This sous vide T-bone steak recipe is juicy, simple and absolutely delicious! Serve with your favorite sides for a special holiday dinner or whip it up for an easy weeknight meal.
No sous vide machine? Check out how to cook t bone steak in oven or make this oven baked tri tip…
The Best Way to Cook T-Bone steak
Holy Moly. This recipe for sous vide T-Bone steak finished in a cast iron pan is ridiculously easy to make! Once you learn how to sous vide T-bone Steak, I doubt you’ll cook it any other way.
- The inside turns out a perfect medium.
- It’s tender and juicy.
- The outside crust is drenched in garlic butter and seared in a cast iron pan to achieve the perfect “bark”.
- And all you need is a couple of ingredients!
For beginners, steak can be an intimidating protein to cook, but using the sous vide makes this recipe super easy! Sous viding is a completely fool-proof way to cook steak evenly, making it very difficult to overcook the steak.
Also see how to make smoked t-bone steaks…
Ingredients
You can use any T-bone up to 2.5” thick for this recipe. I used a 1.25″ thick T-bone steak from a mail order delivery company that ships gorgeous cuts of beef from Nebraska to your doorstep! This beef was dry aged for 21 days, just like you’d expect from a high-end steakhouse.
Want to try new flavors with your steaks? Check out this sous vide steak seasoning or flank steak marinade!
How to Make Sous Vide T-Bone
Step 1. Set the sous vide machine to 130 degrees. I made this recipe with my Anova.
Step 2. Pat the T-bone steak dry and season it salt. Top it with shallots and cilantro, then vacuum seal it.
TIP: Get your vacuum sealing technique down with this guide on how to vacuum seal meat. For a step by step video, check out my Foodsaver 4400 vacuum sealer video.
Step 3. Sous vide the T bone at 130 degrees for 2.5 hours for medium-rare to medium.
Step 4. Remove the T bone steak from the vacuum sealed bag. Discard the cilantro.
Step 5. Pat the T bone dry with a paper towel before searing it.
Step 6. Add olive oil to a large cast iron pan on medium-high heat. When olive oil is hot (it will be shiny), add the T bone steak to the pan.
Step 7. Add garlic and butter to the pan, and “baste” the steak continually as it cooks for 30 seconds on each side.
Step 8. Then sear the edges of the steak for 5 seconds each side. To cook the sous vide steak to about medium, sear the two big flat sides for an additional 15 seconds.
Step 9. Remove steak from pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Rest the sous vide T bone steak for at least 5 minutes before serving or cutting. To serve, drizzle with garlic butter from the pan and chipotle herb dressing.
FAQs
Can you sous vide frozen T-bone steak?
Yes, add 60 minutes to the sous vide bath time to cook T-bone steak from frozen. This is a great option if you want to buy a bunch of steaks in advance. Season the steaks prior to vacuum sealing and freezing so it’s easy to pull them out and cook them.
How do you check in temperature of the T-bone steak?
The easiest way to keep track of the internal temperature of steak is to use a digital thermometer. The buzzer goes off when the steak cooks to your desired temp. However, since the internal temperature of the sous vide steak is already cooked to 130 degrees (medium-rare), it’s pretty easy to “wing it”.
To keep the steak as close to medium-rare as possible, sear the steak on each side for 30 seconds.
Can you overcook sous vide steak?
If you use my recommended time and temp for sous vide t bone steak, you can’t overcook the steak. The only variable is when you sear the steak in the cast iron pan, or finish it on the grill. The final step to get a crust on the steak shouldn’t take more than two minutes. If you’re nervous about burning your steak, use a digital thermometer.
How do you make the chipotle herb sauce?
This is one of my favorite colorful and intensely flavored green sauces for steak. Pulse cilantro, chipotle, and lemon juice a few times in the food processor while drizzling in olive oil. Do not purée the mixture, just roughly combine the green sauce ingredients. The herb sauce should have a rough texture. Once combined, add salt and pepper to taste.
Love trying new sauces with your sous vide steaks? This creamy peppercorn sauce recipe for steak takes only 15 minutes! Make it with beef stock or leftover juice from sous vide cooking or roasting beef.
