Are you looking for a simple process to grilling the perfect ribeye steak. If so, follow along as you'll learn step-by-steps instructions for whipping up a flavorful and tender steak topped with a drizzle of garlic butter sauce this grilling season.

Yep, it's grilling season, and I love this time of the year. It's the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors while cooking and entertaining with family and friends.

The beauty of grilling is that you can literally whip up beautiful and delicious meals in minutes. If you know how to fire up the charcoal grill and feel comfortable doing so, you're pretty much set.

Let me ask you this... are you a steak lover? If so, what's your favorite type of steak? I wouldn't be surprised if you say T-Bone or NY strip. Honestly, these are the 2 types of steaks that I grew up eating. However, when I moved out of my parents home and started cooking on my own, I ventured outside the box and grew to love ribeye. Now, this is hands down my family's favorite type of steak.

Jump to:

What makes ribeye so delicious
Determining high quality beef
Ingredients
Essentials
Cooking ribeye on the grill
How long to grill
Tips
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📖 Recipe

What makes ribeye so delicious

In case you're not too familiar with ribeye, I thought it might be helpful to give a little bit of background.

Ribeye comes from the same part of the cow as prime rib also known as rib roast. By the way, you can check out this incredible Prime Rib with Red Wine Sauce. Basically, ribeye is the section of the rib roast that is cut before it's cooked. In other words, it's a smaller cut of the prime rib before it's cooked.

It's an excellent cut of meat and is worth every penny due to its amazing flavor and texture. You can purchase as bone-in or boneless which are both great options.

What's all the hype around marbling

Marbling is the visible intramuscular fat that accumulates between the muscle fibers or the red meat of the steak. The amount of marbling in a ribeye compared to other types of steak is what really makes ribeye stand out as the king of all steaks. This level of marbling adds solely to the ribeye's flavor, juiciness and texture.

During the cooking process, as the fat begins to melt, it naturally bastes the meat ultimately creating a much more juicy, flavorful, and tender steak.

Determining high quality beef

You may have heard of USDA Prime, Choice or Select. So, what does all of this mean? Simply put:

USDA Prime - Produced from young well fed beef cattle. It has the highest amount of marbling.
USDA Choice - Still high quality but less marbling than prime. Meat will be juicy, flavorful and tender.
USDA Select - Leanest without much marbling. This type of meat is best when it's marinated or braised.

For more information on this check out this article.

Side Note: It's important to note that the term 'USDA Prime' and Prime Rib aren't the same. As mentioned above, 'USDA Prime' also known as just 'Prime' is referring to the quality of meat whereas prime rib is a cut of meat that comes from the same part of the cow as the ribeye.

Ingredients

Ribeye steak
Grape-seed oil
Kosher salt
Fresh garlic cloves - for sauce (optional)
Butter or clarified butter - for sauce (optional)

Essentials

Charcoal grill
Charcoal
Lighter fluid
Cooking spray (avocado oil)
Tongs
Paper towels
Baking pan (for carrying the steaks to the outdoor grill)
Meat thermometer

Cooking ribeye on the grill

Prepare the grill by cleaning the grill grates, spraying the grates with avocado oil or other cooking oil, load the charcoal and preheat the grill between 325 degrees F to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and paper towels.
Wash the ribeye steaks and place them on the prepared baking sheet and dry them thoroughly by patting them dry with paper towels.
Remove the paper towels from the baking sheet and generously season the ribeye steaks with kosher salt.
Carry the baking sheet to your outdoor grill, and place ribeyes on the grill grates. Grill the first side for 10 minutes flip and grill the other side for 8 minutes.
Remove the steaks from the grill and place on a clean plate, platter or baking sheet to rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a sauce pan and saute fresh garlic cloves for a couple of minutes.
Drizzle the garlic butter sauce over each ribeye.

raw ribeye on baking sheet seasoned with kosher salt

ribeye steaks on grill grates of a charcoal grill

ribeye steaks flipped on charcoal grill so other side can grill

How long to grill

Rather than grilling based on cooking time, it's more important to grill your ribeye based on your own taste and desired done-ness.

Please refer to the chart below to gauge how you like your steak cooked. This can be done by inserting a meat thermometer into your ribeye to check the internal temperature. If the internal temperature of your ribeye falls within your desired range, it's done.

Rare: 120 - 125 degrees F (center is bright pink and pink towards exterior)
Medium rare: 130 - 135 degrees F (center is pink and very slightly brown towards exterior)
Medium: 140 - 145 degrees F (center is light pink and exterior is brown)
Medium well: 150 - 155 degrees F (not pink)
Well done: 160+ degrees F

When the internal temperature has been reached, the residual heat will continue to cook the ribeye even when removed from the grill.

close up of grilled ribeye steak on blue plate

Tips

Make sure that ribeyes are at room temperature before placing them on the grill (allow at least 30 minutes or so after removing them from the fridge and before placing them on the grill) this will allow for even cooking.
Steak needs salt, and I recommend seasoning generously with kosher salt unless you're falling a low sodium diet.
Feel free to use other seasoning but at the bare minimum, season with kosher salt which is really all you need for a great tasting ribeye.
Make sure to not overcook your steaks and invest in a instant read meat thermometer if you do not already own one.
Purchase ribeyes that are at least 1 inch thick; however, the thicker your ribeyes the longer they will take to grill but not by that much.

Grilled Ribeye Steak