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How To Season Steak For Grilling

Juicy, Tender, Perfect Grilled Steak is the height of delicious dining and can be a skill in your pocket in no time at all! Today I’ll show you how to get perfect flavor, a perfectly cooked steak and the best cuts of meat to take you there! How to Season Steak for Grilling will become your go to article every time! 

glistening steak on cutting board with grill marks

Why This Recipe for How To Season Steaks For Grilling Works: 

  • Fast
  • EASY
  • Works Every Time
  • No Guessing

Here’s How It’s Done

STEP 1. 

First, start with the RIGHT steak – a Ribeye. Then, season the steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and A1. 

two raw steaks on cutting board with spices

STEP 2. 

Allow the seasonings to soak in (at least while the grill is warming up, but 30 minutes is better). 

hand plunging fork into steaks

STEP 3

Fork the steak to tenderize it. Grill your steak and enjoy! (Do the PRO TIP for the BEST tasting steak!)

hand spreading A1 sauce over steak with fork

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What Steak Is Best to Grill?

Around here, we LOVE Ribeyes for a perfect grilling experience! Ribeyes are flavorful, rich and easy to cook with little seasoning or preparation required

I’m sure you’ve heard about fancy rubs, injections and marinades that you can make and use. Those are terrific when you want to invest a lot of time and spices into your dinner. 

However, for a simple, easy breezy steak dinner, you can’t beat a Ribeye!

Other preferred cuts for a similar easy experience include:

  • T-Bone
  • NY Strip Steak 
  • Or a Tomahawk Steak 

But seriously, just get the ribeye. It’s worth it. 

How Do You Prepare a Steak Before Cooking? 

To prepare your steak for cooking, just follow these simple instructions:

  1. Lay the steak out on a cutting board.
  2. Apply the steak seasonings. 
  3. Spread the sauce around the steak. 
  4. Poke the steak multiple times with the fork until the meat feels very tender. 
  5. Turn the steak over and repeat the process on the second side. 

PRO TIP: If you REALLY want to bump up the flavor of your steak, take this extra step:  Let some butter sit out and come to room temperature. Mix a large pat of butter (one for each steak) with a pinch of garlic salt (or make your own mixture of garlic powder and salt). When the steak comes off the grill, put the butter on top of the steak and let the steak rest on a plate under a tent of foil for 5 minutes. Your steak will be unbelievably moist, juicy, tender and flavorful. 

Now you are ready to grill!

See, wasn’t that easy? 

When Should I Season My Steak?

If following the process above, I do this right before I am getting ready to grill and then let the steak rest for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Say you are running short on time? No problem to go right to the grill though. 

Can you do this ahead of time? Sure! You can do this process up to 12 hours before. 

How Can I Make My Steak Juicy and Tender? 

Did you see in the instructions where I recommend to put the ingredients on the steak and then use a fork to poke multiple holes? Just fork that steak over and over and over. 

This makes a steak juicy and tender, every time! 

But the best way? Start with a Ribeye. 

Should I Oil My Steak Before Seasoning? 

I have never done this and don’t make it part of my practice. You could oil it, but I don’t really think it is necessary for this cut of meat which has plenty of fat in it. 

If you are doing some other cut of meat, then you might want to oil it. 

What Spices Go Good With Steak?

The spices in this recipe (which go good with any cut of steak) are…

  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper 
  • A1 or Worcestershire. 

Steak Dinner Sides

What goes with my steak? I’ve got some great answers for THAT! 

We love: 

Steak Cooking Times? 

Here is a pretty good guide from the BBC about Steak cooking times. I like to use a thermometer to know if my steak is done though rather than go by a cooking time. 

A cooking time gives you an estimate, but a thermometer will tell you exactly when a steak is done. You can see the one I recommend by checking out my Resources Page.

Steak Temperatures

Rare Steak:  120-130 degrees

Medium Rare Steak Temp : 130-135 degrees

Mdm: 135-145 degrees

Medium Well: 145-155 degrees

Well Done: 155 and up. 

How Long Is Steak Good For? 

  • Use steak you bought by the “good by” date on the package. If you won’t be able to use it by then, follow the instructions in my “how to freeze steak” article. I also show you how to thaw steak fast in this other article. 
  • Once you cook a steak, it should be good if kept covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Don’t allow steak to sit out for more than 2 hours. 
  • Please don’t thaw a steak by letting it sit out on the counter all day either. That can be dangerous. 

Grilling Steak Tips and Tricks

Grill Preparations: 

  • To grill a perfect steak, start by preheating your grill to a 350 degree cooking temp. 
  • Make sure the grill grates are clean and free of debris from your last meal. 
  • Before putting the steaks down, use a paper towel or cloth rag to oil the grill grates. Put vegetable oil on the towel, use long tongs to rub the grates good with oil.
  • If you allow the grill to heat up pretty high and leave it high for 5 minutes either after you finish cooking for the day or before you start cooking today, you will be able to char and then remove the stuck on debris more easily. 
  • Clean the whole grill regularly so that you don’t start having grill fires. 
  • If your grill does catch fire in the bottom of the grill, close the lid and if you can push the grill away from any structures or overhanging trees (which you shouldn’t be grilling close to anyway) and then allow the fire to burn itself out. Remember to also cut the flow of gas off at the tank. 

