Cooking steaks can be daunting. It takes a substantial amount of practice to get a feel for how "done" your steaks are. The idea of cooking a tender, juicy steak on a griddle can make some first time cooks nervous, especially if they are used to pan-frying or grilling their meat.

Using a griddle pan to cook your steak is just as easy as cooking one in your frying pan. It's quick, easy, and delicious, without the steak simmering in the runoff fats. There is also often room to cook your vegetables alongside those wonderful steaks when using the griddle on a stovetop. And fewer dishes to wash after dinner is always a bonus.

If you are looking for the best pan to cook steak on, griddle pans can give you much better results than other options. We've gathered the "whys" and "how-tos" and created an easy to follow guide that will tell you all you need to know about cooking griddled steak.

Ready to really learn how to cook steak on a griddle?

Cooking Steaks On Griddle Pans

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Servings

4

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Ingredients

• Steak(s) of your choice, cut to 1 inch thick
• Olive oil
• Butter
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Any other seasonings you prefer

Directions

1. To prepare your steak, take it out of the refrigerator about 30 min before cooking, so it has time to come to room temperature. This prevents under-cooking of the center and makes it easier to develop a sear on the outside of the meat.
2. Season the steak with a light coating of olive oil, salt, and cracked black pepper. You can also add a dusting of garlic powder, onion powder, or your favorite seasonings if you like. (Remember, you're adding some thyme flavor at the end.)
3. Preheat your griddle pan to 300°F. Place the steaks, two at a time, on the non-oiled surface of the pan, and cook for 3 min per side. Be sure not to crowd them. Using kitchen tongs, gently turn the steak and continue cooking until you reach your desired doneness.
4. About 2 min before the steak is ready, place a small knob of butter on the top, and use the sprigs of fresh thyme to brush the melted butter around the steak. This will infuse the steak with both the butter and the aromatic herbs.
5. When the steak is finished, take it off the griddle and allow it to rest for 5-10 min before serving. This final step is crucial, as it will enable the juices disturbed during cooking to absorb and redistribute back into the meat. If you cut open a freshly cooked steak, all that juice will flow right out onto the plate, and that's a sad thing to witness. The resulting steak will be drier and less flavorful.

Extra tips for cooking steak on a griddle:

1. Preheat the griddle to 300°F get amazing sear marks. A drop of water should immediately sizzle into steam.
2. Don't oil the griddle.
3. Season steaks before placing on the griddle - rub with a little oil of your choice and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. Don't salt them too early, though. That will draw the juices to the surface, and you'll risk burning them off, instead of letting them disperse throughout your steak.
4. Cook steaks two at a time to ensure enough space for them to sear and cook properly.
5. Steaks are ready to turn when they easily release from the grill surface.
6. Use tongs to turn the meat. Stabbing them with a fork causes the steak to lose juices.
7. Don't wander away - thin steaks will cook quickly. Turn them about every 3 min until they've reached the desired temperature.
8. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
9. Let the steaks rest for 5-10 min after cooking, wrapped in foil to contain the heat. This allows redistribution of the juices, so your steak stays tender.

FAQ for cooking steak on a griddle

Why cook steak on a griddle?

Looking for a quick way to get some steak on the table? Try using a griddle pan. Griddles can give your steak those beautiful sear marks, without needing an open grill. Griddle pans come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, but we're partial to cast iron griddle pans, which gives the most even heat distribution.

Cast iron is very durable and retains heat well. You can even place a cast iron griddle on your BBQ for a more even cook on your steak. Once seasoned, cast iron griddle pans have a non-stick surface which can be maintained through proper cleaning and re-seasoning methods. Our cast iron products come preseasoned, so you can get cooking right away.

Whether you're using the grill, your stovetop, or placing it in the oven, cooking steak on a griddle makes for easy cleanup. The angled grease slope ensures your unwanted fat drains away from your meal. If you want to master the perfect steak, cast iron cookware is definitely the way forward. Cast iron gives you a lot more control in the cooking process than when you pan cook steak.

Cooking steaks on a griddle is the best way to cook steak indoors. The steak will be tender, juicy, and flavorful, and at the precise "doneness" that you were aiming for. The cast iron cooking surface maintains its temperature even when you place a cold steak on it, unlike the thinner metal of a frying pan.

But if you want to take your steaks to the next level look into getting a cast iron hibachi grill. What is a hibachi grill you ask? You can find more information on it here.

How to choose a cut of meat?

Choosing your cut of steak can be daunting, as there are a lot of options. For this recipe, we've chosen one of the most popular cuts: rib-eye. It's a tender and juicy cut with good fat distribution, which means it won't dry out too quickly. Look for rib-eye steaks around 1 inch in thickness. For thinner or thicker cuts, you'll need to adjust your cook time accordingly to get perfect results.

How do you know when your steak is done?

If you're new to cooking on a griddle pan, aim to cook your steak to medium. If you're over, you end up with your steak medium-well, and not too-tough well done. Should it not be cooked enough for your liking, simply place it back on the griddle for another few minutes.

Learning how to make tender steak, at whatever level of "doneness" you require, is a matter of practice. If you're just getting started as a cook, the best way to be sure of how well cooked your steaks are is to use a meat thermometer to take the temperature of the center, or thickest part, of the steak. Remove it from the griddle when it hits the target temperature.

Make sure you let the steaks rest for up to 10 minutes before cutting into them.

Use an instant-read thermometer and these guidelines:

• Rare: internal temperature of 125-130°F
• Medium-rare: internal temperature of 130-135°F
• Medium: internal temperature of 135-145°F
• Medium-well: internal temperature of 145-155°F
• Well-done: 155°F and up

Creating a delicious, tender, juicy steak is so rewarding, but does take practice. Try the above recipe, aiming for a different level of cook each time. Really get a feel for how long it takes to cook a steak only to the rare temperature. How much longer to medium? The only way to really earn the ability to cook a perfect steak every time is to keep practicing.

Learning your griddle pan is a skill too. Each pan will cook differently. Make a steak once a week and experiment. Practice makes perfect.

Get more Cast Iron Griddle recipes: