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Steakhouse results without the high price, this Sous Vide Ribeye recipe is tender, juicy and packed with flavor. You just need a few simple ingredients, and the sous vide guarantees evenly cooked steaks prepared to your liking every time!
Seriously, you guys, perfectly cooked steaks couldn’t be easier with the sous vide! If you’re new around here, the sous vide is by far our preferred way to cook beef.
This sous vide sirloin and sous vide filet mignon are definite favorites!
And if you're looking for a fancy meal, this sous vide prime rib or sous vide beef tenderloin are incredible!
We enjoy most cuts of beef cooked to medium rare, and this is sometimes difficult to achieve with other cooking methods. There’s a short window to hit that sweet spot!
With sous vide cooking, since you set the temperature of the water bath, you have much more control over how your food is cooked. And overcooking is far less likely.
Since the sous vide takes care of cooking the steaks, you have time to prepare delicious side dishes like these creamy garlic mashed potatoes and air fryer carrots.
You can also make it surf and turf by adding sous vide scallops, sous vide shrimp or sous vide lobster tail!
Check out this complete guide to sous vide steak!
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- The sous vide takes the guesswork out of cooking steak. The temperature of the water bath (which you set) determines how well your steak is done. It’s that easy!
- Ribeye steak is an expensive cut of beef so you want to cook it the way you like it. Using the sous vide ensures you won’t waste your money!
- You get better than steakhouse results with the sous vide at a much lower cost. And, you get to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home (hello comfy pants)!
- This recipe is easy to make! You just need a few ingredients and 2 hours in the water bath before a quick sear in a hot skillet.
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What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.
Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.
To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."
What is the Water Displacement Method?
The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).
Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
Other sous vide beef recipes
- Sous Vide Rib Roast
- Sous Vide Chuck Steak
- Sous Vide New York Strip
- Sous Vide Flank Steak
- Sous Vide Skirt Steak
- Sous Vide Chuck Roast
- Sous Vide London Broil
What are ribeye steaks?
Ribeyes are taken from the rib primal section of the cow. It’s the same area where prime rib is taken from.
Ribeye steaks have a lot of marbling so they’re rich, tender and juicy. They’re sold as boneless and bone-in and are usually readily available at grocery stores and butcher shops.
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You'll need 1 ½ pounds of boneless ribeye for this recipe, or about 2 medium to large steaks. I usually buy steaks that are at least 1-inch thick. For the best flavor, look for steaks with plenty of marbling, which creates a more tender and juicy steak.
You’ll also need salt and pepper to season the steaks, as well as butter, garlic and fresh thyme.
I recommend using unsalted butter as the steaks are well seasoned with salt.
As for the garlic, I highly recommend fresh cloves as opposed to garlic powder. The recipe calls for 2 cloves (smashed), but if you like extra garlic, feel free to add another clove.
For an earthy flavor, I like to add fresh sprigs of thyme to the beef as it cooks. If you don’t have fresh thyme, try using fresh oregano or marjoram.
Lastly, you’ll need avocado oil (or another high smoke point oil) for searing the steaks before serving.
Step by step instructions
Season the steaks with salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.
Heat a sous vide water bath to 127F degrees.
Place the steaks in a vacuum seal bag with the thyme, garlic cloves and butter.
Seal and cook in the water bath for 2 hours.
Remove steaks from the bag and pat dry.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the avocado oil. (You can also sear them on the grill).
Sear the steaks for about 45-60 seconds per side, until a crust forms.
Remove and serve.
Sous vide ribeye temperatures
The recipe calls for cooking ribeye to 127F degrees. This will result in a medium-rare steak that’s tender and juicy. If you prefer your steaks cooked another way, refer to the table below, adapted from Serious Eats.
| Doneness | Temperature |
| Rare | 120°F to 126°F |
| Medium-rare (recommended) | 127°F to 134°F |
| Medium | 135°F to 144°F |
| Medium-well | 145°F to 155°F |
| Well-done (not recommended) | 156°F and above |
Expert tips
- For even cooking, you’ll want the steaks sealed in the bag in a single layer. If they’re overlapping, they will not cook evenly.
