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The Perfect Medium Steak Recipe

Learn how to cook the perfect MEDIUM steak with this easy recipe tutorial! It can be a challenge to cook your steak just right so we made this cast iron skillet steak recipe that will teach you exactly how to cooking steak in cast iron to your desired temperature.

The Perfect Medium Steak Recipe
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Servings2, 2 servings
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Byadminz
May 30, 2026

The Perfect Medium Steak Temps, Cook Times, and Recipe

Steakhouse quality is yours at home any time you want it with this medium steak recipe. Medium steak temp is one of the most popular levels of doneness for a steak. It’s a little pink and juicy yet not done all the way, giving you the best of both worlds.

How to cook medium well steak

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Best Medium Steak Recipe

My family loves it when I make their steaks medium. They come out just right and if you blindfolded us, we’d never believe we were eating steaks cooked at home. This is how you make steak if you want it to taste like those big steakhouses do it!

Easy Pan Seared Steak Recipe

This luxurious meal is as easy as it gets to perfectly achieve the temperature for medium steak. Some people find steak hard to do with overcooking but with this medium steak recipe, you’ll hit the perfect medium steak temp every time.

medium steak ingredientsmedium steak ingredients

Medium Steak Dinner Ingredients

Easy pan seared medium steak recipeEasy pan seared medium steak recipe

How do you Cook Pan Seared Steak Medium Temp?

Expert Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Steak Every Time

How to cook medium steak in a panHow to cook medium steak in a pan

What temp is medium?

For medium steaks, the ideal internal temperature is 135F.

How long do I cook a steak for medium?

A medium steak will take 4 minutes per side when you’re cooking it on the stovetop. Don’t forget to take a minute to sear the fatty sides too.

How do you cook a 1 inch steak medium?

Just follow this recipe and you’ll have a step-by-step process to get medium steaks. A cast iron skillet works best, heated to medium high. Cooking the steaks for 4 minutes on each side will get them to the desired internal temp of 135F.

How long do you cook a 1-inch thick steak to medium?

The total cook time for a medium steak at 1-inch thickness will take about 8 minutes.

How do you grill a 1-inch steak to medium temp?

On your grill, you will need to cook the first side for 7 minutes and 3 minutes on the second side since it will cook faster on the second side while on the grill.

Pan seared steak medium tempPan seared steak medium temp

How to Cook Medium Steak in a Pan?

When you cook a steak to medium, the pan needs to be hot. Once it’s hot, you can cook the steaks on each side for 3 or 4 minutes.

How long does it take to cook a steak medium in a pan?

In a pan, you should spend a total of 8 minutes cooking your steak to medium temperature.

How to Cook Medium Steak in the Oven?

If you’d rather cook your med steak in the oven, set the temperature to 450F. You’ll start on the stove to sear, then move your cast iron skillet to the oven. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then remove from the oven. They will be ready when they’re 135F internally.

How to cook steak in oven to medium?

At 450F, you will preheat your oven while searing the steaks briefly on the stove in a cast iron skillet. Move the skillet to the oven and cook each side 3 to 4 minutes before removing to let rest.

How long to cook steak for medium temperatureHow long to cook steak for medium temperature

What goes well with Steak?

Think of all the sides you love from your favorite steakhouse and you can’t go wrong. Loaded baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, fresh Caesar salad, sauteed spinach or asparagus, creamed spinach, garlic mushrooms, corn on the cob, and dinner rolls are just some ideas.

How to cook steak in a panHow to cook steak in a pan

How to Store Steak?

Steak must be kept in the refrigerator. Wait until it cools before wrapping and storing.

How Long Does Steak Last?

Steak is best in the moment though you can enjoy the leftovers from your fridge over the next 3 to 5 days.

Can You Freeze Steak?

Steaks are also safe in the freezer. You can get as much as 6 months out of them, though it’s best to eat them sooner than that, ideally no more than 4 months.

How to Reheat Steak Without Overcooking It?

Go low and slow in your oven. At 275F, that’s a good temperature. You can put a baking sheet with a wire rack on top of it and set the steak on there. It should take 25 minutes to heat up, where it arrives at 110F on the inside.

Medium steak tempMedium steak temp

Looking for instructions for different internal steak temperatures? See below for a list of steak temps:

How long to cook steak for medium rareHow long to cook steak for medium rare

See below for the steak cooking chart of different meat temperatures. Cook your steak according to the times below to reach your desired steak cooking temp whether its the standard medium steak internal temp or my personal favorite of medium rare. Steak cooking times will vary depending on your method of cooking at your desired temperature.

Steak Cooking Chart

~Perfect Steak Temperature Chart~

Internal TemperatureCenter Color
Internal Temp
Rare SteakCool red center125°F / 51.6°C
Medium Rare SteakPinkish-red center135°F / 57.2°C
Medium SteakPink center145°F / 63°C
Medium Well SteakBarely pink150°F / 65.5°C
Well SteakBrown color throughout160°F / 71.1°C

Watch How To Cook Steak Medium (Video)

Watch recipe video

Instructions

1

Pat each steak dry with paper towels and liberally season each side of the steak with salt and pepper, or to taste.

Pat each steak dry with paper towels and liberally season each side of the steak with salt and pepper, or to taste.

2

In a cast iron skillet, heat ½ to 1tbsp of vegetable oil on medium high heat, ensuring it coats the entire pan. Once the oil is hot, transfer your steaks to the skillet .Sear the steaks on each side for about 3-4 minutes each, or until a brown crust has formed. Use tongs to render the white fat along the sides of the steak and sear the edges, for about 1-2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat from medium-high to medium and add in the butter, garlic, and herbs. Continuously spoon the butter sauce over the steaks. Continue to baste the steaks until they are about 10 degrees away from your desired temperature (they will continue to cook while they rest). For medium steak, the correct temperature is 145°F. So you can remove the steak when it reaches about 135°F and let it rest.

In a cast iron skillet, heat ½ to 1tbsp of vegetable oil on medium high heat, ensuring it coats the entire pan. Once the oil is hot, transfer your steaks to the skillet .Sear the steaks on each side for about 3-4 minutes each, or until a brown crust has formed. Use tongs to render the white fat along the sides of the steak and sear the edges, for about 1-2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat from medium-high to medium and add in the butter, garlic, and herbs. Continuously spoon the butter sauce over the steaks. Continue to baste the steaks until they are about 10 degrees away from your desired temperature (they will continue to cook while they rest). For medium steak, the correct temperature is 145°F. So you can remove the steak when it reaches about 135°F and let it rest.

3

Once the steaks have reached their desired temperature, transfer them to a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Allow the steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the steak into ½ to 1 inch thick strips to serve. Serve with extra butter sauce.

Once the steaks have reached their desired temperature, transfer them to a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Allow the steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the steak into ½ to 1 inch thick strips to serve. Serve with extra butter sauce.

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