Why fire up the grill or fiddle with the broiler? Here’s how to cook strip steak in a skillet! It’s fast, easy, and tastes as good as a steakhouse.
Strip Steak in a Skillet
Sometimes, I don’t have the patience to fire up the grill or fiddle with the broiler. I want a fast, easy, juicy steak that tastes like it came from a steakhouse. Did you know you can get that kind of flavor from a skillet? You can!
Today I’ll be using one of my favorite cuts of beef, the New York strip steak. The New York strip cut can be found in precut steaks (like I’m using today), and also in a large New York Strip roast which I’m also quite fond of.
If you haven’t tried the full-on roast, put it on your list of meats to try. I promise you will very happy.
Anyway, this strip steak in a skillet recipe is a go-to weeknight meal for me. Simply heat the skillet, throw in the steaks, set the timer, flip once, and then season & serve. Couldn’t be simpler.
Pair it with some oven roasted potato rounds for a real treat, or maybe a wedge salad.
Now that’s good living!
Tips for Cooking Steak in a Skillet
- Make sure your skillet is preheated for several minutes before actually cooking. Your steak should sizzle quite loudly when it touches the pan. If it doesn’t, your pan is not hot enough.
- You can skip using oil and add more flavor by turning the steak sideways and sizzling the fatty edges first. Then, your steak will cook in its own savory fat. That’s a good thing!
- Resting the steak really does help. It helps keep the juices from running out as much when you cut it, and the texture improves, too. Loosely tenting the cooked steak with foil will keep it from losing too much heat.
- A good steak doesn’t need a complicated seasoning. I prefer a bit of butter, a generous sprinkling of salt, and sometimes a few grinds of pepper. You can season it however you like, just don’t forget to let the flavor of the meat shine through.
Strip Steak in a Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 strip steaks about 3/4 inches thick
- 2 teaspoons butter
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper optional
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
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Place a large nonstick skillet on a burner and preheat over medium heat for 4 minutes. Test for proper heat by flicking a large drop of water into the skillet. It should sizzle away quickly and loudly.
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Using tongs, hold the steak on its side so that the fattiest edge faces down into the skillet. Press the fatty edge into the skillet and let the fat cook for about 2 minutes until the fatty edge is browned and you can see some liquid fat in the pan.
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Turn the steak and lay it flat in the pan. Do not touch it for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, flip it. Again, don't move it at all for 4 minutes.
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Using clean tongs (don't use anything that will pierce the steak, like a fork), remove the steak from the skillet and place it on a clean plate. Quickly rub a teaspoon of butter all over the top of each steak, leaving what doesn't melt right away to sit on top of the steak. Sprinkle generously with sea salt, and add a few grinds of black pepper if desired. Tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the steak and let sit for 4 minutes.
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Serve and enjoy!
If you like steak, you’ll love this bone-in rib roast, too.
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer
I have actually explained to my husband that a lot of top chefs make their steaks on the stove top and then move them into the oven. I bought a cast iron pan specifically for it. He loves his steak on the grill though (which, like you, I sometimes don’t want to do!) Your steak looks fantastic!
Katie
Thank you! The trick of cooking the fatty edge first came from famous chef Eric Ripert!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
We love steak at our house, but sometimes grilling isn’t an option, so I will definitely have to give this a try, thanks!
Katie
The weather can be unpredictable here, so it’s nice to have a rain plan! 🙂
Lauren @ Wicked Spatula
I have to admit that even though I grill tons of things each week our steaks normally get cooked in a pan! It’s so easy and they turn out fantastic!
Sara
I’m always up for trying a new cooking technique, the next time I buy steak I’m doing this!
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I’ve always thought it just as easy to grill as use a skillet…until I moved. My new home has a much smaller patio than the one I left but my grill is still HUGE so it’s down a couple of steps off the patio. Doesn’t seem like much but I hate it so I’m occasionally cooking more inside. This looks amazing…and encouraging because I’m hungry and those steps are making me tired. 🙂
Katie
I think of steak in a skillet as “fast” food… in a good way! 🙂