Grilling Times For Steaks

Whether you’re using a gas grill, a charcoal grill, or a smoker, here are some general rules for grilling times for steak:

•If you’d like your steaks to be cooked rare or medium-rare, cook them on high heat, searing the outside, while leaving the inside rare.

•If you’d like your steaks to be cooked medium or well-done, cook them on medium heat for a longer period of time, so that the meat can get more thoroughly cooked on the inside.

•Always place the steaks on a hot grill.

•After you’ve put the steak on the grill, as soon as you see the steaks “bleeding through,” (small drops of blood surfacing), turn the steaks over and put a meat thermometer into the middle of the steak. At this point, the reading should be around 110 degrees. Keep checking the steak until the temperature reaches the level you need for desired doneness (see list of temperatures below).

•Never cut into a steak to test for how well it’s cooked, or you’ll lose its most flavorful juices. Instead, use the meat thermometer.

Temperatures For Grilling The Perfect Steak:

Rare: 140 degrees

Medium Rare: 150 degrees

Medium: 160 degrees

Medium Well: 165 degrees

Well: Above 165 degrees

Note: Steaks will continue to cook after they’ve come off the grill, so add another 5 degrees into your calculations when you’re testing for doneness.

Grilling Times For Steak

Grilling times for steaks will vary (for the most accurate approach, use a meat thermometer and follow the temperature guidelines above), but in general, here are steak grilling times:

Rare Steak

8-10 minutes for 1 inch thick steak

10-14 minutes for 1.5 inch thick steak

12-16 minutes for 2 inch thick steak

Medium Steak

12-14 minutes for 1 inch thick steak

16-20 minutes for 1.5 inch thick steak

18-22 minutes for 2 inch thick steak

Well-Done Steak

16-20 minutes for 1 inch thick steak

22-26 minutes for 1.5 inch thick steak

24-28 minutes for 2 inch thick steak