Steak Grilling Temperatures
The grill temperature for steak may vary from grill to grill. There’s really only one way to find the right temperature and knob settings, and that’s grilling, grilling and more grilling. There are two major keys to grilling the perfect steak on a gas grill. The first is making sure you take you bring your steak to room temperature prior to cooking. This can be done by taking your steak out of the refrigerator at least twenty minutes before you plan to cook. Getting the meat to room temperature ensures that there are no cold spots on the meat allowing you to cook the meat evenly throughout the grilling process.
The second key is setting the right grill temperature, and getting the grill to a stable temperature prior to cooking. If you are using a gas grill, we recommend setting the burner temperature to a high heat. This would be around 450ᵒF. Keep an eye on the grill, as often times the temperature can creep higher. I personally start the grill (we have a Weber) with the knobs aimed at the max temperature, but then I will quickly turn the dials down to about medium. Every grill is a bit different, but after a few times, you’ll know your grills setting to achieve a temp of 450ᵒF.
What temperature to grill steak?
| Step | Dial Setting | Temperature | Timing |
| Pre-heat the Grill | High | 450ᵒF | 0 – 15 minutes |
| Get Grill to Temperature | Medium / High | 450ᵒF | 5 minutes |
| Medium Rare | Medium / High | 450ᵒF | 4 – 5 minutes each side |
| Medium | Medium / High | 450ᵒF | 5 – 7 minutes each side |
| Well Done | Medium / High | 450ᵒF | 8 – 10 minutes each side |
How long do you cook a steak on a grill?
Now that we have our grill to temperature, we can take a look at different cook times based on your preferred level of steak doneness. The other variable to take into consideration is the thickness of the steak. Thinner steaks will cook faster, while thicker steaks may need some extra time to come to temperature.
Here are the average cook times when using a gas grill to cook steak:
- Medium Rare: 4-5 minutes on the first side, flipping and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes
- Medium: 5-7 minutes on the first side, then an additional 5-7 minutes after flipping
- Medium Well: 8-10 minutes on the first side, and another 8-10 minutes after flipping
As a reminder, keep in mind the thickness of the cut. Depending on the size of the steak, you may need to add some additional cook time. Check out the FDA site for safe internal temperatures for meat. Also check out our favorite grilling gadgets of 2023.
Grill Temperature for T-Bone Steak
When it comes to grilling, larger, thicker steaks like T-Bones, we actually will not change the grill temperature from 450ᵒF. However, we will adjust the cooking time to get to our level of desired doneness. While technically, the steak will cook faster at higher temps, but you run the risk of burning, overcooking and charring your steak. That’s certainly not something that we want to do when we’re talking about an expensive cut like a T-Bone or Porterhouse steak.
Depending on the thickness of the steak, we will add one to two minutes extra grilling time on each side. If it’s particularly thick, and I want to get it to an exact temperature, I may even consider getting my MEATER thermometer out. That way, I’ll know the grill temperature is correct, and the thermometer will tell me when it gets the exact internal steak temperature that I am looking for.
Final Thoughts
Getting to know your grill is the most important step to finding the right grill temperature for steak. Regardless of the grill we shoot for a grill temp of 450ᵒF, and then adjust our cooking time based on the thickness of the cook and the desired level of doneness. As with most things, after cooking a few steaks on your grill, you’ll become accustomed to your setup, and you won’t think twice about what temperature to set your grill knobs.