Get ready for a steakhouse dinner in the comfort of your own home! Making a perfectly seared steak with a juicy and tender inside and a crusty exterior is easier than you’d expect, starting on the stove and finishing in the oven. See for yourself!
You may not consider yourself an artist, however, after you master the art of pan searing steak you might just feel like the next Picasso! The classic pan seared steak technique starts with searing the surface of the beef in a piping hot pan smothered in butter until it forms a beautifully golden, crisp crust. This is key for flavor development and an overall steakhouse-quality appearance! Now, the next step is where I’ll let you in on a little secret. The trick is to transfer the steak to the oven rather than have it continue cooking on the stove. The oven method allows you to better control the temperature of the steak, to achieve that perfect medium-rare (or whatever temp you like!) that you get in a steakhouse.
Now finish it off with a simple, heavenly wine sauce that comes together in just minutes with 5 ingredients…and we are in business! You now have the perfect steak that any guest or date will be thoroughly impressed by. Be careful though, once you have tasted this steak, you won’t have it any other way! Pan searing is truly the elite way of cooking steak.
Are you looking to test out your pan searing technique with other dishes? You got this! Try my Pan Seared Salmon or Seared Scallops.
Why You’ll Love This Pan Seared Steak Recipe
- Steakhouse-quality. Are you hosting a dinner party or special occasion at home? Serving this pan seared steak is a surefire way to impress your guests and offer a steakhouse experience in the comfort of your own home!
- Easy and flavorful. With only a few bold ingredients and no specialized equipment required, you don’t need to be an experienced chef to achieve professional-level results!
- Sauce included. This pan seared steak recipe includes the most delicious steak sauce ever. Plus, it only takes minutes to make and just 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ inch thick tenderloins (filet mignons) – a tenderloin steak is a filet mignon cut that is exceptionally tender, typically more lean than other cuts, and has beautiful uniformity in texture throughout. This means that every bite of your steak will be outstanding from start to finish. It’s important to purchase tenderloins that are 1.5 inches thick, to ensure that the cooking times in this recipe are accurate. If you are making 2 steaks, tenderloins that are the same thickness will also ensure that the cook time is the same for both.
- Shallots – shallots are beautifully pink and have a pungent onion flavor with a touch of sweetness. They also add texture to our quick steak sauce!
- Red wine – red wine is the base to a delicious but quick steak sauce. A cabernet or merlot are the best options! Sub with beef broth if preferred.
- Butter – butter adds richness to the sauce and a creamy, luxurious texture.
- Fresh thyme – thyme and mushrooms go hand-in-hand. Thyme contributes herbaceous notes to the wine sauce to complement the natural richness of steak while also adding a pop of green freshness.
- Baby bella mushrooms (optional but recommended) – mushrooms, steak and red wine go together like PB & J! If you like mushrooms, I highly recommend adding them to the steak sauce. Baby bella mushrooms are also called cremini mushrooms.
How To Make Pan Seared Steak
Learn how to make pan seared steak! Full instructions in the recipe card; this is an outline!
- Season.
Lightly salt and pepper the tenderloins on both sides. Let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes if time allows.
- Add.
Let a large pan preheat for a few minutes. Then add the butter and let it melt.
- Sear.
Add tenderloins and sear each side for 2 minutes.
- Cook.
Transfer steaks to a baking sheet and place in a 400℉ oven for 5-9 minutes until they read 130℉ in the center for medium-rare, or 140℉ for medium.
- Deglaze.
While the steaks are in the oven, deglaze a pan over high heat with red wine.
- Add more.
Keeping the pan over high heat, add shallots, mushrooms, 4 tablespoons of butter, thyme removed from sprigs, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
- Reduce.
Allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes while steaks are in the oven and resting. Stir often.
- Rest.
When steaks are done, let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve.
Plate steaks and spoon sauce generously over the top. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Steak Doneness Temperatures Chart
Remember that once you decide to remove your steak from the pan, the steak will continue to rise about another 5℉ internally called “carry over cook”. For your desired doneness, please reference the temperatures below:
- 125℉ for rare
- 130℉ for medium-rare
- 140℉ for medium
- 150℉ for medium-well
- 160℉+ for well-done
After removing, let the steaks rest for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before plating and slicing.
What To Serve With Steak
Pan seared steak is so versatile that it goes well with a variety of side dishes and appetizers. Here are just a few of my favorites!
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts or Broiled Asparagus
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Sautéed Spinach
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Apple Salad
- Caprese salad
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot or a classic dry martini or an Old Fashioned
Expert Tips
- 1 ½ inch thick tenderloins. Ensuring the steaks are this thickness will also ensure that the sear and cook times for this pan seared steak recipe are accurate! You can measure/cut them yourself or even ask your butcher to!
- Preheat the pan. Preheating the pan before adding the steak ensures the pan is hot enough to sear the steak effectively.
- Remove steaks 5℉ before desired doneness. The internal temperature of a steak continues to rise as it rests, called “carry over cook”. To account for this, I recommend removing the steak from the pan a couple degrees before your desired doneness when testing with an instant-read thermometer.
- Test temperature in the thickest part. Insert the thermometer probe into the thickest part of the steak, right in the center, for accurate results.
- Let the steak rest. Allowing the steak to rest before slicing into it is a crucial step in the cooking process. First, it allows the juice inside the meat to redistribute evenly. The heat causes the juices to move toward the center so if you were to slice into the steak too soon, the juices would likely leak out, drying out the meat. Allowing the steak to rest also aids in tenderizing the meat. Who knew 5-10 minutes of rest could do so much!
More Beef Recipes You’ll Love!
Pan Seared Steak (With Easy Wine Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2, 8 ounce 1 ½ inch-thick tenderloins (filet mignons), ask your butcher to cut them 1 ½ inches thick
- 2 cups sliced baby bella cremini mushrooms, optional but highly recommended
- 4 large shallots, chopped
- 1 cup red wine, like cabernet or merlot
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more to garnish
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. If your tenderloins are not 1 ½ inches thick, measure and cut them. This is crucial for the steaks to cook according to the directions below! You can always ask your butcher to measure/cut them for you.
- Lightly salt and pepper tenderloins on both sides. If you have time, let steaks rest at room temperature for 30 minutes for more even cooking. No worries if not; they will still come out deliciously.
- Let a large skillet preheat over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let melt.
- Add tenderloins, searing each side for 2 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown.
- Transfer steaks to a baking sheet and place in the oven, uncovered, for 5-9 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to test the center of the thickest part of each steak. They should register 130℉ for medium-rare, or 140℉ for medium.
- Let steaks rest for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before plating.
- While steaks are in the oven, deglaze the pan over high heat with red wine. Be careful because the pan will steam up and sizzle when the wine hits the pan. Keep pan over high heat and add shallots, mushrooms, 4 tablespoons butter, thyme removed from sprigs, salt and pepper to taste. Stirring often, let sauce reduce for 8-12 minutes.
- Spoon pan sauce generously over the top of the steaks. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Video
Notes
- If you can’t find tenderloins that are the right thickness, it is SO important to ask your butcher to cut the filet mignons to be 1 ½ inches thick. Otherwise, the cook times above will not be accurate.
- Don’t want to use wine? Use beef broth instead!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
