Snake River Farms Steak Cooking Instructions for Ribeye

These Snake River Farms cooking instructions are for boneless ribeye steaks seared in a hot skillet, finished in the oven, and served with garlic-herb butter. The method builds a browned crust while giving you a dependable way to check doneness; use the cut and thickness specified here, since other steaks may need different cooking times.

Ingredients

2 boneless Snake River Farms ribeye steaks, about 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick and 12 ounces (340 g) each
1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral high-heat oil, such as avocado or canola oil
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves (6 g), lightly crushed
1 small rosemary sprig (about 2 g)
2 thyme sprigs (about 2 g)
¼ teaspoon (1 g) flaky salt, optional, for serving

Instructions

Thaw and prepare the steaks. Start with fully thawed steaks; if frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking rather than on the counter. Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Pat the steaks very dry with paper towels, including the edges, then season all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Drying the surface helps it brown instead of steaming. Gather the butter, garlic, and herbs before you begin searing.
Heat the pan. Set a heavy, oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. It should look glossy and shimmer, but it should not smoke heavily. If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the seared steaks to a small, preheated oven-safe pan for the oven step.
Sear the first side. Lay the steaks in the pan with space between them. If they touch or crowd the pan, cook them in batches so the surface stays hot. Leave them undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until a deep brown crust forms. Avoid pressing down on the meat; that does not improve browning and pushes out juices.
Turn and brown the edges. Turn each steak with tongs and sear the second side for about 2 minutes. Briefly hold the steaks on their fat edges, if they have a thick strip, to render and brown that area. Timing is a guide, not a doneness test: steak thickness, starting temperature, and pan heat all affect how quickly the center cooks.
Baste with butter and herbs. Reduce the burner to medium. Add the butter, crushed garlic, rosemary, and thyme. When the butter melts and foams, tilt the pan carefully and spoon the flavored butter over the steaks for about 1 minute. Keep the garlic moving and lower the heat if it begins to darken too quickly; burnt garlic tastes bitter.
Finish in the oven and check the temperature. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Begin checking after about 4 minutes, inserting an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the thickest part of each steak without touching the pan. Oven time can vary, so use the thermometer rather than relying on a clock or color. For the USDA FSIS safe minimum, cook whole cuts of beef to 145°F (63°C) and rest for at least 3 minutes.
Rest and serve. Move the steaks to a warm plate or board and rest for 5 minutes before cutting. This rest also exceeds the USDA FSIS minimum 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef. Spoon a little pan butter over each steak, add flaky salt if you like, and slice across the grain for serving. If the steaks are unusually thick or your thermometer has not reached the safe minimum, return them to the oven and check again in short intervals.

Tips

Thaw safely and plan ahead. A frozen steak usually needs roughly 24 hours or longer to thaw in the refrigerator, depending on its size and packaging. Keep it wrapped while thawing and place it on a rimmed plate to catch drips. The recipe’s 35-minute timing starts with thawed steaks; do not try to make up lost time by cooking a frozen center over very high heat, which can overbrown the outside before the middle is ready.
Use a thermometer, especially with premium beef. A color-based guess is unreliable, and the crust can be brown while the middle is still cooler than expected. Check each steak separately because two pieces in the same pan may differ in thickness. Insert the probe from the side for a thinner steak so the tip lands in the center. Clean the thermometer after use.
Choose oil and salt thoughtfully. Avocado or canola oil works well because it tolerates high heat. Olive oil can smoke sooner, especially in a very hot skillet. Kosher salt crystals vary by brand, so the listed gram amount is the more consistent guide; if using fine table salt, use a little less by volume to avoid an overly salty crust.
Adjust for the steak you actually have. This timing is written for thawed boneless ribeyes about 1¼ inches thick. A thinner steak may finish during stovetop cooking and need little or no oven time; a thicker one will need longer in the oven. If the product label gives cut-specific directions, use those as a starting point and confirm doneness with a thermometer.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the ribeye hot, either whole or sliced across the grain, with a spoonful of the garlic-herb butter from the pan. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette or simply dressed arugula balances the steak’s rich flavor. For a more substantial plate, add roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, or a baked potato, plus a green vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli, or green beans.

If you are serving several people, slice the steaks just before they reach the table and arrange the slices on a warm platter. Add the resting juices and a modest amount of pan butter rather than pouring every bit of fat over the meat. Set extra flaky salt and black pepper on the table so guests can season their portions as they prefer. A simple sauce, such as horseradish cream or chimichurri, can be served on the side without masking the steak.

