Here’s an alarmingly easy cast iron skillet steak recipe that requires nothing more than a nice cut of beef, a very hot skillet and precious little of your time! This steak recipe has all of the flavor and none of the stress. Please check it out!
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There’s nothing quite like a steak cooked to perfection on a hot cast iron skillet!
And, although, I tend towards seafood recipes on SeasonalCookbook.com, I had to share this cast iron skillet steak recipe with you because it’s just so good.
Who doesn’t like a nice juicy, tender steak, right?
Even though I am more of a ‘seafood guy’, I certainly do appreciate a nice steak!
I’ve received a lot of positive comments about my Oven Baked Rockfish recipe, which I am so grateful for.
And this Blackened Swordfish may just be my favorite fish recipe of them all on SeasonalCookbook.com.
But, I thought it was time to try something a bit different (for me).
Which is why I chose to do a steak recipe!
I’m also all about sharing easy recipes that use very few ingredients.
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And this cast iron skillet steak is no exception!
What Is Cast Iron Skillet Steak?
Just like the name implies, it’s steak cooked in a cast iron skillet.
Some skillet steak recipes include transferring the skillet from the stove top to the oven for finishing.
But not this recipe!
This cast iron skillet steak recipe is done entirely on the stove top, which makes it super easy.
Made Entirely In My Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
I’ll go over all of the recipe equipment needed to make this recipe, below.
But I just wanted to mention that I – once again – used my 12-inch Lodge Cast Iron Skillet.
And I couldn’t be happier with this piece of cookware!
This Lodge Skillet was so inexpensive and is so versatile.
I find it is quickly becoming one of my go-to pieces of cookware!
Just tell your toes to beware – it is HEAVY!
In fact, here are some other recipes I made using this very same Lodge skillet:
- Italian Frittata With Roasted Red Peppers
- Pan Seared Salmon With Creamy Dill Sauce
- Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken
There are probably a few more I can’t recall at the moment!
I also use my Lodge skillet for routine (i.e. non-SeasonalCookbook.com) recipes, too.
Things like scrambled eggs, omelettes, chicken breasts and fish.
Here’s the Exact Lodge Skillet with Red Silicone Handle I purchased from Amazon.com.
Why You Will Love This Cast Iron Skillet Steak Recipe
Here are just a few reasons why I think you will love this recipe:
- It requires hardly any time to make
- There are very few ingredients
- Since there are only two pieces of cookware needed, cleanup is a breeze
- May be one of the easiest recipes on SeasonalCookbook.com (and I’ve shared a LOT of easy recipes)
- Steak cooked in a hot cast iron skillet tastes incredible
Let me know why you love this recipe down in the Comments Section below!
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Cast Iron Skillet Steak – The Ingredients
As you can see from the photo above, this cast iron skillet steak recipe uses very few ingredients!
All that is required for this recipe is:
- 2 Lean Cuts of Beef (I used Top Sirloins from Kansas City Steaks) – You can use more or fewer
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Butter (I typically use Olive Oil butter, but regular butter or Avocado Butter is fine)
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
So, while this recipe is short on ingredients, this recipe is NOT short on flavor!
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Recipe Equipment Needed
Literally, two pieces of cookware are needed for this cast iron skillet steak recipe.
The first piece of cookware that I already raved about above is my handy Lodge Skillet.
Any heavy, cast iron skillet will do but I found that this Lodge Skillet is both durable AND affordable.
A nice set of cooking tongs – or grilling tongs with rubber grips like these – is also helpful.
They make it very easy to flip each piece of beef over to make sure that each side cooks evenly.
Seasoning The Steak
All I did to prepare these sirloins for cooking was to season them with some sea salt and black pepper before placing them in the skillet.
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Then once they were just beginning to cook, I added a bit more sea salt and black pepper.
I generally use a 2:1 pepper-to-salt-ratio when cooking steaks because I do not like my beef too salty.
Which Cuts Of Beef Are Best For Cooking In A Skillet?
For this cast iron skillet steak recipe, almost any good cut of beef works well.
I used two Top Sirloins from Kansas City Steaks because that’s what I had!
But Filet Mignon cooks incredibly well on a hot skillet, as does Rib-Eye.
Rib-Eye may just be the preferred steak for pan searing because it’s high fat content keeps it tender throughout the cooking process.
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To Marinate Or Not To Marinate?
Ahhh…the endless debate over whether to marinate your steak before cooking.
First off, let me say that this recipe does not require marinating – it is perfectly fine to keep this recipe as simple as possible.
