Perfectly Smoked Steak (Ribeye) (2024)

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Smoked steak is tender, juicy, and has a perfect smoke flavor when done correctly. I'll show you how to make the perfect smoked steak. Let's roll some smoke and get started on how to smoke a steak.

Video - Smoked steak

Smoking is better

I'm using thick cut ribeye steaks, but any steak will work when smoked the way I'm going to show you. But in my opinion, ribeye is the best steak to smoke. Hitting the steak with a some smoke low and slow gives it a great flavor, but then kicking the temp up at the end is what keeps it juicy!

Once you smoke a steak, you will never go back to simply grilling them again. The smoke flavor really MAKE these smoked steaks!

The steak

Like I said, I'm using thick cut Ribeyes I purchased from Sam's Club. I like the meats there since I don't have a good butcher near me. If you don't have a membership, check out their $45 gift card when signing up for the first time. This basically makes gives you a free Sam's Club membership.

Don't have ribeye? Not to worry, this technique will work with any steak. Some of my favorites are flank steak, strip steak, flat iron steak, and filet mignon.

The smoker

I'm smoking these steaks on my pellet smoker, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker. Pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on your steaks and other meats without having to babysit a firebox all day.

A traditional offset smoker, like this Oklahoma Joe's Smoker can also be used when making smoked steaks. Grab your favorite wood and get your smoke fired up.

My favorite wood to use when smoking steaks is a oak or hickory. Mesquite is another great choice when cooking steak. When making steak on a pellet grill, competition blend pellets are also a great choice because they use several different types of wood.

Seasoning

When it comes to steaks, I tend to keep it simple with the ingredients. A seasoning of salt and pepper gives them a great flavor. If you have a steak seasoning you really like, feel free to sprinkle that stuff all over the steak. Allow the steak to rest for 30 minutes before smoking.

Smoking the steak

Pre-heat your smoker to 180°F, place the steaks directly on the smokers rack and smoke without flipping for 20 minutes. Smoking too long at low temps will dry out the steak and make it tough, 20 minutes will impart a nice smoky flavor and won't dry it out.

After 20 minutes, pull the steaks OFF the smoker and put to the side. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and turn the smokers heat up to 450°F.

If you have searing racks, place them in the smoker now. If you do not have searing racks, you can cook directly on the smokers rack, it just might not get grill marks and sear well.

Searing racks

Place searing racks on the smoker with the ridge side facing UP. These will get hotter than the grill racks in the smoker and will give grill marks to the steak. I love these and use them ALL the time. What we will be doing is reverse searing these ribeyes.

A lot of time you sear steaks first and then slowly cook. But when smoking steak, you want to let that smoke permeate the meat first and then reverse sear (searing after smoking) to lock in those juices and get a nice crust on the outside.

No searing racks

That's fine, simply smoke directly on the smokers rack. If you want sear marks, you can either sear at the end on a gas grill, charcoal grill, or use the open flame option on your smoker (If equipped, like this Camp Chef 36 MODEL)

Grilling the steaks

Once the smoker reaches 450°F, place the steaks back on the smokers rack or searing rack and grill on high heat for 5-9 minutes a side. Cooking time will vary depending on steak thickness; always cook to temperature, NOT time.

I like to reverse sear ribeyes for about 5 minutes on one side, flip and cook 5 minutes on the other side. I then check the internal temperature with a instant read thermometer and keep cooking until my desired smoked steak temp is reached.

Note: The temperature will continue to rise several degrees after removing the steak from the smoker/grill, so it's a good idea to pull them 3-5° before your desired temp.

In general, smoked steaks will take about 35 minutes to cook. Not all of this time is smoking though. If you smoke them too long they will not turn out tender, and no one wants a tough steak.

Use this smoked steak temp chart to cook your steak to perfection. Not sure how you like your steak? No worries, you can't go wrong cooking it to medium. That's my favorite way to have beef prepared.

Since I used the searing racks, my steak is already seared and ready to slice and eat. If you didn't use searing racks, cook your steak to about 10°F BELOW your desired internal temperature and sear on both sides over an open flame.

As mentioned before, either use a gas grill on high, charcoal grill, or the open flame option on your pellet smoker.

Rest

Allow your smoked ribeye steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing/eating to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. This will help the steak stay nice and juicy!

Perfect side dishes

Pairing this perfectly smoked steak recipe with some great side dishes will just round out your meal. Here are some sides I recommend you try with your smoked steak. After letting them rest, you will have a nice juicy and tender smoked steak.

• Mashed potatoes
• Hasselback smoked potatoes
• Buttery smoked corn
• Asparagus

Try these smoked dishes!

FAQ

Old pro tips

• Add butter to the top of the steak after cooking and allow to melt, this will give the smoked steak a really good flavor.
• Sear over open flame to get the best crust on the steak. I love a good char on my steak.
• Pull the steak from the grill 5°F before your desired internal temperature, it will finish cooking while it rests.