How to Sous Vide Ribeye

Ribeye is easily one of the most beloved types of steak, and it’s easy to find a way to cook it that yields tons of flavor every time. The sous vide method isn’t one of the most common to use for home cooks, but it’s definitely one you should try, especially if you like saving some time and hassle in the kitchen.

Sous vide ribeye cooks in a precision cooker for a couple of hours. Then, you take a few minutes to sear it in a pan before enjoying it at your table. Learn how to sous vide ribeye like the professionals do.

Why Sous Vide Your Ribeye?

Sous vide gives you incredible control over the final result of your ribeye, making it one of the most reliable ways to lock in tenderness and flavor. It involves cooking your steak slowly in a precisely heated water bath, which results in thorough doneness that’s more difficult to get with traditional methods. There’s no guesswork, no overcooking, and no stress. Just set it, walk away, and come back later to a perfectly cooked ribeye.

Ribeye Sous Vide Tips

Before jumping into sous vide cooking, consider the following tips to cook your ribeye.

Choosing the Right Cut

Sous vide can really bring out the best in your ribeye. Still, it’s important to choose a quality cut from the beginning to ensure you get the final results you want. 

For the best sous vide experience, go with a thick-cut, well-marbled ribeye, ideally at least 1¼ inches thick. Look for steaks with a good distribution of intramuscular fat (that’s the marbling) and a deep red color. Bone-in or boneless both work, but boneless ribeyes tend to cook a little more evenly in the water bath. 

Also, opt for dry-aged ribeye when possible. Dry aging allows ribeye to age for as long as six weeks. The aging process improves the texture and flavor of the steak, giving you the absolute highest quality steaks you can buy.

Use Aromatics

Aromatics are herbs that can enhance the flavor of your ribeye during the sous vide process. We love fresh aromatics, like rosemary and thyme, with flavors that complement the beefiness of steak. Add a sprig or two of your chosen herb to the bag with a piece of steak before sealing the bag and placing it in the precision cooker. The steak will soak up some of that flavor during the cooking process.

Don’t Cook for Too Long

There are no hard and fast rules on how long to cook sous vide ribeye. The beauty of this cooking method is that you’re cooking the steak in moisture on an even cooking temperature, so it’s much less likely to dry out or become tough. However, there’s somewhat of a sweet spot for sous vide ribeye. We suggest cooking the steak for no longer than two hours for medium-rare to avoid overcooking it or having it lose its signature chew. You can go closer to three or four hours if you’d like a higher doneness level.

Sear It After

This is completely optional, but consider searing your ribeye steak after cooking it with the sous vide method. Searing crisps up the outer edges to enhance the overall texture and flavor of the meat. Remember to rest your ribeye steak for 5-10 minutes after searing.

Preparation for Sous Vide Ribeye

Before you cook sous vide ribeye, gather what you’ll need:

• Ribeye steaks
• Salt and pepper
• Precision cooker
• Vacuum-sealing bags or sealable food storage bags (1 per steak)
• Fresh aromatics, like thyme or rosemary
• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• Cast-iron skillet
• Clean plate or cutting board for resting

Start by adding salt and pepper to both sides of the steak as you preheat the precision cooker. Then, prepare the bags by adding one steak and one or two sprigs of aromatics to each bag before sealing them.

Cooking Time

In most cases, you can cook a ribeye steak to medium-rare using sous vide in about two hours. For medium or higher doneness levels, you may need 2-3 hours. 

Final Temperature

Knowing the final temperature your steak should reach is super important for sous vide cooking, which relies on setting the water to the proper temperature to achieve your level of doneness. Here are the temperatures to follow when cooking ribeye sous vide.

Steak Doneness	Cook Temperature	Final Temperature
Medium-rare	130°F	130°F-135°F
Medium	140°F	140°F-145°F
Medium-well	150°F	150°F-155°F
Well-done	160°F	160°F-165°F

Cooking to Medium Rare

Set the precision cooker to 130 degrees for medium-rare ribeye. Add the steak and aromatics to a sealable bag. Seal it and place it carefully into the preheated cooker. Cook for up to two hours. Remove steak from the bag and pat completely dry. Preheat a cast-iron skillet with olive oil or butter, and sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side. Then, rest at room temperature on a foil-tented plate for 5-10 minutes.

How to Cook a Ribeye Sous Vide: Step by Step

Sous vide is a cooking method that might seem a little confusing at first, but we promise that it’s easy to pick up once you get a feel for your precision cooker. Follow these steps to learn how to sous vide ribeye. 

Step 1: Preheat Precision Cooker

Use the chart above to determine the temperature to set your water bath to based on your desired level of doneness. For example, set the cooker to 130°F for medium-rare. Let the water come all the way up to the appropriate temperature before adding your steaks to make sure the timing stays consistent.

Step 2: Season the Steak

As the precision cooker heats, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks, being sure also to cover the edges. Ribeye can handle bolder flavors, so feel free to add garlic powder, paprika, or your favorite steak rub if you want to build a more flavorful crust. Just avoid adding too much salt if you’re using a salted rub since sous vide can intensify seasoning over time.

