How to cook steak

June 6, 2024

by HelloFresh How to cook

Learning how to properly cook a tender and juicy steak is a valuable addition to your cooking skills and guarantees an impressive meal every time.

There are a few recommended guidelines to stick to when it comes to cooking steak – for whichever cut or method of cooking you choose. This is where this handy, step-by-step guide and steak cooking chart comes in.

Common types of steak

The most common cuts of steak are:

Sirloin – as seen in this seared sirloin steak recipe, this cut is from the sirloin section near the rear.
Ribeye – cut from the centre of the rib section
Fillet – as seen in this premium fillet steak recipe, this cut is from the lower middle of the back.
Rump – cut from the hindquarters

What are the different levels of steak doneness?

Whether you prefer your steak rare, well-done, or somewhere in between, all different levels of steak doneness can be achieved by altering the cooking time.

Rare steak
Rare steak has spent the least time cooking. It is red, shiny and very soft to touch.
Medium-rare steak
Medium-rare steak is deep red to pink and soft and bouncy to touch.
Medium steak
Medium steak is pink in the middle and firm to touch.
Medium-well done steak
Medium-well done steak is light pink in the middle and firm to touch.
Well-done steak
Well-done steak has spent the most time cooking. It has no pink and is firm to touch.

How to prepare a steak for cooking

Before you cook steak, season it using extra virgin olive oil (around three tablespoons per steak), ground black pepper and sea salt for added flavour. Before cooking, take the steaks out of the fridge to let them reach room temperature. This will ensure a juicy, flavoursome steak, which would have a very different taste if cooked straight from the fridge.

How to cook steak

There are two main ways you can cook steak at home: pan-fry and oven-bake. Your steak cooking times will vary depending on whether you want your steak to be rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well done or well-done. See the steak cooking chart below for steak cooking times.

1. How to pan-fry steak

Place the pan on high heat. When the oil is just about to smoke, add the steak. Cook for the times stated below in the steak cooking chart. Don’t be afraid to add a little more salt at this stage.

2. How to oven-bake a steak

Sear the sides of the steak in a very hot pan, just until it’s darkened and the bottom starts to pull away, making it easy to flip. Once you’ve seared the steak, you can finish it in the oven. For thicker cuts of steak, cook in a preheated oven at 225°C for 10 minutes per side, flipping the steak halfway through cooking. Thinner cuts can handle the same heat for about six minutes per side, again flipping halfway through.

All cooking appliances vary. These are guidelines only. Ensure the food is piping hot before serving. Do not reheat.

Steak cooking chart

For the perfect steak, follow the steak cooking chart below, altering timings slightly depending on the thickness of the chosen cut. The optimum internal temperature can be checked simply by using a cooking thermometer and checked against the chart below.

Steak Doneness	Internal Temperature	Appearance	Cooking Time (per side)
Rare	120°C	Red, shiny, very soft to touch	1½ – 2 minutes
Medium-Rare	130°C	Deep red/pink, soft and bouncy to touch	2 – 3 minutes
Medium	135°C	Pink in the middle, soft to firm to touch	4 – 6 minutes
Medium-Well Done	140°C	Light pink in the middle, firm to touch	6 – 8 minutes
Well Done	150°C	No pink, firm to touch	9 – 10 minutes

To make the steak cooking process easier, you can check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If the core temperature (where the steak is thickest) is 60°C for 45 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for two minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds and 80°C for six seconds, then it has reached its optimum temperature and is ready to eat. The full surface area must be seared, and the colour changed from red to brown.