Perfect Grilled Ribeye

5 from 26 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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.

compound butter melting on 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.

grilled ribeye with butter compound on a plate

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:

raw steaks with dry rub seasoning on them

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.
medium rare grilled rib eye steak topped with herb butter, cut in half on wood cutting board

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.
  1. 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.
close up of two grilled bone in ribeye steaks on wood cutting board

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. 

bone-in grilled ribeye topped with herbal butter

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

Still Hungry?

Subscribe to my Newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for all my latest recipes and videos.

close up of The Perfect Rib Eye Steak with compound butter

Perfect Grilled Ribeye

5 from 26 votes
Whip up a perfect Grilled Ribeye in 30 minutes! With just 3 ingredients, you’ll have a seared, tender steak with a flavorful, buttery crust.
Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 32 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Remove compound butter (See Note 3) from refrigerator to come to room temperature and slice into 1/2" pieces. Set aside.
  • Gently massage the Montreal seasoning (See Note 2) over both sides of each rib eye steak (See Note 1) and let the meat dry marinate for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime start up the grill to 450°F to 500°F for a great sear.
  • Take the seasoned steaks to the hot grill, cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, longer if desired (this is for 1-inch or thicker). See Note 4 for cooking times and temperature.
  • Top with a slice of compound butter before removing from grill.
  • Remove steaks and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Video

Notes

  • Choose a well marbled with fat, 1 inch thick bone in or boneless rib eye steak.
  • I have a homemade Montreal Seasoning recipe that has less salt than store bought. You will only be using 2 teaspoons or less for this recipe if making my homemade Montreal recipe.
  • I use either my Compound Herb Butter or Compound Herb Cheese Butter recipe. You’ll need to make ahead or just use plain butter. Fresh cilantro, basil and other herbs can also be used, it’s up to your own tastes. Experiment!
COOKING TIMES FOR STEAK (BASED ON 1 INCH THICKNESS)
If you like your steak rare or well done, here is a quick breakdown of internal temperatures for each:
  • 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

Nutrition

Calories: 1050kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 92g | Fat: 76g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 307mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 1216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 471IU | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 9mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: American, Western
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled photo (and shown): The Perfect Rib Eye Steak

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

Free Bonus
5 Secrets to True Tex Mex
Essential recipes & tips for delicious Tex Mex cooking!

email image

Explore More

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

70 Comments

  1. It’s been a while since i had a good steak, this one looks perfect! Especially with this compound butter! I love love this Montreal seasoning , a must try! Pinned

    1. Thanks Farida perfect grilling steak and the combination of seasoning and compound butter makes this special. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    We’re ribeye people too and this does in fact look ‘perfect.’ I’m surprised by the orange zest and the dill seeds in the copycat seasoning – must try…

    1. The citrus and dill play well with the black pepper and it’s grilling season. Happy 4th of July weekend to you both Marissa.

  3. I love to grill ribeyes. Reading this post just made me realize that I haven’t done so yet this summer – and it’s almost 4th of July. What??? Anyway, I always use Montreal rub. I never thought of making it from scratch! What a fantastic idea! The butter pat – a classic. Thanks for the suggestion!

    1. Better get those steaks friend, time to relax and enjoy the weekend. Cheers to a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. 🙂

  4. I love steaks, and haven’t had one in a while! But I can literally smell that smoky flavor through the screen!

    1. Hi Julia! Honestly, I was just talking to a friend about you two days ago, we must be on the same wavelength! 🙂 Really, so strange… I mean good.
      I must admit we eat more chicken, fish and pork than beef, but every now and then, like this. How can one resist, right? Hope this finds you well and thanks for stopping by.

  5. Now this looks like summer on a plate! I love a good steak…and that compound butter. I’m gonna be thinking about that butter all day long!

    1. Thanks Dave. You know the compound butter is so good to have on hand for other dishes and to finish off a vegetable too. Happy Summer!

  6. I rarely eat red meat as Dean isn’t all that big on it, and cooking two separate things just don’t work for me. Now I’m craving a steak, Kevin. Summer, winter, I’d eat it anytime.

    1. Over the last couple of years it’s made a lesser appearance on out dining table too, but every now and then! 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    Well we have the same taste in steaks, Kevin! Love me a good rib eye (and flank or filet, obviously). Your Montreal Seasoning sounds delicious!! Love that orange zest in there! We have been grilling steaks at least once a week, so I’m totally adding these to the menu! Gimme all the juicy, steak deliciousness! Cheers, buddy!

  8. Hey Kevin! Ribeye is our steak of choice and quite often I get get in bone in and on sale! When they go on sale we stock up the freezer…we do this with other meats as well. Wish I had been at your place for dinner! Nothing beats a great grilled steak! Maybe with some grilled corn to go with…

    1. Thanks Dorothy! Corn, salad, whatever side you pair this with it’s so tasty. Topping it with the compound butter is highly recommended. 😉
      I find the orange and dill such a fun dance on the tongue with the charred, grilled steak. So good! Hope you and Gary had a wonderful weekend.

  9. Bath tissue cardboard tube to assist with the butter rolling/shape? Brilliant! I love a good steak, especially when topped with such a flavourful butter. Can it get any better? Bone in rib eyes are my fav. Hubby and I were actually just talking about our favourite steaks just yesterday. We don’t eat steaks a lot, but when we do, this is the kind of recipe we go for. Such a perfect summertime meal 🙂

    1. Thanks! Good minds think alike, right Dawn? This, a baked potato or Hasselback and I’m good to go, but I try to add some greens in the meal just to round it out. 🙂

  10. Next time Eric makes a steak on the Egg, I’ll be sure to prepare some of that herbed butter for him to put on top.