You can use any cut of steak for this, but New York strips, rib-eyes, Porterhouses, and T-bones are popular choices for grilling.
- Choose a steak that's about 8–12 oz (230–340 g) for a single serving.
2
Coat the steak with a layer of salt about 30 minutes before you cook it. The exact amount of salt you’ll use will vary depending on the size of your steak, but it’s fine to be generous with the salt. Much of it will be absorbed into the steak while it’s resting. Leave the salted steak at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before you cook it.^{[12]
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- In addition to seasoning your steak, the salt creates a dry surface on the steak that helps create a beautiful crust when you sear it.
- Do not leave your steak at room temperature for longer than 30 minutes, or you'll risk the growth of dangerous food-borne bacteria.
3
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C). The best way to ensure you get a thorough cook on your steak is to sear it in a skillet, then place the skillet in a hot oven so the steak can finish cooking. This way, the outside won’t burn as you bring it up to temperature.^{[13]
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4
Heat 1 ¹⁄₂ US tbsp (22 ml) of vegetable oil in an iron skillet over high heat. On most stovetops, this will only take about 2-3 minutes. When the skillet gets hot enough, the oil should start to smoke just a little. Keep an eye on it to ensure the oil doesn’t get scorched; otherwise, you’ll have to throw it out and start over.^{[14]
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- Vegetable oil is a good option for this because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. If you use another oil, make sure it’s not one that will burn at a high temperature. Canola oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oil are all also good for cooking at high temps.^{[15]
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- If you don't have an iron skillet, use another heavy-duty skillet that’s safe to put into the oven. Alternately, you could sear the steaks in a skillet, then transfer them to an oven-safe dish to finish cooking.
5
Place the steak in the skillet and sear it for 2-3 minutes. Once the oil is smoking, use a pair of tongs to carefully place the steaks in the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the pan, though—if you’re cooking more than 1 steak at a time, the steaks shouldn’t touch each other in the pan. If you need to, cook the steak in batches.^{[16]
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- After the 2-3 minutes are up, the steak should be lightly browned and shouldn’t stick to the pan when you flip it.
- Searing one side of the steak like this may help hold in the juices, resulting in a more tender steak.
6
Flip the steak with your tongs and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes. Tongs are ideal for flipping a steak because they don’t pierce the meat. Using a fork to flip the steak will create holes that allow the juice to come out, which will dry out your steak.^{[17]
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- A spatula can tear the crust off the bottom of the steak if it’s not ready to release from the pan.
7
Add 2-3 tbsp (30-45 g) of butter to the pan after you flip it. The butter will add moisture to the steak as it cooks, resulting in a tender and juicy steak that’s still cooked all the way through.^{[18]
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- If you like, you can add herbs and aromatics to the pan along with the butter. Thyme is a popular addition to pan-seared steak. Just drop 1-2 sprigs in when you add the butter, then remove the stems before you serve the steak.
8
Spoon the butter over the steak for the next 2 minutes. As the steak finishes searing on the stove, use a large spoon to continuously baste the steak with the butter. Not only will this help cover the steak completely, but it will also keep the butter from burning as it melts over the high heat.^{[19]
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- If you need to, you can tilt the pan to make it easier to pick up the butter with the spoon.
9
Place the steak in the oven for about 12 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the steaks. After about 12 minutes, check the temperature of the thickest part of the biggest steak. If the temperature reads 165 °F (74 °C), take the steaks out of the oven. Otherwise, put them back in and check them every 1-2 minutes until they’re ready.^{[20]
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- To ensure the steak is cooked to your likeness, go by temperature, not time. This will ensure a more consistent result.
- Use a potholder to transfer the skillet, since the handle will probably be hot.
10
Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve it. At high temperatures, the juices inside of a piece of meat tend to shrink toward the center. When you let a steak rest after cooking, all the juices are redistributed, resulting in a more tender steak.^{[21]
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Help Determining How Done a Steak is

Steak Doneness Chart

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can you cook steak well-done from being frozen?

Ollie George Cigliano
Private Chef & Food Educator
Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.

Ollie George Cigliano

Private Chef & Food Educator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Preheat the oven to 200 °F (93.3 °C) and season the steak generously with salt and pepper. Then, sear the steaks on 1 side until they form a golden crust. Transfer the steak seared-side-up to a rimmed baking sheet and let it bake for 1 hour. (This is a general rule and will vary depending on the thickness of the steak.)
Question

How do you tell if a steak is well-done?

Ollie George Cigliano
Private Chef & Food Educator
Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.

Ollie George Cigliano

Private Chef & Food Educator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Touch your thumb and pinky together and feel along the base of your thumb. It should feel firm, which is exactly what a well-done steak feels like.
Question

Is it bad to eat steak well done?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Absolutely not! It's all about your preference. There's no nutritional difference between a medium-rare and a well-done steak, either. If you don't like having a pink center, go with a well-done steak.