To grill steak, salt it at least 40 minutes ahead, set up a two-zone fire and preheat the hot side to 450–550°F. Sear a 1-inch steak over direct heat for about 4–5 minutes per side, flipping when it releases, then pull it at 125–130°F for medium-rare and rest it 5 minutes.
Thick steaks finish on the cool side after the sear. Cook to the thermometer, not the clock.
Which steak question do you have?
Find your situation and jump straight to the answer.
Most steak trouble comes down to heat, timing or doneness. Pick the row that matches you.
| You want to know | Short answer | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| How long to grill it | 4–5 min per side for 1 inch | Times by thickness |
| When it's done | Pull 5°F under your target | Doneness temps |
| Which cut to buy | Ribeye or strip, 1–1½ inches | Choosing a cut |
| How to set up your grill | Hot side plus a cool side | Grill setups |
| Why it came out gray, charred or tough | One step went wrong | Fixes |
How long do you grill a steak?
Thickness sets the time more than the cut does.
Use these as starting points for medium-rare on a fully preheated grill, then let the thermometer make the call.
| Thickness | Method | Approx. time for medium-rare |
|---|---|---|
| ¾ inch | Direct high heat | 3–4 min per side |
| 1 inch | Direct high heat | 4–5 min per side |
| 1½ inches | Sear, then finish on the cool side | 5–6 min per side plus a few minutes indirect |
| 2 inches or more | Reverse sear | Indirect until 10–15°F below target, then sear |
Wind, cold and a lid left open all add minutes. Thin steaks under ¾ inch overcook in a minute, so use your hottest fire and cook them for color fast.
For anything 2 inches thick, including tomahawks, follow the reverse sear method. It brings the center up gently and saves the crust for the end.
What temperature should steak be?
Pull the steak about 5°F before your target; resting finishes it.
| Doneness | Pull from the grill | After resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120°F | 125°F |
| Medium-rare | 125–130°F | 130–135°F |
| Medium | 135–140°F | 140–145°F |
| Medium-well | 145°F | 150°F |
| Well done | 155°F | 160°F |
Heat stored in the outer layers keeps moving inward after the steak leaves the grill. That carryover is why you pull early, and it's bigger on thick steaks than on thin ones.
USDA's safe minimum for whole beef steaks is 145°F with a 3-minute rest; many cooks choose to eat steak less done. Our meat temperature chart lists pull temps for every other cut you grill.
Push the probe in from the side toward the center, not down from the top. The poke test is unreliable across cuts and thicknesses, so skip it.
Which steak should you buy for the grill?
Buy a well-marbled cut 1 to 1½ inches thick.
That thickness gives you time to build a crust before the center overcooks. Thinner steaks leave no margin, and thicker ones need the reverse sear.
Ribeye is the most forgiving. Its marbling keeps it juicy, but fat drips cause flare-ups, so keep the cool side open for retreats.
New York strip is beefy, firm and even in shape, so it cooks evenly. Score or trim the fat cap to cut flare-ups.
T-bone and porterhouse give you strip and tenderloin on one bone. The tenderloin cooks faster, so point that side toward the cooler part of the grill.
Top sirloin is lean and affordable but goes dry past medium. Flank and skirt cook in minutes and must be sliced thinly across the grain. Filet mignon is tender and mild; pull it at the low end of your range.
USDA grades rank beef by marbling: Prime has the most, then Choice, then Select. More marbling means a juicier steak with more room for error on a hot grill. Grass-fed steak is usually leaner, so treat it like sirloin.
What do you need to grill a steak?
A hot grill and an instant-read thermometer do most of the work.
- Steaks 1–1½ inches thick
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- A grill that reaches at least 450°F, with room for a cooler zone (our best grills for steaks all do)
- An instant-read thermometer
- Long tongs (a fork pierces the crust and lets juice out)
- A wire rack and sheet pan for dry-brining
- Paper towels and a little high-smoke-point oil for the grates
Step-by-Step: How to Grill a Steak
Eight steps take a raw steak to a crusted, evenly pink one.
Step 1 of 8Dry-brine the steak
Time: at least 40 minutes, or up to overnight
Salt both sides with about ½–¾ teaspoon of kosher salt per pound. Set the steak on a rack over a sheet pan in the fridge, uncovered.
Salt first draws moisture out, then the meat reabsorbs that brine. You get deeper seasoning and a drier surface that browns faster.
Watch out: salting 5–30 minutes ahead is the worst window, because the drawn-out moisture still sits on the surface. Salt right before grilling or 40+ minutes ahead.
Step 2 of 8Take the chill off and pat it dry
Time: 20–30 minutes before grilling
Take the steak out while the grill heats; a longer counter rest barely warms a thick steak. Pat every surface dry with paper towels and add pepper.
