Best Temperature to Grill Steaks

When grilling season hits there’s nothing like a perfect steak to celebrate the season. Whether you use a gas grill or charcoal grill the question is the same: what’s the best temp to grill steaks?

The cooking process for a good steak can be daunting. Steak is more expensive than ground beef or chicken so you want to get it right the first time. There’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked juicy steak, and nothing worse than a dry overcooked steak.

For a pro guide to buying steak, getting perfect grill marks, complete instructions for grilling steaks perfectly every time and more, check out our How to Grill Steak Perfectly guide.

Jump to:

• Best grill temperature for grilling steak
• How long to grill steak?
• Do steaks need to be at room temperature?
• Expert Tips

Best grill temperature for grilling steak

Most recipes call for a high heat temperatures; 450 degrees to 500 degrees.

This allows quick searing of the steak to develop the Maillard reaction. It’s a chemical reaction creating a nice crust on the steak, great flavors and it seals in the juices.

The chemistry of the Maillard reaction involves breaking down the proteins in foods into individual amino acids that react with the sugars in foods when in the presence of high temperature.

What does this all mean? It produces the caramelization on the outside of foods, as well as the color, aroma and texture of the meat.

How long to grill steak?

Different sizes and different types of steak cook in different amounts of time. The cooking time for grilling steak depends on:

• thickness of the meat
• type of steak
• the amount of marbling (or fat in the meat)
• how done you want it

Time on individual grills can vary so always check the steak’s internal temperature with a digital instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the steak for an accurate reading.

General guideline: remove the steak from the grill when the instant read digital thermometer reads 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for medium. The steak’s temperature will continue to rise (around 5 degrees) as it rests.

Doneness	Remove from Grill (temp F)	Resting time (minutes)	Final Steak Temperature (F)
Rare	120 degrees	5	125 degrees
Medium-Rare	130 degrees	5	135 degrees
Medium	140 degrees	5	145 degrees
Medium-Well	145 degrees	5	150 degrees
Well done	155 degrees	5	160 degrees

Here are some specific guidelines for popular grilling steaks:

Do steaks need to be at room temperature?

They don’t have to be but if they are they’ll cook more quickly and evenly. You can take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling as the grill heats.

Expert Tips

Full preheat the gas grill or charcoal grill. Don’t start grilling until the grill is fully heated for even cooking.

Use a meat thermometer. Though the press-texture method works to determine the level of doneness, an instant read digital thermometer is more reliable. In seconds the internal temperature will register so not much heat is lost and you can be sure your cooked steak meets food safety requirements too.

Always rest steak for 5 minutes. After grilling remove the steak from grill grates and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute for a juicy steak. The steak’s temperature will increase around 5 degrees as it rests.