How to Sous Vide Steak

Cooking steak using the sous vide method results in perfectly tender, juicy steak every single time! Finish off your Sous Vide Steak by searing them in a hot skillet and top them with compound butter for a truly decadent, restaurant-worthy dining experience. If you’ve never made sous vide steaks before, don’t worry – I’m sharing all my best tips and tricks in this post!

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Making Sous Vide Steaks

If you struggle to cook steak to your liking and often wind up with steak that’s either too red inside or is tough and chewy from being overcooked, it sounds like you need to change the way you cook steak!

Enter: the sous vide method.

What is sous vide? In short, sous vide is a cooking method that uses a tool called an immersion circulator. The immersion circulator creates a water bath that remains at the exact temperature you set it at.

The steak isn’t plonked directly into the water bath, though! It’s first sealed in a vacuum seal bag before being lowered into the water bath.

Sous vide steak is cooked low and slow, resulting in ultra tender steak every time — no matter the cut or size of the meat.

The sous vide method also requires zero babysitting on your part, which is ideal for busy home cooks!

In this post, I’ll explain how to sous vide steak, the exact timing and temperatures for cooking steak to your preferred level of doneness, and more!

Tools Needed to Sous Vide Steak

Although this is a straightforward sous vide recipe, it does require some very specific kitchen tools.

• Sous Vide — AKA the immersion circulator you’ll need to control the temperature of the water bath.
• Sous Vide Container — This is what holds the water bath and the steaks.
• Sous Vide Bags — These are the vacuum seal bags you’ll use for cooking the steaks.
• Zip-Top Freezer Bags — If you don’t want to invest in vacuum seal bags, you can use regular zip-top freezer bags for this recipe.
• Clips — To clip the bags shut. This provides extra insurance that no water enters the zip-top bags!
• Cast Iron Pan or Grill Pan — For searing the steaks after they are cooked in the sous vide.
• Tongs or Metal Spatula — For handling the cooked steaks.
• Meat Thermometer — To test the doneness of the steaks.

Sous Vide Steak Ingredients

In this post, I’m focusing on the steak sous vide cooking method more than the marinades or seasonings you could use to flavor the steaks. As such, my recipe uses only the following ingredients:

• Steak
• Salt
• Pepper

Can I Add Other Seasonings to This Sous Vide Steak Recipe?

Of course! You can flavor the steaks using any marinade and / or seasonings you wish.

Flavor the sous vide steaks with one or more of the following:

• Herbs (fresh or dried)
• Butter
• Garlic
• Dry rubs (southwestern rub, Greek rub, bbq rub)
• Steak seasoning
• Garlic herb salt

We love to add some fresh garlic and fresh rosemary to our sous vide steaks!

What’s the Best Steak to Sous Vide?

I recommend using filet mignon or sirloin steak for this sous vide recipe.

Sous vide filet mignon will be melt-in-your-mouth tender, but is also a more expensive cut of beef. Sous vide sirloin steak will be slightly chewier (although still very tender!) and it’s recommended that you marinate it prior to cooking.

Try to purchase steaks that are 1.5 to 2 inches thick for best results.

How to Sous Vide Steaks

Cooking steak using the sous vide method sounds complicated, but it’s actually so easy! Essentially, you’re just preparing a water bath and cooking steaks in vacuum sealed bags for a set amount of time.

I’ve provided exact steak sous vide temperatures and cook times in the sections below.

Here’s an overview of how to sous vide steak at home:

1. Fill the sous vide container with cool tap water. Place the sous vide circulator in the water, setting up according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Set the water temperature to the final temperature you want your steak to be (see the temperature chart provided below).
3. While the water bath preheats, season the steaks as desired.
4. Transfer the steaks to the sous vide bags (use one steak per bag).
5. If using aromatics like fresh herbs, add them to the bags at this point.
6. Seal the bags. You can do this using a vacuum sealer, or if you’re using zip-top bags simply lower the steak into the water bath to push the air to the top of the bag. Squeeze the bag to remove as much air as possible before sealing shut. (I also clip the top shut using bag clips to be extra safe!)
7. Place the sealed bags into the water bath. You’ll know the steak has been properly sealed if it sinks to the bottom of the sous vide container.
8. Cook the steaks for 3 hours (if using filet mignon or sirloin steak as recommended).
9. Once finished cooking, remove the steaks from the water bath and take out of bags. Pat dry using a clean paper towel.
10. Either enjoy the steaks as is, or finish them off by searing them in a hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop (instructions provided below).

The above is simply a quick summary of this steak sous vide recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

What’s the Best Temperature to Sous Vide Steak?

When making steak sous vide-style, you need to set the temperature of the water bath to ensure the steak reaches your desired level of doneness. The cooking time matters far less (although naturally it’s still important!).

Here are the sous vide steak temperatures you need to know:

• For rare steak: 120ºF
• For medium rare steak: 129ºF
• For medium steak: 135ºF
• For medium well steak: 145ºF
• For well done steak: 156ºF

Note that the internal temperature of the steak will rise a bit during the searing process.

We like to set the sous vide to the temperature that meat would measure internally for just a tad higher than rare, and then sear the steak to bring it up to medium rare.

