3 Ways To Grill Steak Indoors Like A Pro

Whether you don’t have the space, dislike the outdoors, or simply don’t want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an outdoor grill, you don’t have to give up home-grilled meals. Indoor grilling still gives you access to all the same great foods within the comfort of your own home!

Grilling Steaks Inside: Top 3 Must Do’s

We have gathered great techniques for grilling steaks inside and the top 3 must do’s. These three cooking styles have been timed in such a way that they will result in a medium to medium-rare steak. Of course, you are allowed to adjust the cooking times to your preference.

As a general tip, always let your steak warm up to room temperature before cooking it. This ensures that it’s evenly cooked throughout.

Method 1: Skillet Sear Then Oven Roast

This is one of the most popular ways of cooking steak. Searing is meant to brown the cut and produce a crust, sealing the juices of the steak inside. The crust is the thin outer layer where most of the flavors from the seasoning congregate. 

To best sear the steak, quickly subject to it to the highest temperature that an iron skillet and your burner can produce. Once it’s browned, place the steak in your oven so the inside cooks to your preferred temperature.

Procedure

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet on high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add oil with a high smoke point, such as refined sunflower oil.
• Place your steaks on the skillet and sear each side for 2 minutes or until brown. Sear the edges for 1 minute. A good trick is to wait until the meat is easy to move around the pan, as this indicates that the meat has caramelized. 
• Transfer the steak from the skillet to the oven to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. This should turn the center of the steak pink-to-red for a medium-rare temperature.
• Transfer the steak to a safe dish and cover it with foil so it can rest for 5 minutes before serving.

If you go to a restaurant and order a steak, it will certainly be cooked in this manner. This cooking technique is common because it creates a firm crust that is preferred by many. On the flip side, there is minimal margin for error when using this method so it’s a relatively easy technique for newer cooks.

Method 2: Reverse Sear

In the second method, we do the opposite of what we did in the first one. We start by slow-toasting the steak in the oven and finish by pan-searing. 

The advantage of this method is that you can easily cook your steak to the exact temperature you like it. The downside of this method is that it may dry the steak out quicker. However, newer chefs will find this method much easier, especially if they are cooking a very thick cut of steak, such as a Tomahawk cut. 

Procedure

• Preheat your oven to 275°F.
• Place an oven-safe sheet pan or cast-iron skillet in your oven, as this ensures the cooking surface will already be hot. Place a rack on your pan with the steak.
• Cook for 20-30 minutes.
• If you want a rare steak, transfer it from the oven when the internal temperature reads between 120°F to 130°F.
• Coat the steak in oil (with a high smoke point).
• Remove the steak from the oven and sear it in a smoking-hot iron skillet for 2 minutes, front and back. 
• Leave the stick to rest in aluminum foil for 7 to 10 minutes before serving.

The steak will be evenly cooked throughout with a perfect crust, as excess moisture will drain out in the oven. For the time taken, this will result in a medium-rare steak.

For new chefs or cooks that are not used to cooking large cuts of steak, this is the easiest method for cooking steak indoors. However, if you want to cook the steak in a hurry, this technique is slow, as even a medium-rare steak will require about 45 minutes.

Note: If you take the steak out of the oven at about 120°F, searing will raise the temperature to about 130°F.

Method 3: The 4-3-2

This is the simplest and quickest method of grilling a steak indoors and will present the same look as a charcoal-grilled steak.

Procedure

• Heat a cast-iron skillet on high heat until it starts to lightly smoke.
• Add your steaks and press flat on the skillet. 
• Cook for 4 minutes without flipping or moving. 
• Turn the steak over and grill for 3 more minutes.
• Take it out of the pan and cover it in foil for at least 2 minutes (5-10 minutes is preferred).

That’s all there is to it. The combined cooking and resting time starts at only 9 minutes. This method produces a medium or medium-rare steak that mimics the same outcome as a steak grilled on charcoal.

The 4-3-2 works best on boneless meats because the entire steak needs to make contact with the hot pan surface. Otherwise, the bone will absorb too much of the heat, resulting in an uneven temperature throughout the rest of the steak.

Bonus Method: The Oven-Only Method

Season your meat properly for the oven-only method. Add a block of butter on top of the steak then cook it in the oven until it is ready (this helps preserve the juices).

Procedure

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Put the steak on a sheet pan on the center rack of your oven.
• Top the steak with a block of butter.
• Let bake for 20 minutes or until the inside of the steak is at least 120°F. 
• Rest for 7 to 10 minutes.

Oven-only cooking will produce a soft exterior texture and even temperature throughout. However, there will only be minimal crusting and browning. Nonetheless, if seasoned properly, the steak should still have a great flavor.

If you must have a crust on your steak, then avoid oven-only cooking and try any of the three techniques we outlined above.

Resting and Serving

After cooking your steak, let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes to preserve the fibers of the meat and allow the steak to reabsorb its juices. If you don’t want the cut to cool off too much, gently cover it in foil. This will apply to any cooking method you used.

As stated before, resting is the big secret of a juicy steak and prevents the juice from easily leaking once you begin slicing the steak.

When serving a steak, slice against the grain. Slicing against the grain is easier than slicing along the grain and will protect the texture of your cut of meat. This is especially important for tough cuts of meat like flank steaks.

Conclusion

To get the most out of grilling your steak indoors:

• It’s better to cook your steak when it’s at room temperature. This way it takes less cooking time and will not cook unevenly. Take the steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.
• Use a cast-iron skillet for searing. Once cast iron gets hot, it retains the heat and will make searing easier.

Enjoy!