NY Strip Steak: sear + oven at 425°F for about 6 min (after sear). Internal temp: 130°F rare · 135°F med-rare · 145°F medium.
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Safe Internal Temp
130°F rare · 135°F med-rare · 145°F medium
Cooking Methods
↕ Slide the temperature to see how cook times change
your temp
425°F
cook time
~6min (after sear)
Low & slow 400°450° Hot & fast
✎ Sear 2–3 min/side, then oven to finish.
High3–4 min/side
Burner Guide: You're going to want your pan screaming hot — the pan should be lightly smoking before the steak goes in. Use a high-smoke-point oil like avocado oil for the initial sear, not olive oil or butter. Don't move the steak for the first 3 minutes, it'll release naturally when the crust forms. Flip once, then drop to medium heat and add butter, garlic, and thyme (or any hard herbs you like) for the last 1–2 minutes only. To baste, tilt the pan and continuously spoon butter across the full surface of the steak. Adding the butter too early means burnt milk solids and a bitter taste instead of that nutty, browned-butter flavor you're after.
✎ Butter, thyme, garlic baste last 2 min.
Doneness Chart
Doneness
Target
Pull Temp
What to Expect
Rare
125°F
120°F
Cool, deep red center that's almost glossy. The steak feels like the fleshy part of your palm below your thumb — very soft, almost no resistance. Strip steak at rare has great flavor but the fat cap won't have rendered much, so make sure you sear the edges.
Medium-Rare
135°F
130°F
Warm ruby-red center with juices that pool the second you slice in. This is where strip steak is at its best. The fat cap has started to render, the center is tender and yielding, and you get the full beefy flavor the cut is known for. Press it and it springs back slowly.
Medium
145°F
140°F
Warm pink center, noticeably firmer than medium-rare. Strip steak starts to tighten up here more than a ribeye would as there's less intramuscular fat to keep things soft. Still a good steak, but you'll feel the difference in every bite. The juices run lighter pink.
Medium-Well
150°F
145°F
Faint pink in the very center, firm throughout. Strip steak gets dry at this stage because without ribeye-level marbling there's not much fat left to compensate. If this is your preference, baste aggressively with butter during the cook for fat/moisture.
Well-Done
160°F
155°F
No pink, firm and uniform throughout. Strip steak isn't the best cut for well-done; the lean meat dries out and toughens. If you prefer fully cooked beef, a ribeye or chuck steak handles the heat much better. If you're committed, go low and slow rather than high heat.
Pull temp = when to remove from heat. Carryover cooking raises the temp 5–10°F as it rests.
Look for steaks cut 1–1.25 inches thick with a firm, white fat cap along one edge. That fat is major flavor, not waste. Choice grade is the sweet spot for strip steaks; Prime is great but the price jump is steep, and the difference is less dramatic than with ribeye since strip is naturally leaner. Pat the steak bone-dry with paper towels before cooking (surface moisture is the enemy of a good crust). Salt it 40 minutes ahead or right before cooking; anything in between draws moisture to the surface and works against you. Strip steaks freeze well individually wrapped in plastic then foil where they're good for 4-6 months.
NY strip is a leaner, more beef-forward steak than ribeye. Less marbling means more actual steak flavor, but it also means less room for error. The fat cap running along one edge does a lot of the heavy lifting on flavor, so leave it on and render it properly. Most people overcook strip steak because they treat it like ribeye and forget it doesn't have all that internal fat to keep it juicy past medium. Pull it at 130–135°F for medium-rare, rest it 5–8 minutes, and you'll have a steak that rivals anything from a steakhouse. If you've got a thick-cut strip (1.25″ or more), try the reverse sear: low oven at 250°F until it hits 120°F inside, then a hard sear in cast iron to finish. It gives you edge-to-edge medium-rare with no gray band, which matters more on a lean cut like this where overcooked edges really show.
Food Safety
USDA recommends steaks reach 145°F with a 3-minute rest. However, whole-muscle cuts like strip steak only have bacteria on the surface, which searing kills (and why rare and medium-rare are widely considered safe). Use a thermometer inserted from the side to the thickest part of the cut. Since strips are leaner, color alone isn't reliable as the difference between 130°F and 145°F is more subtle than fattier cuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best tips for cooking ny strip steak?
Leave the fat cap — it renders and bastes. Sear fat cap edge standing up. Rest 5–8 min under loose foil.
What internal temperature should ny strip steak reach?
USDA recommends steaks reach 145°F with a 3-minute rest. However, whole-muscle cuts like strip steak only have bacteria on the surface, which searing kills (and why rare and medium-rare are widely considered safe). Use a thermometer inserted from the side to the thickest part of the cut. Since strips are leaner, color alone isn't reliable as the difference between 130°F and 145°F is more subtle than fattier cuts.
What are the doneness temperatures for ny strip steak?
Rare: 125°F (pull at 120°F). Medium-Rare: 135°F (pull at 130°F). Medium: 145°F (pull at 140°F). Medium-Well: 150°F (pull at 145°F). Well-Done: 160°F (pull at 155°F). Pull temp is when to remove from heat — carryover cooking raises the temp 5–10°F during rest.
How do you sear + oven ny strip steak?
Sear + Oven at 7–4 min (after sear). Sear 2–3 min/side, then oven to finish.
How do you grill ny strip steak?
Grill at 4–5 min/side. Don't move it — let the grill do its thing.
How do you cast iron ny strip steak?
Cast Iron at 3–4 min/side. Butter, thyme, garlic baste last 2 min.
How do you sous vide ny strip steak?
Sous Vide at 2–3 hrs. Sear hard in cast iron after. Best of both worlds.
