Smoked Ribeye Steak
What is Ribeye Steak?
A ribeye steak is one of the highest quality steak cuts you can find. It’s cut from the beef rib primal cut (the same place you get prime rib). It’s famous for being tender, flavorful, and juicy, and is the perfect choice for a romantic date, a celebratory dinner, or any special occasion. Another version of the ribeye steak is the ribeye cap steak (which is even more decadent) or the bone-in and dramatic-looking tomahawk ribeye steak.
What cut of meat is ribeye steak?
Ribeye steak is known for its incredible marbling and rich, beefy flavor. Cut from the primal rib section, this muscle is tender and a true carnivore's delight.
How to Cook Ribeye Steak
When it comes to cooking a ribeye on a Traeger Grill, there are a few options: smoking it low and slow for a deep, rich flavor, reverse searing for a delicious crust and juicy center, or searing it on a Flatrock Grill for even heat distribution.
How to Smoke a Ribeye Steak
Smoking a ribeye steak adds a unique flavor to this already killer cut of meat. When smoking a ribeye steak, we recommend first dry brining your steak, seasoning it, smoking it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes, letting it sit while you increase your grill temperature to 500 degrees, then searing it until it’s cooked to medium-rare.
How to Reverse Sear Ribeye Steaks
To reverse sear a ribeye, start by slow-cooking it on your grill at a low temperature until it reaches about 10 degrees below your target doneness. Then, crank up the heat and sear each side for a mouthwatering crust that locks in the juices. This method is unbeatable because it guarantees a perfectly even cook with a charred exterior that packs a flavorful punch.
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Top Ribeye Steak Recipes
It’s hard to go wrong with a ribeye steak. Most of the time, we like to keep it simple with this elegant cut of meat. Here are a few of our favorite ribeye steak recipes that are sure to impress your friends and family.
How long should you cook a ribeye steak?
The amount of time it takes to cook a ribeye steak depends on the thickness of the steak, and the temperature at which you’re cooking it. Regardless of your method, you should cook your ribeye steak to an internal temperature of 132 degrees Fahrenheit to get that perfect medium-rare. When smoking and reverse searing, that could take about 50 minutes since it’s cooking at a lower temperature. If you’re searing a ribeye in a very hot pan, it could take as little as 5 minutes to get to that perfect 132 degrees.
Grilled: ~5minutes
Reverse Seared: ~50minutes
Steak Doneness
While medium-rare is probably the most popular temperature for cooking a steak, others might want their more or less done.
- Rare: 120-130 °F
- Medium-Rare: 130-135 °F
- Medium: 135-145 °F
- Well: 145-155 °F
- Well-Done: 155-165 °F
- What Have You Done? 165 °F+
How to Season Ribeye Steak
Because it’s already so tender and flavorful, you don’t need to do a lot to cook a delicious ribeye steak. In our opinion, salt and pepper goes a long way, but you can take it up a notch by using a premade seasoning blend or using your own spices to your steak.
Because it’s already so tender and flavorful, you don’t need to do a lot to cook a delicious ribeye steak. In our opinion, salt and pepper goes a long way, but you can take it up a notch by using a premade seasoning blend or using your own spices to your steak.
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All Ribeye Steak Videos
Ribeye Steak Recipe
Prep Time: 5 mins.
Cook Time: 50 mins.
Serves: 8-12
Effort: 2/5
Ingredients -
- 2 (1-1/2 inch thick) rib-eye steaks
- Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub
- Meat Church Gourmet Garlic and Herb Seasoning
- High-quality butter
Preparations -
- Set your Traeger temperature to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. If available, use Super Smoke for the best flavor.
- Season steak throughout with Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub and Meat Church Garlic and Herb Seasoning. Once your Trager is preheated, place the steaks on the grill and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until internal temperature is 120 degrees.
- Remove your ribeye steaks from the grill and increase your grill temperature to 500 degrees.
- When the grill is done preheating, return the ribeye steaks to the grill and sear on both sides for 3 minutes or until the internal temperature is 132 degrees.
- Remove the steaks from the grill, add butter to the top, and lightly tent the ribeye steaks with tinfoil to allow the butter to melt. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve your perfect Traeger ribeye steak.
What is the best wood flavor for Ribeye Steak?
For the perfect ribeye steak, you need the perfect pellets. Though you may want to experiment with different types of woods and different blends depending on your recipe, we’re big fans of the bold flavor of hickory, the mesquite, oak, and pecan mix of our Texas Beef Blend, or the hickory and red and white oak flavors of our Big Game Blend.
- Other recommended flavors are:
What to serve with ribeye steak
While we certainly wouldn’t fault you for treating ribeye steaks as an entire meal, a few well-chosen side dishes can complement the flavor and texture of a ribeye. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to pair with ribeye steak.
What to serve with ribeye steak
While we certainly wouldn’t fault you for treating ribeye steaks as an entire meal, a few well-chosen side dishes can complement the flavor and texture of a ribeye. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to pair with ribeye steak.
