With only 5 minutes of prep time, this Sous Vide Steak recipe is quick and easy to make for everyone from beginners to sous vide pros. Take fresh or frozen steaks, place them in zipper bags or vacuum seal with rosemary and garlic, then sous vide for 2 hours. After a quick sear, you'll have perfectly cooked steaks every time!
Fill a large pot, or container, with water. Attach a sous vide and preheat the water bath to 129°F.
Place each steak in it’s own bag, add 1 sprig fresh rosemary, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt and 2 cloves crushed garlic to each bag with the steaks.
Vacuum seal the bag closed.
If you don't have a vacuum sealer, use the water displacement method. Place each bag with a steak in it almost all of the way under the water, leaving just about an inch of the top of the bag open, the water will press out all of the air around the food in the bag, you can then seal the bag closed.
Place the sealed bags of steak in the sous vide water bath. If properly sealed, the steak should sink in the water. You want to make sure that the steak is completely submerged in the water for proper sous vide cooking.
Set timer for 2 hours.
Remove the bags from the water, cut the bags open and use tongs to remove the steaks from the bag.
If using a grill to sear the steaks, make sure the grill is very hot and add the steaks directly to the grill for 30 seconds per side. Remove from the grill and immediately top each steak with a small pat of butter, let it rest and melt over the steak for 5 minutes before serving.
If using a cast iron skillet to sear the steaks, I recommend patting the steaks dry first with paper towels. Make sure the skillet is very hot, add the steaks and cook for 30 seconds per side. You can add the butter or olive oil to the skillet before adding the steaks, or you can finish the steaks by adding a small pat of butter on top at the end.
Optionally serve topped with flaky sea salt and fresh chopped parsley
Notes
Steaks can be sous vide from frozen. You do not need to defrost the steaks before adding them to a sous vide water bath. I do recommend a minimum of 2 hours in the sous vide for any cut of frozen steak.
It is safe to sous vide in Ziploc bags. They do not contain BPA so you do not have to worry about the chemical leaking into your food. Ziploc bags will not soften until 195°F. Most meats cook in the sous vide between 130°-140°F.
Use the temperature chart below for any cut of steak.
Rare: set the sous vide at 120-128°F
Medium Rare (my recommendation): set the sous vide at 129-134°F
Medium: set the sous vide at 135-144°F
Medium Well: set the sous vide at 145-155°F
Well Done: set the sous vide at 156-162°F
Using the temperature chart above, follow the timing chart below for different cuts of steak.
Sirloin steak: cook for at least 1 hour, up to 2 1/2 hours.
Filet mignon: cook for at least 45 minutes, up to 2 1/2 hours.
New York strip steak: cook for at least 1 hour, up to 2 1/2 hours.
Ribeye steak: cook for at least 1 hour, up to 2 1/2 hours.
T-bone steak: cook for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.
Skirt steak (or flank steak): cook for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.