Do This and You’ll Never Overcook a Steak Again

Nobody wants an overcooked steak that is tough and dry! That’s why we’re sharing the secrets to avoid overcooking steak so you get the perfect restaurant-quality steak every time. With over 100 years of steak experience at Omaha Steaks, we’ve mastered the art of the steak cooking. And you can, too. Take the guesswork out of steak doneness with this guide to steak temps.

It’s easy to cook a juicy, delicious steak using nearly any cooking method. Whether you like it rare, medium rare, or medium, this guide will help you cook it just how you like it every time. You can get steakhouse-worthy results at home.

Four Chef Secrets to Cooking a Perfect Steak

1. Start with a Great Steak

Not all steak is created equal. At Omaha Steaks we hand-select our beef for integrity, quality, and marbling and all our steaks are aged for a least 28 days. Aging is an old-world butcher’s art naturally results in a more tender, juicy steak. At your local grocery store, most of the steaks are barely or never aged. Each cut will be placed in the counter with a guess at when you might buy it, but you’ll never know exactly when your food was cut or when it’ll taste best. 28 days is proven to be the optimal moment of tenderness and flavor – we guarantee every steak delivered is aged at least 28 days and then frozen to maintain that perfection until delivery. Choose from one of our steak packages to find the perfect steak for you.

2. Thaw Steak Completely

Thaw your steak completely using our steak thawing guide (there is even a quick thaw method if you forget to defrost the night before.)  Once defrosted, season with coarse sea salt and pepper or Omaha Steaks seasoning and bring the steak to room temperature before cooking. This will allow the meat to cook edge-to-edge and throughout evenly. Then, use our temperature chart to cook to your desired doneness.

3. Use a Meat Thermometer

Doneness affects the texture, flavor, and juiciness of your finished steak. Our steak cooking charts are as accurate as possible with a controlled cook at a consistent cooking temperature. However, because of influences beyond your control, the best way to avoid overcooking steak is to gauge steak doneness by measuring the internal temperature of your steak with an accurate meat thermometer.

We recommend rare or medium rare for most steaks, but you may prefer a different doneness. Here’s how each different doneness will affect the steak flavor and texture.

Rare – 120F

The steak has cool-to-warm red center, and soft, tender texture. This is an excellent choice for leaner steaks like top sirloin or filet mignon that don’t have as much fat to melt.

Medium Rare -130F

Steak will have warm red center – perfect steak texture with a nice brown crust. Cooking to medium rare allows the fat (marbling in the steak) to render and add buttery, rich flavors to your steak. This is the ideal doneness for a juicy, flavorful steak.

Medium – 140F

The steak will have a hot pink center and slightly firmer texture. The longer cooker time will make your steak slightly drier and the bite less tender.

Medium Well -150F

The steak will have a mostly brown center and firm texture. The meat will be drier as water evaporates during the cooking process.

Well Done – 160+F

The steak will have no color left, will be very firm and much drier. The meat loses fat and moisture as it cooks, resulting in a dry, tougher texture. We don’t recommend cooking to this doneness.

4. Rest Your Steak

Resist the urge to slice into your steak right as soon as it finishes cooking. For a juicy, delicious steak, it needs to rest 3-5 minutes. This will help the juices redistribute for the best-tasting and juiciest steaks. Keep in mind, the temperature of your steak may increase up to 5 degrees as it rests, this is a key point to remebmer to avoid overcooking steak. Top with a simple compound butter and serve with your favorite steakhouse side dishes and a decadent dessert for an amazing steak dinner.

Become a steak master with our comprehensive steak cooking guides:

• Grill
• Reverse Sear
• Pan Sear
• Broil
• Sear Roast
• Sous Vide