Feel confident and excited about using your grill this summer! Ribeye is considered one of the most flavorful and popular cuts of beef and is often a favorite among steak lovers.
Whether it's your first time using an outdoor grill or you're a grill master, this ribeye steak recipe is for you. Follow our tips and tricks to help you achieve a perfectly grilled ribeye steak.
Our favorite season is here: grilling season! We love taking advantage of family time outdoors and making summer dinners on the grill. It's quick, easy, involves minimal prep and cleanup, and tastes absolutely delicious.
One of our favorite meals to grill for company or special occasions is a juicy ribeye steak.
We have plenty of tips like our guides to different cuts of beef , the best temperature to grill steak, and determining doneness, to get you started. Plus lots of recipes like these steak and potato foil packets or Hawaiian teriyaki burgers you'll want to try.
Consider this your guide to grilling the best steak. Learn all of our tips like purchasing a quality steak, prepping it for the grill, the best grill temperature for steaks, and how long to grill a ribeye. Any home chef can make and master this ribeye recipe!
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What Is Ribeye Steak?
Ribeye is a portion cut of beef that comes from the rib primal. It's cut from the front section of a cow's ribs under the backbone, including ribs 6-12. (The other ribs are grouped with chuck and short plate.) Its purpose is mainly for support rather than work, so it's often very tender.
Because it's tender, it does well with many cooking methods like grilling, roasting, sauteing, pan-frying, or broiling. It is a well-marbled cut of meat, which means it has fat running throughout the muscle, giving it a tender and juicy texture and a rich, beefy flavor.
You can also purchase an entire ribeye roast, also known as a standing rib roast, which is the whole rib section prior to being cut into steaks.
Ribeye is often served with a variety of sauces, vegetables, or other side dishes. Some of our favorites to serve alongside it are this grilled zucchini salad and this peach burrata salad. Shallots and bell peppers are easy veggies to chop up, season, and grill alongside your rib steak.
How to Grill Ribeye: Stey-by-Step
Grilling is probably the most popular cooking method when it comes to beef. Cooking over an open flame at high heat results in a flavorful and tender (and beautiful!) piece of beef or steak. Follow these simple steps to grill the best ribeye steaks on either a gas grill or a charcoal grill.
Video: Watch How to Grill It
Choose good quality boneless ribeye steaks that are at least 1 inch thick. Allow it to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.
Clean the grates with a grill brush to ensure there is no leftover debris. Preheat the grill to high heat (450-500°F). This is the best grill temperature for steaks because the high heat creates the Maillard reaction, giving the steaks a brown crusty outside. It tastes delicious and locks in the juices!
Season the outside of the steaks generously with salt and pepper, or your favorite dry rub. We love to use a basic steak seasoning for all of our ribeye and steak recipes.
Sear steak for 4-5 minutes on each side with the lid closed or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F for medium-rare because the steak temperature will rise to 135-145°F as it rests.
Pro tip: Always pull the steak off the grill about 5° before the target temperature.
The exact ribeye grill time will vary based on how you like your steak cooked, how thick the steak is, and your specific grill type and temp. Always use a meat thermometer for the perfectly cooked delicious steak.
| Doneness | Remove from the Grill | Target Temperature |
| Rare | 125-130°F | 130-135°F |
| Medium-Rare | 130-135°F | 135-145°F |
| Medium | 135-145°F | 145°F-150°F |
| Medium-Well | 145-155°F | 150-160°F |
| Well Done | 155°F and above | 160°F and above |
Once the steak is cooked to your desired doneness, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tip: You can top it with a pat of butter while it rests. This allows the juices to redistribute and ensures a more tender and flavorful steak. (We prefer compound butter, which is mixed with fresh herbs or a splice blend for more flavor.)
How Long to Cook a Ribeye Steak on the Grill
The length of time to grill a ribeye steak varies based on the grill, the size of the steak, and the amount of marbling. However, as a general rule, grill a 1-inch ribeye steak on high heat (450-500 degrees f) for 4-5 minutes on each side, or 8-10 minutes total for a medium-rare steak.
The best way to determine doneness is by measuring the internal temperature of your steak with a meat thermometer. The degree of doneness comes down to personal preference.
Always remove the steak approximately 5 degrees before the final temperature (target temperature). The steak's internal temperature will continue to rise as the steak rests.
The cooking time it takes to reach the final temperature will vary depending on the thickness of the steak. You can follow the approximate cooking times below for a 1-inch steak.
- For rare: Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F.
- For medium-rare: Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F.
- For medium: Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 135-145°F.
