A delicious grilled steak is one of the true delicacies of the cooking world that’s easily accessible for a home chef. It’s a go-to treat of the summer for many, but those who live in places that forbid traditional grills often feel like they can’t have such a fantastic entree. Fortunately, even those who live in apartments can enjoy a great grilled steak by using electric grills.
Yes, you really can make a great steak on an electric grill to your preferred doneness. Though traditional grilling fans do tend to look down on electric models, there’s actually a lot to love about these healthy alternatives to traditional grills. Not only will they often help you to make your steak in a way that’s better for your diet, but the best electric grills are usually ones that you can use no matter the weather outside. This means that those who use electric grills can enjoy a great steak even when their traditional grilling companions get rained out.
Of course, you’re not going to be able to just throw a steak on an electric grill and call it a day. You’re going to need to put in some prep work to really get the most out of your steak on this kind of grill, but the end product will absolutely be one that is worth both the time and the effort.
If you’re ready to experience a truly unique way to cook a steak, you’ll definitely want to keep reading on.
How to Cook a Steak on an Electric Grill
Preparing the Steak
No matter how you choose to cook a steak, you’re going to want to put in some prep work to ensure that you get the best possible meal after your grilling experience. In this case, proper preparation starts with the right cut of meat [1].
So, what cut of meat works best with an electric grill? You’re definitely going to want to go with a cut that’s a little more tender, so looking at something like a ribeye or filet is usually going to be a good bet. If price is an issue, you may also want to choose a strip steak.
Now that you’ve got a relatively tender cut of meat ready to grill, it’s time to start seasoning your steak. While there are a million different combinations of seasoning recipe that you could use here, you can definitely get away with a little salt and pepper for a tender steak. If you wanted to go with something tougher, though, you might want to go with a more substantial prep process.
Now that you’ve got the meat seasoned with salt and pepper, it’s time to put it into your marinade. Again, the specific marinade probably doesn’t matter so much here as marinating your steak correctly. You’ll probably want to marinate your steak for between two and four hours depending on your marinade and your flavor preferences, but longer is probably better for most.
Preheat Your Grill
The perfect temperature at which you should cook your steak is four hundred twenty-five degrees. You’re going to want to preheat your grill to get it up to this point, then make sure that you keep it at that temperature for about twenty minutes before you start cooking. The great news is that many modern electric grills have a ready late that will tell you exactly when your grill has hit the right temperature.
If you don’t have a grill that confirms your temperature, you can check the grill by dropping a few drops of water on the surface. If the drops of water start to sizzle and bead, you’re ready to start cooking.
You can go ahead and take your steak out of the refrigerator while you are waiting for your grill to preheat. Your goal should be to take the steak out of the refrigerator long enough for it to warm up a little but not for so long that you expose it to the open-air long enough that you can invite in various germs and bacteria.
Time to Grill
Now you’re onto the fun part—grill the steak. While there’s definitely some guidance that can be given as to cook a steak correctly, the truth is that there will also be some important variables in play that will have a huge impact on your experience.
Remember, you’ll need to pay attention to the thickness of your steak, the temperature of our grill, and even the cut of your steak when you’re cooking. In this example, the steak is going to be a one-inch thick ribeye that’s cooking on a grill at four twenty-five.
Your cooking time is also going to be impacted by how well done you want your steak to be. If you’re looking at medium-rare, for example, you’ll only grill your steak for about five minutes. Well-done, on the other hand, might take as long as ten minutes.
If you’re cooking a flat top, you’ll want to flip your steak over once about halfway through the cooking process. If you have a two-skillet model, though, you can reduce your cooking time by a minute or so and you won’t have to flip the steak at all.
Temperature Check
You’re also going to want to make sure that you keep an eye on the temperature of your steak. Though knowing what you want a steak to look like is important, getting a precise check of the actual internal temperature is going to give you much more control over how the steak turns out.
One of the best tools that you can use is a meat thermometer. Whether an old-fashioned dial model or a newer digital thermometer, you’ll stick one end of the device into the thickest part of the steak and wait to get a reading. As you might imagine, you’ll have to spend less time waiting on a digital thermometer to give you an accurate reading.
Note that checking the temperature is a must because not every electric grill cooks at the same speed. Given all of the factors in play when you’re grilling a steak indoors, taking some time to pull out a thermometer will definitely be time well spent.
Resting Your Steak
Finally, it’s time for you to let your steak rest. As much as you might want to devour the steak as soon as it hits your plate, you’re going to get more flavor out of a steak that gets to sit for about five to ten minutes. Even more importantly, though, letting the steak cool down will keep you from burning your mouth.
If you’ve never let a steak rest before, don’t worry—doing so is quite easy. Get some aluminum foil and loosely wrap it around the steak. This will keep the steak from losing too much heat while resting and help you to avoid getting anything else on the steak while it is resting.
A Perfect (Electrically) Grilled Steak
It’s always important to keep an eye on the temperature of your steak while you are cooking on an electric grill. Between variations on the temperature on the heating surface and the quirks of the cut of meat you bought, you might not be able to simply trust that your steak is done at a certain time.
As a rule, a steak is done when it’s reached somewhere between three hundred seventy-five and four hundred degrees. Once your steak has hit that temperature, it’s really up to you to decide if it’s done. Once you pull it off the grill and let it rest, you’ll have the kind of meal that anyone who loves a good steak will want and you will be able to do so without having to worry about the weather. It’s also important to know how to clean an electric grill after using.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long do you cook a steak on an electric grill?
It really depends on how well you want steaks done. If you’re just looking for something on the medium or medium-rare side, for example, you’ll probably be fine with cooking your steak for about five to six minutes. If you want a steak that is well done, though, you’re looking at eight to ten minutes.
2. What temperature do you cook a steak on an electric grill?
It’s generally best to make sure that you’re cooking steak at four seventy-five on an electric grill. This will be the best way to ensure that you get the steak up to the temperature that it needs to be in order to be safely edible.
3. How do you cook a filet mignon on an electric grill?
Cooking a filet mignon on an electric grill is definitely possible, even if it might be a challenge because of the thickness of the cut. You’ll want to start by seasoning and marinating your steak. After two to four hours, you’ll take the steak out of the refrigerator and pre-heat your grill to about four seventy-five. From here, you’ll want to cook the steak for at least six minutes, flipping it once about halfway through. Check the temperature with a digital meat thermometer to determine when it is done.
4. How long do you Preheat an electric grill?
You are probably going to need about twenty minutes to get your electric grill up to four seventy-five, but this definitely depends on the model. Newer models have a light that shows you when the grill hits its ideal temperature, but you can use a drop of water on the surface of the grill to see when you’ve reached your cooking temperature on an older grill.
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