Learn how to make the PERFECT Sous Vide Ribeye Steak. With a timing chart for the perfect rare, medium, or well done steak, plus a delicious compound butter to top it with.
Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique is amazing because it makes it virtually impossible to overcook your food. Making it perfect for cooking your favorite cut of steak to your preferred temperature.
I’ve used my sous vide in the past to make a delicious filet mignon, but today I’m taking on a new cut of beef – ribeye.
I kept the seasonings simple, with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. But there’s an explosion of flavor at the end when you top your seared steak with a bit of compound butter.
What is Compound Butter?
- Compound butter is butter that is seasoned with fresh herbs and garlic.
How to Make Compound Butter
- Combine softened butter with garlic and fresh herbs.
- Place on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and roll into a log.
- Refrigerator for 1 hour, or place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Slice into rounds and enjoy on steaks, bread or vegetables.
You can season your butter in so many different ways. My favorite add-ins are garlic, lemon zest and fresh herbs. You can also add a bit of heat by adding in a pinch of cayenne, or some horseradish.
No matter what seasonings you’re adding, you’ll want to be sure that you’re starting with flavorful butter. I’m a huge fan of European butter. It has a higher butterfat content which makes it super spreadable, and perfect for making this compound butter, plus it has a distinctive flavor.
The higher butterfat content in it creates a softer, super spreadable product (perfect for when you forget to pre-soften your butter before baking). Plus, it’s amazingly flavorful. Just the perfect ingredient when you really want to elevate a recipe – like this Sous Vide Ribeye Steak.
How to Sous Vide Ribeye Steak
Season your steak with salt and pepper and place in a plastic bag. Remove the air from the bag and seal using a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method.
Place the sous vide in a vessel that’s large enough to hold enough water for your bag to be fully submerged and deep enough to ensure that the water level falls between the minimum and maximum level indicators on your sous vide circulator. Heat it to your desired temperature (see below) and place your bag in the water.
Sous Vide Ribeye Steak Temperature:
- Rare: 120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)
- Medium-Rare: 129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)
- Medium: 135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)
- Medium-Well: 145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)
- Well Done: 156°F (69°C) and up
Note that if you are cooking at below 130°F you should sous vide for no longer than 2 1/2 hours for food safety reasons.
Because of this, I prefer to cook my ribeye steak at 130°F for a perfect medium-rare. That way, if I’m out running errands, I don’t need to worry if I leave my steak in the water bath for too long.
How Long Does It Take to Sous Vide Ribeye Steak?
The length of time it takes to sous vide a steak depends on its thickness. Most ribeye steaks will be around 1 1/2 inches thick. Below is a timing chart on the minimum time needed for your ribeye to reach temperature in the sous vide:
-
- Sous vide 1-inch thick (or less) steaks for 40 minutes
- Sous vide 1.5-inch thick (and thicker) steaks for 1 hour
Can You Overcook in Sous Vide?
- I’ve read that it’s OK to leave a 1-inch steak in the water bath for up to 4 hours. After that, the meat may break down too much and become mushy. Your steak will never actually “overcook” as the meat will be held at the correct temperature. However, please note that if you are cooking at below 130°F you should sous vide for no longer than 2 1/2 hours for food safety reasons.
Can You Reheat in Sous Vide?
- One of my favorite parts about sous vide is that you can reheat leftovers with it. It’s the perfect way to reheat a steak or other cut of meat because it will never overcook it.
How Do You Reheat in Sous Vide?
- Heat your water to just below the original cooking temperature. Reheat using the same cooking chart above (i.e. a 1 1/2-inch thick steak will need to reheat for 1 hour).
What to Serve with Ribeye Steak:
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Easy Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries
- The Best Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Miso Cauliflower
- Arugula Salad Recipe
Sous Vide Recipes:
- Sous Vide Pork Chops
- Sous Vide Homemade Limoncello
- Sous Vide Filet Mignon
- Sous Vide Infused Vodka
- Sous Vide Carrot Ginger Soup
- Sous Vide Chicken Breasts
- Sous Vide Vanilla Extract
Wine Pairings for Ribeye Steak:
- Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah or aged Cabernet.
If you loved this Sous Vide Ribeye Steak recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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Sous Vide Ribeye Steak Recipe
Sous Vide Ribeye Steak with Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 2 1 1/2-inch thick ribeye steaks
- 1 Tablespoon avocado (canola or vegetable oil)
- Kosher salt & pepper
Compound Butter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 teaspoons fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Set the sous vide to your desired temperature (130-degrees for medium-rare).
- Season ribeye steaks with salt and pepper and vacuum seal using your preferred method (1 steak per bag).
- Cook for 1 hour (for 1 1/2-inch thick ribeye steak), up to four hours (unless you are cooking under 130-degrees).
- Remove ribeye steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over high heat. Working one steak at a time, sear steaks 1-minute per side, then using tongs, sear the sides of the ribeye as well.
- Remove to cutting board and top with compound butter. Repeat with second steak. Slice and serve.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
I teamed up with Butter of Europe to bring you this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
Look absolutely perfect! I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about sous vide! And you can never go wrong with a delicious compound butter over a perfect steak! Cheers
Thanks Mary!!!
First, this will dilute the beef flovor. To combat, add fallow. Second, skip the salt, pepper, garlic powder (never fresh – garlic has no flavor until it is damage as in crushed or chopped and quickly loses that flavor and so should not be used on foods eaten hours later), and rosemary (they should have gone on before the sous vide cooking). Third, you missed the compound butter’s most important ingredient, shaved dried egg yolk. Finally, why add oil when you have this compound butter? And, there are many ways to reverse sear (grilling, etc), torching is easiest. I prefer an all in one sous vide unit for home.
…wow, you are an inexperienced idiot…
Ha. I was going to say basically the same thing but you beat me to it. There’s certainly more than 1 way to do things, but Jim’s way isn’t one of them. Yikes.
To be fair, just lop off a pat of butter and put it on the steak and it’s pretty darn good. I’m a lemon butter guy myself.