- Properly removing air from the bag is an important step to keep bacteria out of the bag and safely cook your meat.
- Air may get in the bag and cause the bag to float. If this happens, just open the bag, let the air out and reseal it.
- To prevent floating, you can also use a sous vide sinker weight or something heavy to weigh down the bag.
- For the best crust, use a paper towel to dry the surface of the steaks before searing them in the skillet.
- The skillet should be super hot before adding the steaks so they brown and form a crust quickly without overcooking.
- To prevent overcooking, you only want to sear the steaks for 45-60 seconds per side. Any longer and they may cook beyond your desired level of doneness.
- Instead of searing the steaks in a hot skillet, you can also grill them over high heat until a crust forms.
Common questions
Yes, this is considered dry brining and helps seal in the juices. If you’re in a rush, you can skip this step, but your steaks will likely not be as flavorful or juicy.
Ribeye steaks are best cooked to medium rare. To achieve this using the sous vide, you’ll need to set the temperature of your water bath to 127F degrees.
For medium rare at 127F degrees, it just takes 2 hours to cook ribeye steaks using the sous vide. If your steaks are much thicker than 1-inch, you may need to cook them a little longer.
It’s difficult to overcook any kind of meat using the sous vide method. The water bath is very precise in its temperature. With that said, meat will start to get soft and break down if you leave it in the water bath well past its cooking time. The greater risk for overcooking, however, comes from reverse searing at the end.
While you can sous vide ribeye from frozen by adding another hour to the water bath cooking time, I prefer to thaw the steaks first so I can dry brine them. You can also try dry brining and defrosting at the same time, but you won’t get the same results.
Yes! The searing forms a crust, which is delicious and adds to the presentation.
Storage and reheating
Leftover ribeye can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The easiest way to reheat steak is to add it to a skillet with a splash of broth and heat over a low heat until warmed through. This should help prevent it from overcooking or drying out.
Serving options
Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to pair with ribeye:
- Truffle Mashed Potatoes
- Duck Fat Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Sous Vide Asparagus
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
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Recipe
Sous Vide Boneless Ribeye
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless ribeye about 2 medium to large steaks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- butter
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil for searing
Instructions
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.
- Heat a sous vide water bath to 127F degrees.
- Place the steaks in a vacuum seal bag with the garlic cloves, thyme and butter.
- Seal and cook in the water bath for 2 hours.
- Remove steaks from the bag and pat dry.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the avocado oil. (You can also sear the steaks on a grill).
- Sear the steaks for about 45-60 seconds per side, until a crust forms.
- Remove and serve.
Expert Tips:
- For even cooking, you’ll want the steaks sealed in the bag in a single layer. If they’re overlapping, they will not cook evenly.
- Properly removing air from the bag is an important step to keep bacteria out of the bag and safely cook your meat.
- Air may get in the bag and cause the bag to float. If this happens, just open the bag, let the air out and reseal it.
- To prevent floating, you can also use sous vide weights or something heavy to weigh down the bag.
- For the best crust, use a paper towel to dry the surface of the steaks before searing them in the skillet.
- The skillet should be super hot before adding the steaks so they brown and form a crust quickly without overcooking.
- To prevent overcooking, you only want to sear the steaks for 45-60 seconds per side. Any longer and they may cook beyond your desired level of doneness.
- Instead of searing the steaks in a hot skillet, you can also grill them over high heat until a crust forms.
Nutrition
Raoul says
I'm new to Sous Vide, this came out prefect! Thank you for this recipe.
Danielle says
I'm so happy you liked it! If you're new, stay tuned as I have a sous vide course coming out in October 🙂
Andi says
This is such an awesome way to cook meat. I loved how tender the ribeye turned out and the fat crisped up perfectly after I seared it!
Danielle says
We are totally in love with sous vide cooking. Glad you liked it!
dimas says
don't put any liquid in the bag. you will loose the flavour. butter in the bag dilutes the flavour of the beef