These Sous Vide Ribeye Steaks are cooked in a warm water bath to perfection and then butter-basted quickly in the skillet for a beautiful and flavorful brown crust. It’s so tender, juicy and really simple to make at home. It will remind you of those at your favorite steak house!
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Why sous vide rib eye steak?
Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French. It’s a cooking technique where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked for a long time to a precise temperature in a warm water bath.
When cooking a ribeye steak with traditional methods such as grilling, pan-frying or baking, there’s a small window of the perfect doneness. If you miss that window, the steak can easily turn dry and chewy. Sous vide method eliminates the problem by controlling the temperature precisely.
In addition, it produces a steak with an even doneness edge to edge. It’s a no-fail and no-stress recipe with a guaranteed success. You don’t have to watch your steak closely with a meat thermometer. Try it once, and you’ll never look back!
How to sous vide rib eye?
- Set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 133°F (56°C) for medium-rare.
- Rub the ribeye steak with oil and season the steak on both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Place the seasoned steak in a zip-lock bag. Seal the bag using the water displacement technique.
- Place the bag in the warm water bath and cook for 1 hour.
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water and transfer it to an ice bath or the refrigerator.
- Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Grill or sear for about 1 minute per side, just to caramelize the outside. Add more seasoning if needed.
- Slice against the grain and serve.
Sous vide ribeye seasoning
There’s no marinade needed for this recipe, as ribeye steak is a prime-grade tender cut and contains a lot of marbling. I like to rub it with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
I recommend seasoning generously BEFORE sous vide cooking for the best result! With this simple seasoning, it’s keto and gluten-free! This recipe works for both bone-in and boneless ribeye steaks.
Sous vide ribeye steak temperature
I like my ribeye steak medium-rare to medium, and I usually set the sous vide machine to 135°F/57°C. If you’d like to try other doneness, follow the chart below:
| Steak Doneness | Temperature |
| Rare | 125°F (52°C) |
| Medium Rare | 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | 140°F (60°C) |
| Medium-well | 150°F (66°C) |
| Well-done | 160°F (71°C) |
How long does it take to sous vide ribeye?
As ribeye is a tender central cut, it doesn’t require long cook time. It takes about 45 minutes to sous vide a 1-inch ribeye, 1 hour for 1.5 inches, and 1.5 hours for 2 inches.
Can you overcook ribeye steak in the sous vide machine?
You won’t “overcook” a steak with sous vide method as the temperature stays at a certain level, but if you leave the meat in the water bath for too long, the texture can become mushy and won’t taste good.
Seal the bag without a vacuum sealer
You don’t have to use a vacuum sealer for this recipe. I find Ziploc Freezer Bags are perfect for sealing the food, either wet or dry. The trick is called the “water displacement method” by using the pressure from the water to force all the air out of the bag.
Just place your food in the bag, seal all but one corner of the bag. Slowly place it in the water bath, and make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
Can I sous vide frozen ribeye steak?
Yes, you can sous vide steak straight from frozen. Just add 30 minutes of cooking time in the sous vide water bath.
More Sous Vide Steak Recipes
Sides to pair with sous vide ribeye
Recipe Tools:
Sous Vide Ribeye Steak
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye steaks 1 ½-inch thick
- kosher salt to taste (I used about 2 teaspoons)
- ground black pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh rosemary optional
Instructions
- Preheat the sous vide cooker: Add water to the sous vide container or a large pot, set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 135°F (57°C).
- Season the ribeye: Rub the steak with 1/2 tablespoon oil on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sous vide the steak: Place the seasoned ribeye in a zip-top bag, then seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in a pot filled with cold water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
- Place the bag into the water bath in the sous vide container. Make sure the steak is fully submerged while the seams of the bag are above the water.
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and transfer it to an ice bath or refrigerator. Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
- Sear the steak: Remove the steak from the zip-top bag and wipe off the moisture with paper towels. (It’s important to dry the surface completely)
- Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Place the cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once very hot, add the remaining oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the steak and optional rosemary. Sear about 1-2 minutes per side until nicely browned.
- Slice against the grain and serve with potatoes and veggies.
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