The Steak

  • Season and fork your steak as described in the instructions. 
  • When grilling, put the steak on and then LEAVE IT ALONE. Resist the temptation to flip the steak a lot. Allow it to cook for a while on the first side and then flip it once to cook on the other side. 
  • Don’t cut way into the steak to see if it’s done. This allows the juices from the steak to get out of the steak and you will end up with a dry steak this way. Get yourself a good thermometer and check the steak that way. You’ll lose less juices. 
  • After cooking your steak, remove it to a plate and then let a loose tent of foil sit on the steaks for 5 minutes. This is called “resting the steak”. It allows the juices to go where they need to be. 
  • Check out my PRO TIP above for a really great way to add flavor to your steak. 
  • The best tip?: If you have always eaten a well done or medium well steak, PLEASE try a medium rare. Ask for a bite of a friends steak if you are concerned. That is how you really get a juicy steak. Don’t cook one to death. 

If You Enjoyed This Article About Steak Seasoning, You Might Also Enjoy….

Flank Steak Roll Ups

Southern Meatloaf

Marinated Pork Chops

Smoked Ribeye Steak

Be Sweet, OK? 

Please leave a 5 star comment below in the comment section. That helps others to find the recipes at Loaves and Dishes! 

glistening steak on cutting board with grill marks

How To Season Steak For Grilling

Juicy, Tender, Perfect Grilled Steak is the height of delicious dining and can be a skill in your pocket in no time at all! Today I’ll show you how to get perfect flavor, a perfectly cooked steak and the best cuts of meat to take you there! How to Season Steak for Grilling will become your go to article every time!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to season a steak for grilling
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
resting time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 683kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz Ribeye
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder.
  • 2 Tbs A1 any flavor

Instructions

  • Lay the steak out on a cutting board.
  • Apply salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and either A1 or Worcestershire sauce.
  • Spread the sauce around the steak.
  • Poke the steak multiple times with the fork until the meat feels very tender.
  • Turn the steak over and repeat the process on the second side.

Notes

  • To grill a perfect steak, start by preheating your grill to a 350 degree cooking temp.
  • Make sure the grill grates are clean and free of debris from your last meal.
  • Before putting the steaks down, use a paper towel or cloth rag to oil the grill grates.
  • Put vegetable oil on the towel, use long tongs to rub the grates good with oil.
  • If you allow the grill to heat up pretty high and leave it high for 5 minutes either after you finish cooking for the day or before you start cooking today, you will be able to char and then remove the stuck on debris more easily.
  • Clean the whole grill regularly so that you don’t start having grill fires.
  • If your grill does catch fire in the bottom of the grill, close the lid and if you can push the grill away from any structures or overhanging trees (which you shouldn’t be grilling close to anyway) and then allow the fire to burn itself out. Remember to also cut the flow of gas off at the tank.
  • Season and fork your steak as described in the instructions.
  • When grilling, put the steak on and then LEAVE IT ALONE. Resist the temptation to flip the steak a lot. Allow it to cook for a while on the first side and then flip it once to cook on the other side.
  • Don’t cut way into the steak to see if it’s done. This allows the juices from the steak to get out of the steak and you will end up with a dry steak this way. Get yourself a good thermometer and check the steak that way. You’ll lose less juices.
  • After cooking your steak, remove it to a plate and then let a loose tent of foil sit on the steaks for 5 minutes. This is called “resting the steak”. It allows the juices to go where they need to be.
BEST TIP: If you have always eaten a well done or medium well steak, PLEASE try a medium rare. Ask for a bite of a friends steak if you are concerned. That is how you really get a juicy steak. Don’t cook one to death.
PRO TIP: If you REALLY want to bump up the flavor of your steak, take this extra step: Let some butter sit out and come to room temperature. Mix a large pat of butter (one for each steak) with a pinch of garlic salt (or make your own mixture of garlic powder and salt). When the steak comes off the grill, put the butter on top of the steak and let the steak rest on a plate under a tent of foil for 5 minutes. Your steak will be unbelievably moist, juicy, tender and flavorful.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
How To Season Steak For Grilling
Amount Per Serving
Calories 683 Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 20g100%
Cholesterol 190mg63%
Sodium 1239mg52%
Potassium 929mg27%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 63g126%
Vitamin A 89IU2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

A VERSE TO SHARE

This morning a lot is on my mind. Mostly that my daughter is in the hospital after giving birth yesterday and the baby isn’t doing as good as he should be. As you can guess, this is causing all kinds of stress. We just have to put our faith in God, he has handled much worse than this. 

Mark 10:27

Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

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Wendi Spraker

Saturday 30th of May 2020

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