This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This cast iron steak recipe uses a tender, juicy New York Strip Steak cooked in a cast iron skillet for the best flavor! This perfectly seared steak is so tender and juicy, and it’s easy to make with a few simple steps.
For more delicious beef recipes, you have to try my Braised Beef Short Ribs next!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Steakhouse Dinner At Home – Save your money and make the best steak dinner at home.
- Perfectly Cooked – No tough, overcooked steak here! Learn how to cook your cast iron steak until it’s perfectly seared on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Easy To Make – New York strip steak is a super tender cut, provided you cook it right! You don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients or steps, just a few basics to create the very best steak you’ve ever had.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredient Notes
- New York Strip Steak – Choose a steak with a lot of marbling (white lines in the meat) for the best flavor. You can typically find USDA Prime or Choice grade steak in your grocery store. Prime has abundant marbling while Choice has moderate marbling. Choose whichever one is available and fits your budget, but know that Prime grade will likely have the best flavor.
How To Make New York Strip Steak in a Cast Iron Skillet
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Start with room temperature meat. I know this goes against everything you ever learned about meat, but having your steak at room temp brings it closer to the heat of the pan and that’s what you want. You’ll get a much better sear and nice, even cooking.
Season, season, season! Salt those bad boys up with a nice sprinkle of kosher salt. I like to add a few turns of fresh cracked pepper, too. I will usually salt them about 10 minutes or so before adding them to the pan.
Use a screaming hot pan. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one (or a stainless steel pan) and add some oil over a medium-high heat. Heavy bottomed skillets will give you that nice seared crust on the bottom of your steak, which is what you want. You can’t get that with a Teflon pan!
Let it sit. Once you put the steak in the skillet, don’t mess with it. This is the same as when you’re cooking on the grill. Let the skillet do its job and give that meat a nice crust. Cook the steak for about 4-5 minutes on the first side. When it’s got that beautiful color all through the bottom, you’re ready to flip. Resist the urge to constantly check it or move it around. Do make sure that all of the meat is touching the skillet by pressing it into the skillet slightly so you hear that initial sizzle all around.
Butter, baby! Flip the steaks, turn off the heat, and add some butter to the pan. Having a cast iron skillet is great here because it will stay nice and hot. Let the butter melt, and use a spoon to constantly scoop that deliciousness up and baste the meat with it for about a minute. This will keep the steak from drying out and give it that nice drip-down-your-chin juiciness. This is also a great time to add some fresh herbs and aromatics, like parsley, thyme, or rosemary.
Finish cooking in the oven. Once you’ve flipped the steaks and given them their butter bath, it’s time to pop those babies in a 275°F oven. Now, depending on the thickness of the steaks, it will take about 5-7 minutes to get a nice medium-medium rare. Use an inexpensive instant-read thermometer like this one.
LET IT REST. I think this is probably the biggest mistake anyone can make when cooking meat – you have got to let it rest! Resting the meat is imperative in getting a tender, juicy steak. Baste the steaks with the butter and juices one more time, then transfer the meat to a cutting board and leave it alone for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the steak instead of running all over the cutting board. Once rested, cut that baby up (against the grain, of course!) and serve it up with a spoonful of that delicious sauce straight from the pan.
What are the tastiest cuts of steak?
The steaks with the best flavor will have a lot of marbling throughout because, as we all know, “fat is flavor!” The second factor is going to be the cut.
Here are 5 of our favorite cuts for a tender and flavorful steak. You can use any of these steaks to make a perfect cast iron steak dinner.
- New York Strip – Considerably one of the most popular steaks on any steakhouse menu, the cut of meat is thick and delicious with a flavorful marbling throughout. It is ideal for grilling or for the ‘sear and oven’ cooking method shown here.
- Porterhouse – This epic steak is two favorites in one. It has a New York Strip on one side of its bone and a filet mignon on the other. It’s perfect for cast iron searing but also great on the grill.
- Filet Mignon – An obvious choice and often the most expensive that you can buy at a regular grocery store. It isn’t the most flavorful, but you can easily rectify that with some simple seasonings.
- Rib Eye – This cut of beef has a lot of gorgeous marbling throughout, making it one of the most flavorful. It isn’t as dense and doesn’t require as much cooking time, so keep that in mind.
- Tri Tip – This cut is most popular in regions of California and is often referred to as the Santa Maria cut. It has a generous marbling and a great flavor that is best on the grilled. If you have access to this cut of meat, be sure to try our Grilled Tri Tip recipe. You can also cut the roast into steaks for grilling or cooking in a cast iron.
