How to Cook Steak Indoors

by Omaha Steaks
Last updated Jul 23, 2024

For most regular folks at home, outdoor grilling is the go-to method for cooking a steak. It’s simple and straightforward, the heat is definitely hot enough, and there’s not a lot of fuss.

But do you think the great steakhouses are heading out back to make your steak? No way.

Cooking steak indoors offers precision, versatility, and control over your cook that can result in the best steak of your life. That’s how chefs do it, and you can do it, too. There are four easy-to-learn ways to make steak in your kitchen.

Remember: No matter where or how you’re cooking steak, the two things that create great results are (1) proper internal temperature and (2) a good sear. Each of these methods are simply different ways to achieve those two things.

Cooking Steak in a Pan

Cooking steaks in a pan is actually rather elegant — you don’t need any special equipment, any hidden knowledge, or any fancy ingredients. Just a steak, a good pan, a little oil, and seasoning. The most important thing to do when pan-searing a steak is to pay attention to what’s happening, make adjustments, and be patient. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Season your steaks.

Season steaks simply with good salt and pepper or use a complete steak seasoning blend. But if you go blend, choose one without sugar — your steak will be sitting in the pan long enough that sugar will burn and blacken.

2. Preheat your pan to medium high.

Start your steak with a good and hot pan, even if you may turn it down after. A hot pan is the key to getting a good, crispy sear.

3. Add a little oil.

Just enough cooking oil to coat the pan will help keep steak from sticking. Don’t let it be a puddle… you’re not frying your steak!

4. Add steaks directly to the pan.

Just put it in! Start on one side and let that side cook. If your steak is thick (one inch or more), it’s going to be on this side for a while, so reduce your heat to medium or medium-low for this part of the cook.

5. Flip your steak.

Heat the pan back up to medium-high, and turn your steak over once, when it’s about 60% done. You can do this by the clock using a cooking chart, or you can watch the edges of the steak if it’s thick enough – just watch the line of browned meat as it travels upward.

6. Remove steak and let it rest.

When your timer goes off or when a high-quality digital meat temperature confirms a few degrees below your target temperature, take your steak out of the pan with tongs and place it on a plate to rest. Don’t do anything at all for about 5 minutes.

Chef’s Tip: Arroser or Butter-Basting your steak is an easy to take pan-cooking to the next level. During the last couple minutes, of cooking, heat your pan back to medium and add a couple tablespoons of butter and some fresh garlic and herbs. As the butter melts and browns, spoon it over your steak to add juiciness and flavor.

Cooking Steak with a Broiler

Broiling steaks is as easy as cooking steaks on the grill, and it’s a great way to finish multiple steaks the exact same way (because your pan’s probably not that big). An oven broiler is basically an upside-down grill — it’s a setting that runs only the top heating element of your oven very, very hot so you can cook with direct heat. So, broiling a steak is like grilling a steak from above.

Chef’s Tip: The best broil happens when there is air moving beneath your steaks combined with the heat from above — that’s why broiler pans are ventilated. If you’re not using a true broiler pan, place your steaks on an elevated rack or directly on the rack (with foil down below to catch the mess).

1. Season your steaks.

Season steaks simply with good salt and pepper or use a complete steak seasoning blend like Omaha Steaks Seasoning.

2. Position your oven rack.

Position your top rack so that steaks will be no more than 4 inches from the heating element when they’re sitting on your broiler pan.

3. Set your broiler on high.

Set your oven to Broil or Broil (High) and give it a few minutes to reach temperature.

4. Flip your steaks.

Take the pan out and turn your steaks over with tongs… just once, when they’re about 60% done. You can do this by the clock using a cooking chart, or you can watch the edges of the steak if it’s thick enough — just watch the line of browned meat as it travels upward.

5. Remove steaks and let them rest.

When your timer goes off or when a high-quality digital meat temperature confirms a few degrees below your target temperature, take then pan out of the oven and the steaks off of the pan and onto a plate to rest. Don’t do anything at all for about 5 minutes.

Chef’s Tip: For very thick steaks, start cooking with your oven at a lower temperature and your steaks on a lower rack. Once they’re close to final temperature, bring your steaks and broiler pan up to 4 inches from the element and turn the oven to broil to get your sear and color.

Sear-Roasting a Steak

Sear-roasting a steak is a reliable method used by chefs and home cooks to get the temperature right on big pieces of meat. In short, you’ll use a hot pan to get a delicious sear on the outside of a steak, then use a low-temperature oven to slowly bring the inside of the steak to the exact temperature you seek. To “reverse-sear” a steak, reverse the order of the roast and the sear.

1. Season your steak.

Season your steak simply with good salt and pepper or use a complete steak seasoning blend like Omaha Steaks Seasoning.

2. Preheat your oven.

Set your oven temperature to 350F and let it come up to temperature.

3. Preheat your pan.

Place an oven-proof pan on a burner and pre-heat the pan to medium-high. Add a little bit of oil, just enough to coat the surface of the pan.

4. Sear the steak.

Place your steak in the hot pan and sear on each side (look for crispiness and color to know when it’s seared enough). If your steak is very big, set it on its side and sear all the sides you can!

5. Put pan in the oven.

Leave the steak on the last side you seared and place the entire pan in the oven.

6. Remove steaks and let them rest.

When your timer goes off or when a high-quality digital meat temperature confirms a few degrees below your target temperature, take then pan out of the oven and the steaks off of the pan and onto a plate to rest. Don’t do anything at all for about 5 minutes.

Cooking Steak Sous Vide

“Sous vide” is quickly becoming a popular way to cook steak at home for its ease and precision. Restaurants have been making sous vide steak for years, but new, accessible machines like the Anova Precision Cooker bring the technique home to you. Food, like steak, is sealed in a plastic bag and then that bag cooks in precision-heated water. The best thing about a sous-vide steak is that it will be exactly your favorite temperature, edge to edge. You can’t get that any other way.

1. Season your steak.

Season your steak simply with good salt and pepper or use a complete steak seasoning blend like Omaha Steaks Seasoning.

2. Set up your pot for sous vide cooking.

Attach your sous vide cooker to a large stockpot and fill with water above the line indicated on the cooker. Set your sous vide cooker to your desired steak temperature and let it heat up all the way. Most cookers will beep or indicate that they’re ready.

3. Preheat your pan.

Place a cast iron pan or stainless steel pan on a burner and pre-heat the pan to medium-high. Add a little bit of oil, just enough to coat the surface of the pan.

4. Sear the steak.

Place your steak in the hot pan and sear for about 2 minutes on each side.
SEAR BEORE OR AFTER? Many people sear their steak after it has reached temperature in the immersion cooker. That works, too! There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods.
- SEAR FIRST: You’ll get perfect temperature control over the final product, but the outside of your steak won’t be as crispy.
- SEAR AFTER: You’ll have a perfect crunchy sear but your steak won’t be as evenly cooked edge to edge.

5. Seal your steak in a bag and cook.

Seal your seared steak in a plastic bag as recommended by your sous vide cooker. Place the bag in the water until the steak is up to your desired temperature and wait 45 minutes to 4 hours for it to get there.

6. Remove steak and let it rest.

When your steak has reached its target temperature, take then bag out of the pot and the steak out of the bag. Place your steak on a plate and let it rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Download the Omaha Steaks mobile app for more steak cooking guides and tips. Check out our guide to steak temps to cook steak to your desired doneness.