Step 3: Add Aromatics

Slide each seasoned ribeye into its own vacuum-sealable or heavy-duty zip-top bag. Add in a sprig of rosemary or thyme, a clove of lightly crushed garlic, and a small knob of butter. These additions lend a subtle boost of aroma and richness as the steak gently cooks in the water bath.

Step 4: Seal Bag

Use a vacuum sealer to remove the air and lock everything in tight. If you use a zip-top bag, leave the bag open as you slowly lower it into the water. Once the air naturally moves out of the bag, zip it closed. 

Step 5: Cook the Steak

Lower the bagged steaks into the water bath carefully, ensuring that they’re fully submerged. Cook for 2-4 hours, depending on your desired doneness level. For medium-rare, we recommend no more than 2 ½ hours.

Step 6: Remove Steak From the Bag

Once the ribeyes are done cooking, carefully lift the bags out of the water and open them up (watch for steam!). Use tongs to transfer each steak to a cutting board or plate lined with paper towels. Discard the aromatics, then gently pat the steaks dry on all sides.

What is the Best Way to Sear Ribeye After Sous Vide?

You don’t have to sear ribeye at all after you sous vide it, but we highly recommend it. If you do, you can use the grill or stovetop. The grill gives an excellent char to your ribeye, but if you’re not a fan of that smokier flavor, opt for a pan on the stove instead. We’ll explain how to do both below. 

Finishing a Sous Vide Steak on the Grill

Pick up where you left off to sear your ribeye steak on the grill using the steps below. 

Step 7: Light the Grill

Make sure the grill grates are clean and well-oiled to keep the ribeye from sticking to them. Then, preheat the grill to about 500 degrees, leaving the grill lid closed as it preheats. If using charcoal, try to stack the charcoal briquettes into a mound so you can get lots of concentrated heat for searing. 

Step 8: Sear the Steak

Add the steaks to the hottest part of the grill, and sear them for 60-90 seconds on each side. Then flip to the other side. Both sides should develop a crisp, brown crust. If you have thicker steaks, use a long pair of grill-safe tongs to stand the steaks on their sides, holding them there for about 60 seconds per side to help all edges sear.

Step 9: Serve

Use tongs to move the steaks to a clean plate tented with foil. Rest the steaks at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Finishing a Sous Vide Steak on the Stovetop

Follow these steps if you prefer to sear your sous vide ribeye steak on the stove.

Step 7: Preheat a Cast Iron or Stainless Steel Skillet

Preheat a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat for several minutes until it starts to lightly smoke. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Let preheat for another 1-2 minutes until the oil is hot. 

Step 8: Start Searing

Remove the steaks from their bags and pat them dry with a paper towel. Transfer the steaks to the preheated skillet to begin searing.

Step 9: Add Aromatics

Optionally, you can add a pat of butter and some freshly chopped garlic to the pan at this point. As the steak sears, spoon the butter and garlic over the top of the ribeye consistently. This process keeps the top warm and helps the steak develop a golden-brown crust. 

Step 10: Flip and Repeat

Turn the ribeye once the underside has developed a deep golden-brown crust (usually about 2-3 minutes). Let the second side cook undisturbed without pressing or poking it. The second side will usually take a little less time than the first. 

Step 10a: Torch if Desired

Want a little extra char? Use a kitchen torch after searing. It’s a great way to catch any light spots that missed the pan’s hottest zones, and it adds a smoky finish without overcooking the inside. Just wave the flame back and forth, slow and steady. The steak should only need a few seconds with the torch.

Step 11: Get the Edges

Using tongs, stand the ribeye on its side to help brown up the edges. Sear each edge for 30-60 seconds, then turn the steak to another edge to do the same until all edges are brown.

Step 12: Rest and Re-Crisp

Transfer the ribeyes to a clean plate and loosely cover them with foil. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute throughout the meat, keeping each bite tender and juicy. If the crust softens while resting, you can pop the steaks back into the hot skillet for a quick re-sear, about 10-15 seconds per side, to make it crispier. Slice or serve whole while still hot.

Sous Vide Ribeye Recipe

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 ½ hours

Ingredients:

• 2 ribeye steaks
• Salt and pepper
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the precision cooker using the temperature chart above for your level of doneness. Add salt and pepper to both sides of the ribeye. 
2. Place one steak in each vacuum-sealable bag along with a sprig of thyme. Seal the bags and place them carefully into the water bath once it’s reached the right temperature. Cook for 2 hours.
3. Remove steaks from their bags and pat them dry on both sides. Preheat a cast-iron skillet with oil. Sear steaks on each side for 2-3 minutes.
4. Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Conclusion: How to Sous Vide Ribeye Steak

Sous vide might not be the first method that comes to mind for cooking ribeye, but once you try it, it’s hard to go back. This low-and-slow approach delivers unbeatable consistency, locking in moisture and tenderness while giving you the freedom to finish your steak exactly how you like it — grilled, pan-seared, or even with a torched finish. 

Looking for premium ribeye that’s made for sous vide? Try USDA Prime dry-aged ribeye from the Chicago Steak Company.