Final Tips for Making Sous Vide T-Bone Steak
- The ice bath is optional. You do not need to use an ice bath for this recipe. I put it right in the cast iron pan. But you can. Especially if you’re not going to sear the steak right away. Here’s how… Prepare an ice bath when steak is almost done in the sous vide bath. Fill a large bowl of water with a handful of ice cubes. When sous vide t bone steak is done cooking, shock it in the ice bath.
- Cooking for a crowd. If you are sous viding multiple T bones, vacuum seal them in separate bags (since they are so big). If you vacuum seal them in the same bag, make sure they aren’t touching.
- Enjoy the leftovers. The steak can be refrigerated after the sous vide bath for 1-2 days with wonderful results. You can sous vide it one day, then sear it the next. Keep it in the vacuum sealed bag for freshness.
- Basting basics. For steak cooking newbies, basting means to spoon the garlic butter over the steak. Do this during the entire searing process – about 1-2 minutes – to lock in a ton of juicy and flavor.
- Try a mayo sear. Did you know you can mayo sear sous vide steak — like the juicy piece in this sous vide boneless ribeye steak recipe? The results are to die for! Half a tablespoon of mayo per steak is all you need to infuse extra juiciness, extra flavor, and make this sous vide dish just that much better than any steak you’ve ever served. You can do this with both traditional steaks and sous vide ones. You’re welcome.
- Make it a surf and turf! Serve steak with this sous vide seafood recipe: Sous Vide Lobster Tails.
- Add all the sides. For sides, pair this T-bone with with sous vide onions in beer, potatoes gratin with pesto or another one of these potato side dishes for steak. Or for a heartier meal, pair one of these pasta side dishes.
Sous Vide Steak Time and Temperature
All sous vide steaks can be cooked between 45 minutes – 4 hours. In this recipe, I cooked the steak 2.5 hours, but I’ve cooked steak for as low as 45 minutes with delicious results.
Don’t forget to add 60 minutes when cooking from frozen.
- Rare steak – sous vide at 120-128°F
- Medium rare steak – sous vide at 129-134°F
- Steak cooked medium– sous vide at 135-144°F
- Medium well steak – sous vide at 145-155°F
- Well done steak – sous vide at 156-162°F
Tools to Help with Sous Vide Cooking
- A big sous vide bucket to hold the water “sous vide bath” that the food cooks inside.
- Vacuum sealer and bags or plastic gallon bags to cook food.
- A sous vide machine like the Anova, Joule, Instant Pot Slim
- A big sous vide bucket or stock pot to hold the water the food cooks in
- Egg bites and desserts need small mason jars to cook in and the kind that does *not* curve (like this particular mason jar) – is my favorite because it makes it easier for the egg bites to pop out.
- Metal tongs to remove food from the sous vide bath.
- Protect natural stone countertops from the heat of the water bath with a cutting board.
- For more sous vide inspiration, see the sous vide cookbook by Jenna from Sip Bite Go
Are you a foodie, too?
I’m passionate about sous vide cooking, and maybe that’s why Sip Bite Go has become one of the most popular sous vide blogs on the web. It’s where I share what I’m doing in the kitchen, and I love putting up new videos and recipes so you can follow along.
Find me on Instagram to see my latest sous vide cooks @sipbitego.
For in-depth tutorials on sous viding steak and more, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel.
Find new ways to enjoy your favorite food with sous vide cooking with my new book – The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.
How to Sous Vide T Bone Steak | Sip Bite Go
Video
Ingredients
Sous Vide T Bone Steak
- 1.75 lbs T-bone steak
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp shallot diced (substitute garlic)
- 10 cilantro sprigs
- 1 tbsp garlic diced
- 2 tbsp butter
Chipotle Herb Sauce
- 1 cup cilantro rough chopped
- ½ tsp chipotle powder substitute paprika or chili powder
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a sous vide bath to 130 degrees.
- Pat the T bone steak dry, season with salt, then top with shallots and cilantro. Vacuum seal.
- Sous vide at 130 degrees for 2.5 hours for medium/ medium-rare. (note – you can sous vide tbone steak for 45minutes – 4 hours with great results).
