How to Sear Steaks on the Grill

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano

Last Updated: January 20, 2023 References

Searing a steak over high heat on the grill caramelizes the sugars and proteins on the outside of the meat, creating a crispy and flavorful crust. You can use a sear burner if your gas grill has one. If not, you can also sear steaks on a charcoal grill by moving the grates close to the coals.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preparing the Steaks

1
Place your steaks on a countertop or on a cool stovetop to allow them to come to room temperature. Keep them covered or inside their packaging until you are ready to cook them. When the steak is at room temperature, it can quickly get to high-heat on the grill. Leave it cold and the centers will take too long to cook.
2
Coat both sides of the steak with with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. This will help you to create a crisper crust on the outside of your steak. Think of the salt as a light snow on a dark road -- you can still see the steak, but there is a light dusting on the entire piece of meat.
- Use the biggest grains of salt you can, such as course or kosher salt. Bigger grains dissolve slower, leading to a better crust on your steak.^{[1]
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3
Know that the type of grill you have will slightly change the flavor of your steaks. Depending on your grill, you can get very different flavors from your steak:
- Propane (Sear Burner): Gas grills don't give much flavor to the meat, but they are easy to adjust and toy with to get the perfect heat. They also get hot much, much faster than other grills.
- Charcoal: The classic choice, charcoal briquettes light up and get hot faster than woodchips. They give the classic rich, smoky flavor to the steaks.
- Wood-fire: Hickory or oak chips often give the best flavor to the meat. The trade-off? They are harder to light and keep ablaze. You can also use a mixture of charcoal and wood instead of just wood-chips.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Searing Steaks Using a Sear Burner

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Understand the theory behind a sear burner. A sear burner is a separate section of a gas grill that has an infrared plate to create extremely high temperatures. Sear your steaks on this burner and then move them to a cooler section of the grill to cook them through. You do not need to close the lid while the steaks are searing.
2
Preheat the sear burner on your gas grill using the high setting. Preheat another burner on your gas grill at a medium setting. Coat the burners with nonstick cooking spray.
3
Place 1 or 2 steaks on your sear burner. The quantity will depend on the size of your steaks and the size of your burner. Make sure that you have at least 2” (5 centimeters) of space between the pieces of meat so that they can cook evenly.
4
Sear the steaks for 1-1/2 minutes on the first side. Flip the steaks over using a pair of tongs and sear them for an additional 1-1/2 minutes on the other side. Make sure to sear the fatty edges and the bones. Each side of the steaks should have a crisp, caramelized crust that is brown without being burnt.^{[2]
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Place the steaks on your medium heat burner and close the lid so that they can continue to cook through. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your steaks are cooked to the right temperature depending on your preference for doneness.
6
Check for doneness using the palm test. You can use your own hand to check how done your steaks are, making sure you get it off perfectly each and every time. Simply press one finger into the steak and compare the feeling to various parts of your hand. This method is useful if you don't have a meat thermometer or don't want to pierce the meat in the process, causing it to lose juices and flavor. To check doneness with your hand:
- Raw: Touch the fleshy part of your palm right underneath the thumb. It should have a lot of give.
- Well done: Touch your thumb and pinky together on the same hand. Then touch the fleshy part under your thumb with the opposite hand. It will be firm.
- Medium: Touch your thumb and ring finger together, then check the palm. It will be a little less firm.
- Medium Rare: Touch the thumb and middle fingers, then check the palm.
- Rare: Touch the thumb and pointer, then check the palm.^{[3]
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Let the steaks stand before eating. Standing the meat refers to letting it sit, uncut, for 5-6 minutes. This allows the meat to reabsorb the juices and fats that liquefied in the high heat, and will lead to a juicier, better tasting steak every time.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Searing Steaks on the Grill

1
Get the cooking grate as close to the coals as possible. Placing the grate 2 to 3 inches above the coals will create high direct heat for searing your steaks. Make sure one section of the grate has no coals under it; that safe zone will stay cooler for cooking the interior of your steak.
2
Place coals in the grill at least 2 layers deep. Position the grate so that it is 2 to 3 inches above the coals. Leave a safe zone with no coals for cooking the interior of the meat.
3
Get the right heat for your preferred steak doneness. Aim to get the inside of the grill to 400°F if you have a grill thermometer. The thinner your steaks are, the hotter you want the grill. This is because you don't want to cook the inside of the steak before the outside is a nice, crispy brown:
- 1/2 inch thick: 425-450°F. You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 3 seconds.
- 3/4-1 inch thick: 360-400°F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 4-5 seconds.
- 1-1 1/2 inch thick: 325-360°F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 5-6 seconds.^{[5]
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4
Coat the grate with nonstick cooking spray before you light the coals. Then, light the coals directly or light them using a charcoal starter. Allow the temperature to reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 C) before placing the steaks on the grill.
5
Place the steaks on the grill rack. The number of steaks that you can sear at one time will depend on both the size of your grill and the size of your steaks. Make sure that you leave at least a 2” (5 centimeter) clearance around the meat for even cooking.
6
Cook the steak for 1-1/2 minutes before flipping it over using a pair of tongs. Cook the second side for 1-1/2 minutes. You should have a crispy brown crust on both sides of the meat.^{[6]
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Move the steak to the cooler portion of the grill and cook it until it reaches your desired interior temperature. You can use your fingers to press on the steak and check it's doneness:
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Check for doneness using your palm as a guideline. You can use the fleshy part of your hand underneath the thumb to test out your steaks. To do so, simply press one finger into the center of the steak, then compare it against the following benchmarks.
- Raw: Touch the fleshy part of your palm right underneath the thumb. It should have a lot of give.
- Well done: Using the same hand, touch your thumb and pinky together. For comparison, touch the fleshy part under your thumb with the opposite hand, holding your thumb and pinky together. It will be firm.
- Medium: Touch your thumb and ring finger, then check underneath your thumb. It will be a little less firm than the well-done version.
- Medium Rare: Touch the thumb and middle together, then check your palm.
- Rare: Touch the thumb and pointer fingers, then check your palm.^{[7]
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Let the meat stand for 5 minutes before cutting. If you cut into a hot steak right as it comes off the grill it will lose delicious juices. Resist the urge and place a piece of aluminum foil over the meat for 5 minutes or so, then dig in and enjoy.^{[8]
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Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

What temperature should a steak be for medium rare?

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Community Answer

130-135 F is the temperature range for medium rare at which steaks are at their most tender, juicy, and flavorful.