A wet steak has to boil off its surface water before it browns, which is how you end up with a gray outside.
Step 3 of 8Set up two zones and preheat
Target: 450–550°F on the hot side
On charcoal, pile lit coals on one side and leave the other empty. On gas, run one or two burners on high and leave one low or off. Our guide to direct vs indirect grilling shows both layouts.
Preheat with the lid closed for 10–15 minutes so the grates soak up heat. See how long to preheat a grill for times by fuel.
Step 4 of 8Clean and oil the grates
Done when: the grates are hot, clean and glossy
Brush the hot grates, then wipe them with an oiled paper towel held in tongs. Oil the grates, not the steak; oil on the meat drips and flares.
Step 5 of 8Sear over direct heat
Time: about 4–5 minutes per side for a 1-inch steak
Lay the steak on the hot side and leave it until it lifts off cleanly with a deep brown crust. If it sticks, it isn't ready to flip.
If a flare-up hits, slide the steak to the cool side until the flames settle, then move it back.
Flames licking the edges for seconds are fine; steady fire under the fat means move it.
Step 6 of 8Flip and start checking the temperature
Target: 5°F below your finished temperature
Flip with tongs. Flipping once works, and flipping every minute or so cooks a little more evenly; pick one and stay consistent.
Start probing a couple of minutes before you expect it to be done. Thick steaks that are crusted but still under temp finish on the cool side with the lid closed.
Probe from the side into the thickest part, away from bone and fat.
Step 7 of 8Rest the steak
Time: about 5 minutes
Move it to a board or plate and leave it uncovered so the crust stays crisp. Resting lets the juices thicken slightly, so less runs out when you slice.
A pat of butter on top while it rests adds richness without burning on the grill.
Step 8 of 8Slice against the grain
Target: ½-inch slices across the muscle fibers
Look for the lines running through the meat and cut across them. Shorter fibers in each bite make it more tender, which matters most on strip, sirloin, flank and skirt.
How do you grill steak on gas, charcoal or pellet?
Every grill can sear; the setup changes how you get there.
Charcoal kettle. Bank lit coals on one side for a blazing sear zone and leave an empty side to finish. Open the vents wide for the sear; our charcoal grill temperature control guide lists the settings.
Gas grill. A sear zone or sear burner helps a lot. When we tested the Weber Spirit E-325, its boosted Sear Zone ran 90–110°F hotter than the standard burners and crusted ribeyes in under 3 minutes per side. The Genesis E-325's dedicated sear burner did it in under 2.5 minutes, and the infrared Char-Broil Pro Series in under 2.
Boosted sections cover only part of the grate, so sear two or three steaks at a time.
Pellet grill. Most pellet grills cook with a baffle between fire and food, so they roast more than sear. Use them for the slow first half of a reverse sear, then finish in a very hot cast-iron pan, or pick one with direct flame. The Flame Broiler on the Pit Boss Navigator 850 gave our test ribeye a charred crust over open flame.
Kamado. The Kamado Joe Classic Joe II passed 700°F in about 15 minutes from a cold start in our testing. Crack the lid an inch before opening it fully at high heat, because a sudden rush of air can flare the coals toward you.
Why did your steak turn out wrong?
Gray, charred or tough steak each traces back to one step.
Find your sign, apply the fix and change one thing on your next cook.
Gray outside, no crust
Sign
the steak looks steamed and browns only in patches.
Fix
- Dry-brine and pat the surface dry (Steps 1–2).
- Preheat the full 10–15 minutes with the lid closed (Step 3).
Expect
a deep brown crust within the times above. If the grill never gets hot, troubleshoot a grill that won't heat up.
Charred outside, raw inside
Sign
a black crust over a cold, purple center.
Fix
- Finish thick steaks on the cool side with the lid closed.
- Reverse sear anything 2 inches or thicker.
Expect
an even pink center and a crust that stops at brown, not black.
Thick gray band under the crust
Sign
a wide ring of overcooked meat between the crust and the pink center.
Fix
- Sear hotter so the crust forms faster.
- Start thick steaks on the cool side and sear last.
Expect
pink almost to the edge.
Sticking, tearing or flare-ups
Sign
the crust rips off on the grate or flames keep jumping.
Fix
- Clean and oil hot grates, and wait for the steak to release (Steps 4–5).
- Trim thick fat and keep the cool side open for retreats.
Expect
a clean release and short flare-ups you can manage. Our guide to why food sticks to the grill covers stubborn grates.
Tough, chewy or dry
Sign
slices fight back or juice floods the board.
