There’s nothing like a juicy, tender Grilled Ribeye fresh off the grill on a sunny afternoon. I use a Montreal dry rub for a quick marinade and give the rib eye steak a quick sear, then it’s done! Just 30 minutes and you’ll have a well-crusted, well-seared steak.

A nice, well-marbled rib eye steak is my favorite cut for grilling. They’re incredibly flavorful and juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and quick to cook. A griller’s dream come true!

This grilled ribeye steak recipe involves a “dry marinade.” This simply means that we apply a dry rub and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling. It’s a quick process that gives the meat a delicious crust after searing.

I use my own Montreal Seasoning as the dry rub. It’s a bold, zesty blend that’s perfect for the grill. I use it in so many recipes, from pickles to corned beef to pastrami. It’s even good on salmon!

As for the buttery topping, I recommend using my Herb Butter or Blue Cheese Butter. They’re wildly different, but both are great with grilled rib eye steak. Try both and let me know which you prefer!

PRO TIP:
To prevent meat from drying out, add salt just before you place it on the grill.

The Best Sides for Grilled Ribeye 

The meat is only half of the barbecue — you need sides, too! Here are a few of my favorite summer picnic side dishes that you can plate up right beside your steak:

• Potatoes – A fluffy and filling Baked Potato would be great. You can throw whichever butter you’re using for the meat right on top! If you’re more of a dipper, try out these crisp, thoroughly seasoned Potato Wedges.
• Pasta – Serve a 3 Cheese Smoked Mac and Cheese or a Classic Macaroni Salad. You can never go wrong with these crowd pleasers.
• Salad – And, of course, you need something fresh with your grilled meat. A Creamy Cucumber Salad or Cold Broccoli Salad would be a nice, refreshing side.

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

• Rib Eye Steak – This recipe is based off of a 2 lb steak. You can choose either bone in or boneless, but either should be 1” thick. Try to get one with good marbling.
• Montreal Seasoning – A mix of 6 different spices, including pepper, garlic, paprika, and dried orange. This coarse rub is perfect for beef and a copycat of the store bought Montreal blend, but with less salt.
• Compound Butter – I use my own herb compound butter to top my grilled ribeye. It’s a soft butter filled with dried herbs. You could also try this blue cheese butter, for a much stronger, garlicky flavor. And, of course, you could just use plain butter. If using plain, I recommend adding some additional herbs and seasonings on top as well.

HOW TO MAKE GRILLED RIBEYE

1. Slice the Butter. Let your choice of butter come to room temperature and cut into ½“ slices.
2. Dry Marinate the Meat. Rub the Montreal seasoning right into the meat, working it in with your fingers. Cover both sides. Allow the meat to “dry marinate” for 20 minutes while preheating the grill to 450°F-500°F.
3. Grill. Lay the meat right on the grill and cook per your preference. For a medium-rare center, sear for just 3-4 minutes per side. For rare, medium, and well-done, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
   
   Note: If cooking a bone in ribeye steak, it may take longer to come to temperature. Keep a close eye on the internal temperature of the meat to make sure you’re getting the doneness that you desire.

4. Let Rest & Serve. Before you take the meat off of the grill, top with the butter and let it sizzle into the surface. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can you make a grilled ribeye rub beforehand?

You most definitely can. The Montreal blend used for this grilled ribeye recipe can actually be kept at room temperature indefinitely, so long as it’s kept in a cool, dry place.

You can even apply the rub and refrigerate overnight. It won’t be a “dry marinade” at that point, but that’s okay. The result will be the same, and you’ll get the same crust and sear.

How long do you cook a ribeye steak on the grill?

It depends on the doneness that you’re going for. A medium-rare steak will take less than 5 minutes per side. 

At the end of the day, however, each cut, thickness of meat and each grill is different, so you want to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat above all else.

• Rare – 125°F – Center is bright red; pinkish towards the outside
• Medium-Rare – 135°F – Center is very pink; slightly brown towards the outside
• Medium – 145°F – Center is light pink; outer portion is brown
• Medium-Well – 155°F – Center is slightly pink; outer portion is brown
• Well – 165°F – Uniformly brown throughout

What temperature should a bone in ribeye steak be grilled at?

You want a nice hot grill that’s been preheated to at least 450°F (and up to 500°F) to get the perfect sear and crust on your bone in ribeye steak. 

This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking June 2016 and has been updated with new content, photos and/or video in May, 2022.