Variations

Use a different steak cut: This recipe is tailored to ribeye, but the skillet-and-oven approach can also work for a thick strip steak or filet. Those cuts have different shapes and fat levels, so start checking the internal temperature earlier or later as needed. Thin steaks are usually better cooked entirely on the stovetop, while a particularly thick steak benefits from a slower oven finish.

Change the herbs: Replace rosemary and thyme with 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped parsley stirred into the butter after the pan comes out of the oven. Parsley gives a fresher, less woodsy finish. A small pinch of crushed red pepper can add gentle heat; avoid adding it early over high heat because it can scorch.

Make a simple pepper-butter finish: Omit the garlic and herbs, then stir ½ teaspoon (1 g) coarsely cracked black pepper into the melted butter. This gives a bolder pepper flavor without changing the searing method. For a dairy-free option, skip the butter and herbs and finish with a teaspoon of olive oil or another drizzle of neutral oil; the steak will lose the buttery richness but still brown well.

Cook on the grill instead: Pat dry and season the steaks as directed, then grill over direct, high heat, turning as needed to brown both sides. Move them to a cooler part of the grill if the exterior darkens before the center reaches the safe minimum. The skillet butter step will not transfer directly; melt the butter with garlic and herbs separately and spoon it over the rested steaks.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate cooked steak within 2 hours of cooking, in a shallow airtight container. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. For the best texture, store any pan butter separately if convenient, and slice only the amount you expect to serve; a whole leftover steak tends to stay juicier than slices. Discard steak that has been left at room temperature longer than 2 hours, or longer than 1 hour when the room is above 90°F (32°C).

To reheat without drying the meat out, place the steak in a covered oven-safe dish with a teaspoon of water or leftover pan butter. Warm it in a 250°F (121°C) oven until heated through, checking with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C). This higher leftover-reheating temperature can make steak more cooked than when it was first served, so use gentle heat and avoid repeated reheating. A microwave also works: use a lower power setting and short intervals, turning the pieces between intervals, then check the temperature.

You may freeze cooked steak in an airtight freezer-safe package for about 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw it in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and reheat it as described above. The texture may be less tender after freezing, particularly if the steak was sliced before freezing. Keep raw and cooked meat separate, and wash hands, boards, and utensils that have touched raw steak before using them for ready-to-eat food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to thaw Snake River Farms steak before cooking?

For this skillet-to-oven method, yes: thaw the steak completely in the refrigerator first. A partly frozen center makes timing less predictable and can leave the outside overdone before the center is ready. Allow about a day for many individually wrapped steaks, and more time for thicker or larger cuts. Keep the package on a plate while it thaws and cook soon after it is fully thawed.

How long should I cook a Snake River Farms ribeye?

For a boneless ribeye about 1¼ inches thick, expect roughly 4 minutes of total stovetop searing, about 1 minute of butter basting, and several minutes in a 400°F (204°C) oven. Begin checking the center after about 4 minutes in the oven. Exact time varies with thickness, pan, oven, and starting temperature, so the thermometer reading—not a fixed number of minutes—should guide the finish.

What temperature should the steak reach?

For whole cuts of beef, the USDA FSIS safe minimum is 145°F (63°C), followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes. This recipe rests the steaks for 5 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each steak. If you choose a lower temperature, understand that it is below the USDA FSIS safe minimum; the recipe’s safety guidance is to cook to 145°F (63°C).

Can I cook the steak from frozen?

It is possible to cook some steaks from frozen using a method designed for that purpose, but this recipe is not written for frozen meat. Its searing and oven timings assume thawed steaks, and the butter-basting step is easier to control when the surface is dry. Thawing in the refrigerator gives more even results and makes it easier to check the center accurately.

Can I use a regular skillet instead of cast iron?

Yes. A heavy stainless-steel skillet works well, as long as it is oven-safe for the finishing step. If your pan has a plastic handle or cannot go into the oven, sear the steaks in it and transfer them to a preheated oven-safe dish before finishing. Avoid a thin pan that loses heat quickly when the cold steaks go in; cook in batches if necessary.

Why is my steak gray instead of deeply browned?

The most common causes are a damp steak, a pan that was not hot enough, or too many steaks crowded together. Pat the meat very dry and let the pan heat before adding oil. Leave space around each piece so moisture can escape. If the steaks release liquid, keep cooking until it evaporates and the surface can brown, rather than repeatedly moving or pressing the meat.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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