Fix
- Pull 5°F early and rest 5 minutes (Steps 6–7).
- Slice across the grain (Step 8).
Expect
tender slices with the juice still in the meat.
Which grill sears steak best?
Pick a grill that gets very hot and still leaves you a cool zone.
Steak rewards high, even heat over part of the grate. Our full list of the best grills for steaks compares six options across fuels and budgets.
- Cheapest hard sear: a charcoal kettle with the coals banked to one side.
- Weeknight convenience: a gas grill with a sear zone or sear burner.
- You also smoke: a pellet grill with a flame broiler, or a kamado.
- Thick steaks for a crowd: reverse sear several on the cool side, then sear in batches.
- Lean or grass-fed cuts: pull at the low end of your range.
Best gas valueWeber Spirit E-325★ 4.5/5
Boosted Sear Zone ran 90–110°F hotter than the main burners and crusted ribeyes in under 3 minutes per side.
Best charcoal valueWeber Original Kettle 22"★ 4.7/5
Bank the coals for a hard sear on one side and a cool side to finish thick cuts.
Hottest searPassed 700°F in about 15 minutes in our testing, and still smokes low and slow.
Frequently Asked Questions
01How long do you grill a steak on each side?
About 4–5 minutes per side for a 1-inch steak over a 450–550°F fire. A ¾-inch steak needs 3–4 minutes per side, while a 1½-inch steak takes 5–6 minutes per side plus a few minutes on the cool side. Wind, cold and an open lid all add time, so start probing a couple of minutes early and pull at 125–130°F for medium-rare.
02What temperature should the grill be for steak?
Aim for 450–550°F on the hot side, with a cooler zone beside it. Preheat with the lid closed for 10–15 minutes so the grates store enough heat to brown the meat on contact. A grill that never gets that hot steams the steak gray, so check the burners or vents before blaming the cut. Thick steaks then finish on the cool side.
03Can you grill a frozen steak?
Yes, if it's thick. Cook it on the cool side until the center is about 20°F below your target, then sear it over direct heat for color. The slow start thaws and warms the center without burning the outside. Thaw thin steaks in the fridge first, never on the counter, because they cook through before a frozen surface can brown.
04Should you oil the steak or the grill?
Oil the grill, not the steak. Brush the hot grates clean, then wipe them with an oiled paper towel held in tongs so the steak releases cleanly. A dry, salted steak sears best, while oil on the meat drips into the fire and causes flare-ups. Use a high-smoke-point oil so the grates turn glossy instead of smoking heavily.
05How should you season steak for grilling?
Kosher salt applied at least 40 minutes ahead does most of the work. Use about ½–¾ teaspoon per pound, rest the steak uncovered on a rack in the fridge and add coarse black pepper just before cooking. Avoid salting 5–30 minutes ahead, when moisture still sits on the surface. Skip sugary rubs on a hot sear, because sugar burns before the crust forms.
06How long should steak rest after grilling?
About 5 minutes for a 1-inch steak. Carryover heat raises the center roughly 5°F while it rests, which is why you pull early, and the juices thicken slightly so less runs onto the board. Leave the steak uncovered so the crust stays crisp. Thick steaks carry over more, so pull them at the low end of your range.
07Is it better to grill steak on gas or charcoal?
Both sear well if the grill gets hot enough and leaves room for a cool zone. A charcoal kettle with coals banked to one side is the cheapest hard sear. A gas grill with a sear zone adds weeknight convenience: the Spirit E-325's Sear Zone ran 90–110°F hotter than its standard burners and crusted ribeyes in under 3 minutes per side.
08Can you grill steak on a pellet grill?
You can, but most pellet grills roast rather than sear because a baffle sits between the fire and the food. Use the pellet grill for the slow first half of a reverse sear, then finish in a very hot cast-iron pan. A model with a direct-flame zone, like the Navigator 850's Flame Broiler, can put a charred crust on a ribeye.
The Takeaway
A dry surface, a very hot fire, a cool zone to retreat to and a thermometer: that's the whole method. Pull the steak a few degrees early and let the rest finish it.
Once 1-inch steaks feel routine, try a 2-inch ribeye with the reverse sear.
Written by
Marcus Reilly
Head Pitmaster & Lead Tester
Marcus Reilly is a KCBS Certified Judge with 15 years of competition barbecue. He leads SmokyHQ’s smoker, pellet, charcoal and kamado testing, so if you’re choosing a cooker for brisket, ribs or overnight smokes, his reviews tell you which ones hold temperature and which ones fall short.
- Smokers
- Pellet Grills
- Charcoal & Kamado
- Low-and-Slow BBQ
- Temperature Control
Every grill is bought with our own money and scored on the same tests. How we test
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