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However, marinating your steaks prior to cooking does have several benefits, including:
- Infusing different and delicious flavors into the meat
- Adding extra moisture, which prevents the steak(s) from drying out during the cooking process
- Caramelizing the fat, which creates ‘browning’ and helps seal in the juices
- Tenderizing, as some marinades can help break down muscle tissue as they get absorbed
If you decide to marinate your steak before cooking, I highly recommend you check out my 3 Ingredient Steak Marinade Recipe.
In that recipe I discuss the marinating process in-depth and share a super-quick and easy marinade that you can make using 3 common ingredients.
Other Steak Marinades Worth Trying
Holly over at SpendWithPennies.com shares The Best Steak Marinade, which is another of my favorite marinade recipes, online.
And Chelsea from ChelseasMessyApron.com shares a great steak marinade recipe with some really cool, large, in-your-face food photos.
I love food photos that feel like I can climb into!
How To Tell When Cast Iron Skillet Steak Is Done?
This is a bit of a personal preference.
It all depends on how well-done YOU prefer YOUR steak.
Personally, I prefer my steak medium-rare to medium.
As a result, I’m watching for a slight ‘browning’ or sear on the outside while cooking.
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Once this sear is observed, the best way to tell if your steak is done is to slice it open and look.
For medium-rare to medium, you’ll want the inside to be somewhere between bright pink (not red) and medium pink.
Cast Iron Skillet Steak – Tips & Substitutions
Here are a few suggestions to make this recipe go even more smoothly!
A Very Hot Skillet Is Key
It’s important to make sure that your skillet is very hot before adding the steaks.
A very hot skillet helps the steaks to cook quickly, while also sealing in the juices that come from melting the fat contained in each cut of beef.
I treat my Lodge Skillet with some extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of butter before placing it on the stove.
Place the skillet over High Heat to help it get hot quickly.
How To Tell When Your Cast Iron Skillet Is Hot Enough
You’ll know the skillet is hot enough to add in the steaks, once it starts to lightly smoke.
Be ready to turn off your smoke alarm – temporarily – for this recipe or your cat will get really mad at you (at least mine did)!
But just be sure to turn your smoke alarm back on once you are done cooking these steaks!
Once your skillet starts to smoke, it’s time to add in the steaks.
Patting The Steaks Dry Before Cooking
One last suggestion before adding the steaks to your ultra-hot skillet: Pat them dry!
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Patting the steaks dry is even more important if you decided to marinate them prior to cooking.
One tip is to place your steaks on a dry, highly absorbent paper towel, like these Bounty Paper Towels.
Seasoning Your Skillet
Season your skillet with olive oil and some butter before adding to High Heat.
You can season the skillet again it has reached cooking temperature by sprinkling in a bit more sea salt.
Do this before adding in the steaks.
The ultra-high temperature combined with some additional sea salt, will help prevent your cuts of beef from sticking to the skillet.
Side-Eye Cooks The Fat, Guy!
If using very thick cuts of beef, you can even cook them on their sides by doing the following:
Hold each steak with a good pair of grilling tongs with non-slip grips like these, upright.
Then, using the tongs, press the side of each piece of beef down against the hot skillet.
You may need to rotate and re-grip each piece of beef a couple times to totally cook all the white fat around the edges.
Certain cuts of beef have a lot of white fat on their sides (like Rib-Eye).
This side fat will cook down more thoroughly using this method, which adds more flavor and tenderness to the cooked meat.
It’s Hot Hot Hot!
Be very careful, because cast iron skillets can become very hot, very fast.
Additionally, cast iron retains heat well so your skillet may still be hot long after you thought it would be cool enough to handle.
I find that a good pair of oven mitts can be really useful.
They don’t have to be a sexy pair of oven mitts like these, as long they are high-quality and very heat resistant.
Even though my Lodge Skillet comes with a heat-resistant silicone handle, I still wear oven mitts when handling it.
Spice Up Your Life – Or At Least Your Steaks
You may also want to season your steaks with various spices, such as Cajun Seasoning or McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Steak Seasoning to enhance their flavor.
Again, this really depends on your personal taste and what flavors you like.
One final note – I usually either season my steaks OR marinate my steaks with this simple 3 Ingredient Steak Marinade.
But I don’t do both!
