I cook my steak the way Gordon Ramsay does, by feel more than by the clock, though the times still help you plan. For a 2.5cm (1 inch) steak in a screaming hot pan, that is 2½ to 3 minutes a side for medium rare, then a 5 minute rest. Those numbers come straight from his Ultimate Cookery Course.
He tells you to judge it by touch, which sounds fussy until you try it. Press the steak, then press the fleshy bit at the base of your thumb with your hand open, and that softness is rare. Firmer means medium, very firm means well done, and that little trick is his, from the same book.
Two things move every number on this page: how thick the steak is, and the rest. A thin one needs about half the time, while a thick one gets seared then finished in the oven. And please rest it the full 5 minutes, or the juice ends up on the board instead of in the meat.
The quick answer
A 2.5cm (1 inch) steak in a hot pan needs roughly 2 minutes a side for rare, 2½ to 3 for medium rare, 3½ to 4 for medium, 4 to 4½ for medium well, and 5 or more for well done. Rest it 5 minutes before you cut it.
Steak cooking times by doneness
I pulled these pan times from his Ultimate Cookery Course and Bread Street Kitchen, and the pull temperatures off his tomahawk and filet mignon recipes. Take the steak off the heat at the lower number, because it keeps cooking while it rests.
| Doneness | Per side | Pull from heat | After rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 2 min | 48-50°C / 118-122°F | 52°C / 126°F |
| Medium rare | 2½-3 min | 54-57°C / 130-135°F | 57-60°C / 135-140°F |
| Medium | 3½-4 min | 60°C / 140°F | 63°C / 145°F |
| Medium well | 4-4½ min | 63-65°C / 145-150°F | 68°C / 155°F |
| Well done | 5 min+ or oven-finish | 68-71°C / 155-160°F | 71°C+ / 160°F+ |
Steak cooking times by thickness
Thickness changes everything, so this is how I adjust. Half an inch (1.5cm) is thin, so I give it barely 1 to 1½ minutes a side and watch it closely. An inch (2.5cm) takes the times above. An inch and a half (4cm) wants an extra minute a side, or a sear then a few minutes in a hot oven. Anything 2 inches (5cm) and up is too thick for the pan alone, so I sear it all over then finish it in the oven at 160°C (325°F), which is exactly what he does in his cast iron steak and tomahawk recipes.
Steak cooking times by cut
Every cut behaves a bit differently, so here is how Gordon handles the main ones, with the recipe behind each if you want his full method.
| Cut | How he cooks it | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sirloin | hot pan, butter baste, no oven | 2½-3 min a side → sirloin steak |
| New York strip | coffee rub, sear and baste | 2½-3 min a side → New York strip |
| Ribeye | render the fat edge first | ~3-4 min a side |
| Filet mignon | sear then baste, pull at 54°C | 2-3 min a side + 2 min baste → filet mignon |
| Tomahawk / thick bone-in | sear on the hob, finish in oven | sear + oven, pull 54-57°C → tomahawk steak |
| Whole beef fillet | hard sear, then oven 200°C | 10-12 min rare / 15-17 medium rare → beef fillet |
| Skirt / flank | very hot and fast, slice across grain | 2-3 min a side |
FAQs
How long do you cook a steak in a cast iron pan?
Cast iron is my favourite for this, because it holds its heat when the cold steak lands and the sear never stalls. I give it 2½ to 3 minutes a side for medium rare and baste with butter, thyme and garlic for the last minute. For a thick one, his cast iron steak recipe sears first then finishes in the oven at 160°C (325°F) for about 8 minutes.
How long do you cook a steak in an air fryer?
Gordon does have an air fryer version, and it runs hotter and longer than you would expect. At 200°C (390°F) he gives a 3cm (1 inch) steak 7 to 8 minutes a side, and a thick 5cm (2 inch) ribeye about 10 minutes a side for medium rare. Rest it 5 minutes after, same as a pan steak. His full air fryer steak method has the rub and butter.
How long to cook a steak on the grill?
I treat the grill exactly like the pan, so 2½ to 3 minutes a side for a 1 inch steak over direct high heat, turning once it has its marks and a crust. If it is thick, I move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish, which is just his sear-then-oven trick done outside.
How long should you rest a steak?
At least 5 minutes for a normal steak, and as long as the cooking time for a big joint or a whole fillet. Resting lets the fibres relax and draw the juice back in, so it stays in the meat instead of running out the moment you cut. I cover mine loosely with foil to hold the heat.
How do you cook a thick steak without burning the outside?
You sear it hard all over first for the crust, then move it to a hot oven to cook through gently. Gordon does this with both his tomahawk and his whole beef fillet, a fierce sear then 160 to 200°C in the oven. I go by a thermometer here rather than the clock, because thick cuts are too easy to overshoot.
