How To Reheat Steak: Guide For A Simple And Stress-Free Method

Let’s talk about steak, people!

Let me share a quick 101 steak guide with you. What makes a good steak so special? A good steak is all about the marbled pattern that is created from the intramuscular fat inherent in the meat. So, when you are out buying a good quality steak, always look for the piece with higher marbling – the fattier it is, the more flavorful it is. All the flavor is in the fat, don’t forget that.

There are so many cuts of beef that are considered steak, and I decided to only mention those that are the most common cuts of meat; T-bone, porterhouse steak, top loin, tenderloin, sirloin, ribeye, and prime rib.

How To Reheat Steak?

So, you bought enough steaks to feed an entire neighborhood and decided to host a steak night at your house. You invited all your friends and family but somehow you still managed to have some leftovers. That shouldn’t be a problem – just transform last night’s dinner into today’s lunch.

You are tired of using your leftover steak in a salad, pasta, sandwich, or stir fry? Yes, reheating a steak can go very wrong I know.

You invested so much time and love in them last night and you just don’t want to see them go dry and tasteless. That’s why I’m here to share some secrets with you and teach you how to reheat steak so it stays juicy and tender.

5 simple tricks to reheat your steaks

There are five different methods to reheat your leftover steaks:

Reheat Steak In The Oven, Then Sear Steak In The Skillet
Reheat Steak Using Sous-Vide Method
Reheat Steak In The Oven
Reheat Steak In The Microwave
Reheat Steak By Using Beef Broth

Let’s get into detailed instructions!

You May Need: Most Recommended Steak Knives

1. Reheating Steak In The Oven, And Searing It In The Skillet

If you like steak that is juicy and bursting with flavor, this one is your choice. But always make sure you have some extra time on your hands cause this one takes longer than any other method.

Many experts will tell you that the oven method is the perfect way to reheat ribeye steak. It’s pretty simple and straightforward so it shouldn’t be hard for you to learn it.

Here’s how to reheat steak in the oven in five easy steps:

Preheat the oven to 250°F (121°C).
Place your leftover steaks on a wire rack and set them over a rimmed baking sheet. Then place your baking sheet on the oven’s middle rack.
Cook the steaks until their internal temperature reaches somewhere between 100°F (38°C) to 110°F (43°C). Usually, this takes approximately 30 minutes for 1 3/4 inch (3.8 cm) steak. If your steak is thicker than this you will need more time. To be sure your steaks are at the recommended temperature use the instant-read meat thermometer. When they have reached this temperature remove them from the oven.
Heat up a skillet with one tablespoon of vegetable oil at a high temperature until it begins to smoke. While you wait for your skillet to heat up, use some paper towels to pat the steaks dry. When your oil starts to smoke it’s time to place your steaks into the skillet. But be very careful! Leave your steaks to sear on each side until browned for about 60 to 90 seconds, this will make them crisp.
Remove them from the skillet and let them rest for about five minutes. After this, they should be medium-rare at the center. You can test them again with an instant-read meat thermometer. The preferred temperature should be somewhere around 130°F (55°C).

2. How To Reheat Steak Using Sous-Vide Method

Do you still crave that tender and melting steak from last night? This is the right place to learn how to do that. Sous-vide is a French expression for cooking in a vacuum bag. This method is a great way to reheat tender cuts of steak, like filet mignon.

Your steak will be placed inside of the heat-resistant bag, vacuum-sealed, and placed in water for a few minutes or maybe even a few hours. Steak reheated like this will retain moisture and the meat will warm up evenly. Just follow these seven basic steps and you will have your filet mignon back to its tender glory:

Remove the steaks from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature. The meat will need around 30 minutes to warm up.
Find the plastic bags made for steaming.
You will need a pot that is large enough to hold the steaks and the bags without touching the sides. Fill it with water and let the water heat, but don’t allow it to boil. The recommended temperature for meat is around 140°F (60°C).
Place your steak in the plastic bags and make sure you removed all the air before you seal each bag. If you want, you can even buy the sous-vide machine to remove the air and make this process so much easier.
Immerse your plastic bag into the warmed pot. Always make sure that the bag doesn’t touch the edges while the steak is reheating or it won’t warm up evenly. If you must, you can always use a pair of tongs to hold the bag away from the edges of the pot. Depending on the thickness of your steaks this will take somewhere between five and eight minutes.
Once your steaks reached the water temperature, they won’t heat anymore, so you can leave your steaks in the warm water until it’s time to serve.
Preheat the skillet with a small amount of butter or oil. Quickly sear the steak on each side so you get that perfect charred look, and your leftover steak is ready to be served.

3. How To Reheat Steaks In The Oven

This method is very much alike to the first one from this list. But the main difference is that after you reheat your steak in the oven, you don’t sear your steak in the skillet. So, let’s just quickly repeat the steps.

Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C).
Put your steaks on top of the wire rack. Get your baking tray and wire rack and set them in the middle of the oven. Using the wire rack, you allow your steak to warm up evenly on each side.
Leave your steaks in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. Check up on them regularly – this way you will be sure they didn’t overcook or dry out. They should reach the recommended internal temperature of 100°F (38°C) to 110°F (43°C) before you remove them from the oven. Let your steaks rest a few minutes before serving them.

4. Reheat Steak In The Microwave

Reheating food in the microwave is the most common way to do it. Sadly, it is not the ideal choice for your leftover steak. The only way when you can allow yourself to reheat it in the microwave is when you don’t have time to do it any other way.

Make sure you save all those juices from the cooking because they will be your key ingredient in reheating your steak in a microwave. Just store the juices properly in an airtight container or a bag.

Place the cold steak in the microwave-safe dish and cover it with the juices that you saved last night after cooking your steaks. If by any chance you didn’t save them you can always use gravy or any other steak sauce of your choice.
Always cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap to keep the moisture in the steaks.
Microwave the steak on low or medium power for 30 seconds at a time. Repeat this process until your steak reach the recommended internal temperature of 100°F (38°C) to 110°F (43°C). You must constantly watch and keep checking the temperature or you risk drying out your stake and losing all the moisture.

5. How To Reheat Steak By Using Beef Broth

The most simple way to reheat your steak is by using beef broth. The only things you need are a non-stick skillet, some beef broth, and your leftover steaks.

Place your skillet on the stove and add some beef broth. Leave the broth to heat until you see it slowly starting to simmer.
Add steaks into the skillet and let them cook for about a minute or two. The main secret is that the broth gives the steak some extra moisture, so you can be sure your steak won’t go dry or taste rubbery.

What Is The Best Method To Reheat Your Steak?

So let’s summarize!

Some methods are faster than others, and some may sound too complicated, but they all have their pros and cons. All the methods I described to you in this article are a great way to reheat your steak. But of course, there is always the one that is crowned with the title of the best.

And the winner for me is using the oven then the skillet method. This way you heat up the steak very slowly and preserve all the moisture and flavors. Plus with searing the steak for a minute or two you get those crispy edges that we all love.

Final Thoughts

Please be mindful that various types of meat require different storage procedures. Your grilled steak may be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days without any issues. Reheating your steak more than once exposes you to the chance of contracting some of that difficult-to-treat foodborne disease.

The next time you have steak leftovers, I hope this easy advice and recommendations will be useful. Be bold, take a chance, and try. If you try again after failing the first time, you will succeed this time, I promise.:)