- For medium-well: Grill for 6-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145-155°F.
- For well-done: Grill for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F or higher.
Pro tip: use two-zone grilling for thicker steaks. This means you heat one side of the grill to high heat for searing and one side to medium heat or low heat. If the steaks are becoming too dark before the inside is cooked through, move the steak over to indirect heat to finish cooking.
How Do I Keep a Ribeye Juicy?
- Choose a good quality ribeye steak that is well-marbled with fat running throughout the muscle. The fat will help keep the steak moist and tender during cooking.
- Let the steak come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. This will allow the steak to cook more evenly and prevent the center from being cold while the outside is overcooked.
- Season the steak with kosher salt and black pepper or your favorite steak seasoning before grilling. This will enhance the flavor of the steak and help it retain its moisture during cooking.
- Avoid piercing the steak with a fork or knife while cooking, as this can cause the juices to escape and make the steak dry.
- Grill the steak over high heat to sear the outside and seal in the juices. If the beef is stuck to grill it’s not quite ready to flip.
- For best results, let the steak rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute and ensures a more tender and juicy steak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Preheat the grill to high heat (450-500°F) and grill each side of a 1-inch ribeye steak for 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Add 30 seconds on each side for every degree of doneness (medium, medium-well, etc.).
Clean the grill grates and wipe them down with a small amount of olive oil. Turn the propane tank on and preheat the grill to high heat (450-500°F). Place the steak on the hot grill and sear with the lid closed for 4-5 minutes on each side for the perfect steak (medium0-rare).
The bone should not affect the grill time for 1-inch ribeye steaks. Thick ribeye steak will take longer to cook, so use a meat thermometer and utilize two-zone grilling if the surface of the steak is charring too much.
Always close the grill when cooking steak to keep the temperature of the grill up and create an oven-like environment for even cooking.
Try your best to only flip a ribeye steak one time on the grill.
For a 1-inch thick steak cooked medium-well: Grill for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145-155°F.
Yes, you can oil ribeye before grilling to help prevent it from sticking to the grill and add some additional flavor. However, it is important not to use too much oil, as this can cause flare-ups on the grill, which can burn the steak and affect the flavor. However, I prefer to oil the grill grates instead of the steak. Dip a paper towel in oil and use tongs to rub it over the grates before heating the grill.
How to Serve Grilled Ribeye
Spoon an extra large helping of cilantro chimichurri on top with a side of cucumber tomato avocado salad, grilled peach salad, or Mexican street corn pasta salad.
If you have leftover steak, use it as a topping for a number of light, summer entrees. Like this balsamic steak pasta, veggie-packed steak stir-fry, strawberry spinach salad, or summer corn salad.
I also like my leftover steak for breakfast. It goes perfectly in this steak and potatoes breakfast hash. Speaking of potatoes, these herby garlic steak bites are prepared in the cast iron pan and come together in under 20 minutes. Another perfect summer night menu addition!
If you try ribeye on the grill or make one of these recipes, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Best Grilled Ribeye
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 4 1-inch boneless ribeye steaks (Note 2 Thicker Ribeye Steaks)
Recommended Equipment
- Gas grill or Charcoal Grill (Note 1 Pellet Grills)
Instructions
- Pat the ribeye steak dry with a paper towel and let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. This helps reduce the chill for even cooking.
- While it’s coming to room temperature, mix together all of the dry rub spices in a small bowl.
- Clean the grill grates and dip a paper towel lightly in an oil with a high smoke point. We like to use avocado oil. Use tongs to lightly grease the grill grates. Preheat the grill to high heat (450-500°F).
- When the grill is hot, place the steaks on the grill and immediately close the lid. Sear the steaks with the lid closed for 4-5 minutes on each side. For the best results, pull the steak off the heat at approximately 135°F for medium-rare ribeye. We always recommend using the internal temperature rather than the grill time. This allows for 5 degrees of carryover cooking while it rests for a target temperature of 140°F. See recipe note 3 below for degrees of doneness.
- Transfer the grilled ribeye to a clean plate or cutting board and rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Note 2. Thicker Ribeye Steaks. Ttilize two-zone grilling for thicker steaks because they’ll take longer to cook. This helps finish cooking the steak through before the outside is too charred. Have a low heat or indirect heat area of the grill. When the steak is seared on both sides, move it to low/indirect heat, close the lid, and continue cooking to your desired
Notes
Medium-rare: Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F.
Medium: Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 135-145°F.
Medium-well: Grill for 6-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145-155°F.
Well-done: Grill for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F or higher.
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