What Temperature to Cook Steak on Electric Grills Should You Choose?

How many hours have you spent watching Internet chefs basting those ribeyes with butter and garlic while salivating and dreaming of biting into that medium rare goodness? How many tries have you attempted to do it yourself while wondering at the same time what temperature to cook steak on electric grills?

So what temperature to cook steak on electric grills? In short, you would want your rare steaks to register at about 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, medium rare steaks range between 125 to 130-degree Fahrenheit and so on.

Grilling a steak is one of those sinful pleasures that you either like doing or watching others do it. It is such a curious way to prepare food, especially if the cut is just right and the meat is aged with the right spices within the perfect number of days.

Oh, that’s a cut that’s guaranteed to satisfy anybody who knows the ins and outs of their steak.

While cooking a steak on an electric grill is pretty much the same way each time, there are some technicalities that you need to watch out for, especially if you are cooking steaks from different kinds of meat. (If you want to accurately monitor your electric grill’s real time power consumption, you should check this power meter out. It’s small, and can be plugged in to use right away.)

There is a different way of preparing the stove for pork, beef and lamb steaks while prepping the timer is also done differently.

Preparing the Grill

Electric grills have a general way of cooking things, just place food inside, and let the heat from both the cover and bed cook the food for you. However, when it comes to steak, there is a certain level of finesse that should be observed so that your steak comes out juicy and tender.

Step 1: Preheat the grill by following the instructions stipulated in the owner’s manual. Most grills would have a variable temperature setting that lets you set it to the highest setting.

Step 2: Keep the know at this setting for about 15 minutes, or until the indicator on the grill tells you that it is ready for the meat.

Preparing the Steak

Steaks may take some time to prepare, but just follow these steps, and you’re good to go.

Step 1: Ensure that the steak has thawed out properly with no frozen part remaining.

Step 2: Once the meat has thawed out, dry it by patting it with some paper towels all around.

Step 3: Trim the excess fat from the edges, but you may reserve it to use as dripping for the gravy. Some chefs would slice the remaining fat in a few places to have a better consistency. This step also prevents the steak from curling as they cook, which is a problem especially with pork chops and select lamb cuts.

Step 4: Season the steak with table salt and some pepper, making sure that the entire surface is covered, as well as the edges. You may rub the salt and pepper into the grain to get a better flavor profile.

What Temperature to Cook Steak On Electric Grills?

Once you are done preheating the electric grill, and you have seasoned your steaks to your liking, it is time to set the thermostat to the right temperature for cooking the meat of your choice. But what temperature to cook steak on electric grills do you choose?

Generally, you would want your rare steaks to register at about 120 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, medium rare steaks range between 125 to 130-degree Fahrenheit and so on.

This is the internal temperature of the meat. For the exterior temperature, the grill should be placed at the highest setting possible, and it would be much better if the grill has a high-sear setting as it can cook thicker meat without any problem.

Cooking Time Per Kind of Meat

• Chicken Breasts

The boneless chicken breast should be grilled for about five minutes or until the internal temperature reads at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Pork Chops

Pork chops generally take about six to eight minutes at 145 degrees Fahrenheit to cook until slightly pink.

• Lamb

Lamb cuts measuring about half an inch should be cooked for six to eight minutes at a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Beef Steaks

Beef is tough meat, and it can take longer to cook, clocking in at about nine minutes for medium doneness, lower if you want it rare. Make sure that it reaches an internal temperature of 120 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Fish Steaks and Shrimp

Fish and seafood are tricky to grill as they can cook as fast as three minutes tops, no matter how thick it is.

• Burgers

For food safety reasons, burgers are cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit until done as this ensures that bacteria is killed.

• Hotdogs and Sausages

Precooked meats need about two to three minutes of cooking time while raw ones would need about four to six minutes of browning at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Steak Grilling Process

Once you are done preheating the grill and preparing the steak, spray some oil over the grill or place some cubes of butter on the grilling surface before you place the steak on top of it. Butter is the better option as it deepens the flavor profile of your steak while serving as a cooking medium for the other spices.

Step 1: Sear the steak for the right amount of time, depending on how done you want the meat to be. Rotate the meat clockwise for the signature grill marks.

Step 2: Flip it over and then add some garlic, preferably a whole head, squashed and let the butter cook it.

Step 3: Place some sprigs of thyme, and let the flavors mix.

Step 4: Put the steak on top of the garlic and thyme, and press the cover to give it a nice even sear. Let it stand for a minute or two.

Step 5: Remove the cover, and get a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the steak.

Step 6: Once you’ve reached the ideal temperature, remove the steak from the grill, and let it stand for about ten minutes. This will allow the juices to be reabsorbed.

Step 7: Serve with your favorite salad or carbs.

Additional Tips for Grilling Steak

• If you are using dry aged meat, then make sure to trim the moldy parts out as they are not edible and can gravely affect your dining experience.
• Season your steak with salt and pepper and little of anything else. You may add some chilis, but with steaks, the simpler the flavor, the better.
• Thicker cuts of steak need to be cooked in an electric grill that would have a high-temperature searing function, otherwise cooking such thickness should be avoided as it would not cook the meat through.
• Rotate the meat every few seconds to improve the browning of your steak. This would give it that signature crisscross style of grilled meats if done properly.
• Speedup your cleaning time by lining the grill with heavy duty aluminum foil that will catch the drippings. Some electric grills advise against this so better check your manual.
• Always follow the instructions in the manual, and read up on the different precautions to prevent any untoward accident that might happen.

Final Thoughts

Cooking steaks on an electric grill may seem complicated, but it really is not. You just need to be careful with what meat you would cook, and watch out for the temperature to which you would cook it in.

Everything else is done as usual, regardless if you are grilling the steak over a traditional grill or an electric grill. It may even apply towards pan and oven grilling.