How To Cook New York Strip Steak To Medium Rare
Whether you prefer your steak rare or medium, it should never be cooked well done, as this will result in a tough, chewy piece of meat. Medium rare is often recommended for its warm pink center and deliciously crusted outside. Remember, the steaks will continue to cook as they rest.
- Rare: 120℉
- Medium rare: 130℉
- Medium: 140℉
- Well Done: 160℉
Want to know how to perfectly grill your steak? Check out my handy tips and printable guide HERE.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your steak a baked potato and side salad, and you’ve got yourself the perfect steakhouse dinner right at home! Finish the meal off with a slice of Bailey’s Cheesecake or Salted Caramel Cake.
Here are a few more of our favorite steak dinner sides.
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Potatoes Romanoff
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Arugula Salad
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Soft Onion Rolls
Storage Tips
The Best Way To Store Leftovers
Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating steak can be tricky as it will further cook to medium or even well done pretty quickly. The best trick I’ve learned is to saute the steak in some butter to help it stay juicy. Never reheat steak in the microwave.
Use leftover steak to make my Steak Salad, Carne Asada Fries, or Chipotle Steak Quesadillas.
More Easy Restaurant Quality Dinners
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Alfredo
The Easiest, Juiciest New York Strip Steak
Ingredients
- 2 New York Strip Steaks
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 8-10 Thyme sprigs
- 1 tablespoon Fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Bring the steaks to room temperature by setting out on the counter for about 30 minutes. Season generously with kosher salt and a little fresh cracked pepper.
- Heat the oven to 275℉.
- Heat a heavy bottomed skillet (like cast iron) over medium high heat with the olive oil; 1-2 minutes.
- Place the steaks a couple of inches apart in the hot pan (press down lightly to ensure that all of the meat is touching the pan. Cook steaks for 4-5 minutes, without moving them. Check for a dark golden sear, then flip the steaks over and turn off the heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet, basting the meat with the butter and pan juices with a spoon for about a minute. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top of steaks and set thyme sprigs on top.
- Slide the skillet into the 275℉ oven. Cook for about 5-7 minutes for medium rare. Temperature should be: Rare – 110°F, Medium Rare – 120°F, Medium – 130°F, Well Done – 150°F. The steaks will continue to cook as they rest.
- Baste again with the pan juices, then transfer to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- To serve, slice against the grain and transfer to a plate. Serve with additional pan juices spooned over the top.
Notes
- Start with room temperature meat. I know this goes against everything you every learned about meat, but having the meat at room temp brings it closer to the heat of the pan and that’s what you want. You’ll get a much better sear and nice, even cooking.
- Season, season, season! Salt those bad boys up with a nice sprinkle of kosher salt. I like to add a few turns of fresh cracked pepper, too. I will usually salt them about 10 minutes or so before adding them to the pan to to let the salt and the meat get to know each other a little bit.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
This is my go to recipe when I’m not cooking steaks in the grill! They turn out perfect every time. I have shared this so many times because it is so simple yet perfect! Thank you!!
You are so welcome Megan! Thank you so much for sharing the love.
Hello Kristin
The steak that stays in my memory was a NY strip cooked in a skillet on the range. I was a college student living off-campus. It so far exceeded any steak I had had up to that point that it has become a legend. Now, as a (much) older adult, I like grilling steaks on the back patio with my husband, having a beer, eating boiled peanuts, and talking, while we wait for the charcoal fire to come up. In other words, the steak is great; but I like the ritual, too.
I totally agree with you – some of the best food has wonderful memories attached.
Can you do a porterhouse in a grill cast iron pan? I’m doing it so I guess I’ll find out for myself.
Yes you can – any kind of steak really you can do in a cast iron. You just want to make sure you’re cooking it to the temperature you want.
May I use a ribeye vs strip steak and still follow all these steps?
You can use a ribeye, but the cooking time could vary.
After putting in the 275 degree oven, it’s taking way longer than 7 minutes to reach correct temperature. Am I doing something wrong? Working on 15 mins at this point…..
It can depend on the size and thickness of your steak, and if your oven is calibrated correctly.
Wanting to try this tonight- but if I let it rest for 10 min won’t It get cold! I hate cold food, so how are you keeping it warm?
They will still be warm. You want to stop the cooking process but give the steaks time to let the juices redistribute. Otherwise they end up on the cutting board instead of in your tummy. 😉
Cooked strip steaks tonight using your iron skillet method. I cooked them a little too long to get the medium medium-rare but otherwise they were excellent. Comments were flowing. Thank you for the instructions.
Thanks for the tips ! I never thought of cooking steak in a cast iron pan…I always cooked it on a BBQ…
maybe that’s where I made my mistake. I will be trying these tips tomorrow night.