When I finally tried the reverse sear cooking method on some ribeye steaks, that was when I decided I would never cook steaks any other way. This cooking method is low and slow to create the best flavors and then hot and fast at the end to lock in those mouth water flavors to create the perfect reverse seared steak.

How to Reverse Sear on a Pellet Smoker

It's my opinion that this is the best way to cook a steak. Don't get me wrong, grilled steak is good, but when you add the element of smoke to a piece of beef you gain a flavor profile you can't simply get from typical grilling or oven prepared steaks.

Seasoning - When I'm cooking beef, I am a firm believer in keeping it simple and only use Salt, Pepper & Garlic (SPG). This seasoning combination will let the beef flavor stand on its own.
Smoking - The trick here is low and slow, so don't be in a hurry to prepare this dish. I like to cook as low heat as I have time for so I try to smoke at around 200°F - 225°F. I use an Inkbird instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) during the smoking stage so that I can pull my steaks off when they reach 10°F from the finished temperature I want. For example, if you want your steak finished at medium rare, you need to pull it at 120°F and let it rest for about 5 minutes before the next step of searing.
If you're trying to figure out what type of smoker or grill to get here are a couple of good resources to look over.
Backyard Grilling Guide by HeyHeyGrill
Ratings, Reviews and Buying Guides by Amazing Ribs
Searing - After removing your steak from the pellet smoker you want to turn up the temperature to high heat. On my Pitboss Pellet Smoker (affiliate link), I turn it up to about 550°F. Once your pellet smoker is at high heat you are ready to sear each side for one minute, this will lock in all the flavors and build a nice crust.
Note: If you're using something that you can't get high heat on you will need to use your stovetop with a pan to sear the steaks.
Resting - One of the most important but hardest steps to complete in cooking meat is allowing the meat to rest after being cooked. Let the meat rest for about 10-15 minutes. Letting the steaks rest will allow them to finish cooking and let the juices fill the meat making a perfect reverse-seared steak.

Recommended Side Dish

The following side dishes are some of my families favorites to eat with these steaks.

Refreshing Cucumber Jalapeño Salad - Easy, light, and refreshing.
Tasty Brussel Sprouts - These Brussels Sprouts with Bacon are an easy, quick, and delicious side your family will love!

Perfect Reverse Seared Steaks

Author: spinman
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 1 steak 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

2-inch thick steaks (Ribeye and Strip steaks are my favorites)
Salt, Peper, Garlic (SPG) Mix

Instructions

Preheat Smoker to 200°F - 225°F. While the smoker warms up, put a generous amount of Salt, Pepper, and Garlic on both sides of the steak.
Place steak in the smoker for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 115 – 120 degrees F for a rare steak. Then increase the temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit on your grill or smoker. Alternatively, you can finish over cast iron on the stovetop if using an offset smoker.
Place steaks over direct heat and grill each side for 1 – 2 minutes or until you get nice char marks. Pull the steaks when the internal temperature of the steak is between 125 and 130 degrees F.
Let rest for 10 minutes and then slice against the grains. Serve with your favorite sides.