Now, onto the recipe…
Cast Iron Skillet Steak
2
servings10
minutes12
minutes486
kcalThis cast iron skillet steak is fast, fabulous and flavorful! This recipe uses hardly any ingredients (5 to be exact) and is super-easy to make. Prep time is just about letting the steaks rest and come to room temperature. The key is using good cuts of beef and making sure to cook them on an ultra-hot cast iron skillet! Cooking time (above) includes roughly 4 minutes for my skillet to get hot enough and 8 additional minutes to cook the steaks.
(NOTE: I have added Amazon ingredient links below to make it convenient for you to buy the ingredients to make this recipe online. If you do purchase ingredients through any of the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Ingredients
8 ounce Top Sirloins (x2)
2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 ounces Butter (Olive Oil/Avocado/Regular)
3-5 pinches Sea Salt
4-7 pinches Black Pepper
Directions
- Pat the steaks dry (especially important if using a marinade) and let rest and come to room temperature.
- Add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 ounce of butter or avocado butter to cast iron skillet.
- Place skillet with olive oil and butter on stove top over High Heat.
- Wait for olive oil/butter treated skillet to begin to smoke lightly (about 4 minutes, roughly).
- Leaving heat on High, add steaks to hot skillet one at a time, flipping each cut of meat every 2 minutes while observing the top and bottom of each steak.
- As steaks begins to brown (usually after about 6 minutes), cut into one steak using a sharp knife and observe the color of the inside.
- Look for the insides to be bright pink (medium rare), pink (medium) or with minimal pink (medium-well).
- Depending on the color observed, you may want to cook your steaks for an additional 2-4 minutes (NOTE: In my case, it took about 8 minutes to achieve a nice medium-rare color on the inside of each piece of meat , but this also depends on the thickness of your steaks – mine were pretty thick, as you can see. Thinner cuts will cook more quickly, so it’s important to flip and check your steaks frequently as they cook!)
Notes
- It’s totally NOT necessary to marinate your steaks before cooking, but if you do want to use a marinade, I recommend my 3 Ingredient Steak Marinade.
- Make sure that your Cast Iron Skillet is extremely hot before adding in your steaks. An ultra-hot skillet helps prevent the meat from sticking and speeds up the cooking time.
- I used two Top Sirloins from Kansas City Steaks for this recipe, but cuts of beef with a higher fat content, like Rib-Eye, would probably work even better!
- Make sure to use high-quality cuts of meat for this recipe since everything starts with the quality of the beef used!
- Seasoning your steaks doesn’t have to be complicated. I used sea salt and black pepper, but you can experiment with Cajun Seasoning, McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Steak Seasoning or even Old Bay Seasoning if you’re feeling adventurous.
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What To Serve With Cast Iron Skillet Steak
There are so many amazing side-dishes to serve with steak it’s somewhat overwhelming.
Classic sides like baked potato, sweet potato, or grilled asparagus pairs incredibly well with steak cooked in a cast iron skillet.
If you have time, please check out 25 Side Dishes for Steak on AheadOfThyme.com, where Sam and Dan share some eye-catching sides!
I would also recommend What To Serve With Steak (27 Sides) by Kate over at DrizzleMeSkinny.com
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How To Store Leftover Skillet Steak?
Any previously cooked beef should be stored in the refrigerator.
Once your cast iron skillet steak has cooled, place it in a dish, cover securely with a high-quality plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
How Long Will Cast Iron Skillet Steak Last In The Fridge?
Cooked beef stored in the refrigerator as describe above should be eaten within 3 to 4 days.
However, I typically do not wait that long.
I usually eat any leftover steak within a day or two.
Naturally, you can store your leftover beef in the freezer for a longer period of time.
According to this article from the USDA, while cooked meat (stored properly) can last for 2 to 3 months in the freezer, it’s flavor and texture can begin to deteriorate.
Anyway, this cast iron skillet steak is so delicious, I usually eat it the same day and certainly within a day or two.
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I would LOVE to have you as a member of my Mailing List. Just CLICK THE BIG GREEN BUTTON Below. I’ll even send you a FREE COPY of my Seasonal Mediterranean Diet Ingredients Shopping List printable PDF.
I don’t spam my subscribers and you’ll only hear from my when I have a new recipe or post to share.
What Do You Think Of This Cast Iron Skillet Steak Recipe?
Are you a fan of steaks made in a skillet?
How do you prepare your steaks at home? Stove top? Oven? Grill?
I would really like to hear your thoughts on this recipe, as well as how you cook your steaks?
Please Post a comment in the COMMENTS SECTION Below to get the conversation going!
Until next time…
Happy Cooking!
