How to Broil Steak in the Oven

Learn how to broil steak in the oven quickly and easily! We cover broiling temperatures, times and handy tips for the best results every time. Enjoy tender and juicy broiled steak with a beautiful caramelized crust!

Broiling is a fabulous way to cook steak… but it can feel intimidating given the high heat involved. The good news is that you can work magic with a few simple tips. There are so many incredible benefits of broiled steak:

• It works year-round regardless of the weather outside, unlike grilling.
• The high temperature and even heat creates a beautiful caramelized crust.
• The meat comes out tender and juicy in a short amount of time.
• You can cook multiple steaks at once when feeding a crowd.
• You can skip stovetop searing required when roasting steak.

Convinced yet? You can also broil any well-marbled cut including ribeye, T-bone or porterhouse, top sirloin (including steak tips), New York strip and filet mignon. So let’s get started!

Grilling vs. Broiling Steak

Grilling and broiling both use intense, direct heat to cook a steak at high temperature of 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C). On the grill, the heat source is underneath the meat, while on a broiler is located above the meat. Also, grilling is exclusively gas or charcoal, whereas broilers are often electric.

Broiling has the advantage of indoor cooking that is not weather-dependent. Plus, there are no grill grates to clean or propane to supply. However, be prepared for some smoke in your kitchen from the broiler, and you can’t get crosshatch grill marks…

Ingredients and Equipment for Broiled Steak

Here’s what you’ll need to broil steak:

• Steaks: Ideal steak cuts include ribeye, T-bone, porterhouse, top sirloin, tenderloin/filet mignon cut to 1 to 1 1/2 inches thickness (2.5 to 3.8 cm).
• Oil: It’s crucial to use a high smoke point oil such as canola, sunflower, avocado, grapeseed or refined olive oil. (Don’t use extra virgin olive oil, which will smoke and burn under the broiler.)
• Salt: You want to rub the meat with coarse salt for tenderizing purposes and flavor.
• Seasonings (optional): You can rub the steak with packaged steak seasoning or some freshly ground black pepper, dried rosemary and thyme.

That’s it 🙂 For equipment, you’ll want to have a broiler pan consisting of a slotted tray fitted with a bottom pan to catch the drippings. Also grab some oven mitts, tongs and an instant-read thermometer.

Broiler Basics

Every broiler is different. Some are electric and others are gas. Modern broilers often preheat quickly, deliver lots of heat and operate with the door closed. Older ovens may be less powerful and require more preheating time. If in doubt, refer to your oven’s manual for directions.

Before turning on the broiler, you’ll want to place the oven rack in the correct position (THE SECRET to the best broiled steak!). Place the rack so that the steak will be 3 to 4 inches from the broiler element.

How to Broil Steak in Oven

First things first. You want to take the steaks out of the refrigerator one hour ahead if possible. Why? Room temperature beef cooks faster and more evenly, resulting in juicier meat!

About 15 minutes prior to cooking, get your broiler started. Position the oven rack as described above and turn on the broiler to “max” or 500 to 550 deg F. Turn on your kitchen exhaust fan and/or open the window slightly.

Pat dry the steak(s) with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Rub with a high smoke-point oil followed by coarse salt and your favorite seasonings.

Using kitchen tongs, place the steak(s) on the broiler pan. Then, using oven mitts, place the broiler pan in the prepared oven. Check the meat is 3 to 4 inches from the broiler and close the door (or leave slightly ajar depending on your oven). Halfway through cooking, flip the steaks. Keep reading to find out how long to broil steak.

How Long Do You Broil Steak?

The steak broiling time depends heavily on your broiler. Electric broilers are usually faster than gas, and newer ovens tend to have more powerful broilers than older models. Therefore, it’s best to check doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the steak (about 1 inch away from the bone on bone-in steaks):

• Rare steak with a cool red center will be 120-125°F (49-52°C)
• Medium-rare steak with a warm red center will be 130°F (54°C)
• Medium steak with a warm pink center will be 140°F (60°C)
• Medium well steak with a slightly pink center will be 145-150°F (63-66°C)
• Well done steak with little or no pink will be 155°F (69°C)

Note the internal temperature will rise another 5°F after the steak comes out of the oven. In addition, the USDA recommends cooking steak to 145°F (63°C) followed by a 3-minute rest to ensure all bacteria have been eliminated.

Broiling Steak Chart

These are general guidelines on how long to broil steak:

Steak Doneness	Steak Thickness	Broil Time
Medium-rare Steak	1 inch (2.5 cm)	10 to 12 minutes (5 to 6 minutes per side)
	1 ½ inches (3.8 cm)	14 to 17 minutes (7 to 8 minutes per side)
Medium Steak	1 inch (2.5 cm)	12 to 14 minutes (6 to 7 minutes per side)
	1 ½ inches (3.8 cm)	16 to 18 minutes (8 to 9 minutes per side)

Chilled steaks and bone-in cuts may take longer, so always verify doneness using an instant-read thermometer instead of relying on cooking times alone.

You May Also Like:

• New York Strip Steak
• Flank Steak
• Skirt Steak
• Chuck Eye Steak