How Long to Sous Vide Steak

If making sous vide filet mignon or sous vide sirloin steak (recommended), you’ll need to cook them at your desired temperature for 3 hours.

What’s the Best Way to Sear Steak After Sous Vide?

I prefer searing steaks in a hot cast iron skillet or cast iron grill pan. You can also use a preheated grill, but a cast iron skillet is so much easier in my opinion!

Here’s how to sear steaks after being cooked in the sous vide:

1. Place a cast iron skillet or cast iron grill pan in the oven.
2. Heat the oven to 500ºF with the cast iron skillet inside.
3. Once the oven has preheated and the skillet is piping hot, transfer it to the stove over high heat.
4. Add a tablespoon or so of ghee (or clarified butter) to the skillet.
5. Sear the steaks on both sides and around the edges until done to your liking.
6. Immediately serve and enjoy!

How to Serve a Sous Vide Steak

No steak is complete with a pat of compound butter on top! Compound butter is simply butter that’s been flavored with your choice of herbs, spices, and mix-ins.

My cilantro lime butter or this herb gremolata would also pair nicely with this sous vide steak.

Tips for the Best Sous Vide Steaks

• Choose steaks of even thickness. You can use any cut of steak you’d like for this sous vide steak recipe, but to ensure the cook time and temperature are the same for however many steaks you’re cooking they must be the same thickness!
• Set the temperature of the water bath according to how done you like your steaks. The cook time for the steaks doesn’t matter as much as the temperature of the water bath. The temperature you set the water bath to will determine how done your steaks will be (rare, medium rare, etc.).
• Remove as much air as possible from the bags. You’ll know the bags are properly sealed and that all air has been removed if they sink to the bottom of the sous vide container. If they float, there’s too much air in them!
• Pat steaks dry before searing. If you don’t pat the steaks dry after being cooked in the sous vide, steam will form when the meat hits the hot skillet. That will prevent a gorgeous crust from forming around the steak and you won’t get that lovely sear.
• Don’t flip steaks too often when searing. You’ll know the steaks are ready to be flipped when they release easily from the skillet. If you flip them too soon or too often, they’ll never sear properly.
• Enjoy steaks immediately. Unlike grilled steaks, sous vide steaks are cooked to an even temperature throughout and do not need to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before being sliced and enjoyed.

FAQs About This Sous Vide Steak Recipe

What is the best way to package steaks for sous vide?

We prefer to vacuum seal our steaks when cooking them in the sous vide. I like to be 100% sure that no air remains in the bags so that the steaks cook evenly in the water bath.

Can I put more than one steak in a bag?

No, you can only use one steak per bag. If you stack more than one steak into each bag, they’ll cook unevenly. You each steak to be fully immersed in the water bath, on all sides.

Can I make sous vide steaks without a vacuum sealer?

Yes, you can also cook the steaks in food- and heat-safe plastic bags using the water displacement method.

After adding the steaks to the bags, gently lower them into the water bath. The hot water will push the air up and out of the bags, letting you seal them with as little air remaining in them as possible.

Can you overcook steak in a sous vide?

Yes and no. Because the steak is sealed in a vacuum-sealed bag, it won’t lose any moisture and dry out.

However, you have to remember that steak cooking in a water bath still experiences the same breakdown of enzymes that steak cooked in an oven or over a grill does.

As such, you need to adhere to the cook times I’ve provided in the recipe card below.

If you cook the steak for longer than instructed, it will become far too tender — to the point where it ceases to be chewy like steak and will turn into more of a pulled beef of sorts.

Can you undercook steaks in a sous vide?

If you don’t allow the steaks enough time to sit in the water bath and come up to the cooking temperature, then yes, they will be undercooked.

Do you have to sear a steak after sous vide?

No, you don’t have to! However, we love the flavor of a seared steak and always sear ours.

Steaks eaten directly from the sous vide water bath are perfectly safe to eat, though they don’t look as good without a nice sear on them.

Do you rest the steaks before searing?

No, because the steaks are cooked to an even temperature throughout, there’s no need to rest them before searing.

I do recommend resting them for a few minutes before serving them after the searing is done.

Can you sous vide frozen steak?

Yes, you actually can cook a frozen steak sous vide! You’ll likely need to add 1 hour to the total cook time, however.

I have done this tons of times when I’ve forgotten to thaw the meat in advance, or the meat isn’t quite thawed.

How long will sous vide steaks last in the fridge?

So long as you don’t open the vacuum sealed bag containing the cooked steak, it can be refrigerated for up to 10 days before reheating at the same sous vide temperature and searing.

What to Serve with Sous Vide Steaks

Since the steaks have to cook low and slow in a sous vide machine, you have plenty of time to prepare a side dish or two to create an unforgettable steak dinner! Here are some side dishes that pair well with steak:

• Grilled artichokes with lemon
• Blue cheese mashed potatoes
• Butternut squash salad
• Bacon and balsamic Brussels sprouts
• Bacon and mushroom green beans
• Asparagus risotto
• Butternut squash risotto
• Smashed potatoes
• Rosemary garlic potato wedges

Try this Sous Vide Steak Recipe!

Next time you’re looking for an easy steak recipe, give this sous vide method a try!

Did you make sous vide steaks? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of sous vide steaks!

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