- (Optional) Prepare chipotle herb sauce. Pulse cilantro, chipotle, and lemon juice a few times while drizzling olive oil in a food processor. Do not purée, just roughly combine the green sauce ingredients. The herb sauce should have a rough texture. Once combined, add salt and pepper to taste.
- (Optional to do if not searing right away) Prepare an ice bath when steak is almost done in the sous vide bath. Fill a large bowl of water with a handful of ice cubes. When sous vide T bone steak is done cooking, shock it in the ice bath.
- Remove the T bone steak from the vacuum sealed bag. Discard the cilantro. Pat the bone steak dry with a paper towel.
- Heat a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When olive oil is hot (it will be shiny), add T bone steak to pan. Add garlic and butter to the pan, and continue to spoon it over the steak during the entire searing process – which takes about 1-2 minutes.
- To keep the steak as medium-rare as possible, sear the steak on each side for 30 seconds. Then sear the edges for 5 seconds each side. To cook the sous vide steak to about medium, sear the two big flat sides for an additional 15 seconds.
- Remove steak from pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Rest the sous vide T bone steak for at least 5 minutes. Cut steak. To serve, drizzle with garlic butter from the pan and chipotle herb dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
- You don’t need to add butter or olive oil to the sous vide bag. The latest belief is that adding these fats during the sous vide process will dilute the flavor of the steak.
- How do you flavor sous vide steak? Use salt and aromatics to flavor the steak. Try fresh herbs, garlic and/or shallots. My #1 used salt is this Penzey’s garlic salt.
- If you want to add flavor with spices, add them in the final step, when the steak is about to be seared in the cast iron pan. This leads to the best flavor.
- Looking for good flavor? Try this smokes spice sampler.
- If you’re sous viding multiple T bones, vacuum seal them in separate bags (since they are so big).
- Like my vacuum sealer? Me, too. Check it out in my Foodsaver 4400 Vacuum Sealer Demo Video.
- What sous vide machine do you use? This recipe used my Anova.
- How do you get the perfect medium steak temperature? The easiest way to keep track of the internal temperature of the steak while searing the edges in the cast iron pan is to use a digital thermometer with a buzzer that will go off when the steak is cooked to desired temp. However, since the internal temperature of the sous vide steak is already cooked to 130 degrees (medium-rare), it’s pretty easy to “wing it”.
Jason Swift says
I seasoned my T-Bone steaks with Himalayan salt, celery salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and black pepper. I then followed these cooking instructions, leaving them in 135 F water for 3.5 hours. I patted them dry and seared and basted as instructed (And what a wonderful caramelization there was!!). The entire family loved them and begged for more! The flavor and texture was perfect. Will do again!
Chris David says
I cooked a boneless leg of lamb for the first time tonight. Thanks to your directions, it came out wonderfully!
Jimmy Mondonedo says
I just got my sous vide and would like to try out a 1 inch T-bone steak that i have. What temperature and for how long will i cook it sous vide? Your recipe is for a 1.25″ steak. Appreciade if you can replay. Another thing, whats books will you recommend for a sous vide begginer aside from the Home Chef Sous vide cookbook. Thanks
Jenna Passaro says
Hi Jimmy – the same time and temperature for sous vide t bone steak will work for your cut, even though it’s a little thicker.
Here’s a whole page with sous vide cookbook recommendations: https://sipbitego.com/sous-vide-cookbooks/
Cheers!
Jenna
Gretchen says
Wow, what a delicious recipe! I prepared this as a special New Year’s Eve dinner for my husband, and we both loved it. We’re both trying to be a bit healthier in the new year, though, so I’m going to try sous vide salmon next time. Thank you for sharing!
Developer says
Drop me a line and I’ll send my favorite sous vide salmon recipe.
Ivana says
I love it, easy to make and delicious, especially with that sauce xo
http://www.theninebyivanablogspot.com
Christa says
Wow, the whole dish looks amazing bu the chipotle herb sauce really seals the deal.
Angella says
OMG…i’m not a meat eater but this recipe looks amazing. Thanks for sharing…will save for the hubby!