Grilled T-Bone Steak Recipe
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These Grilled T-Bone Steaks are seared over high heat then topped with an herby, spicy cowboy butter for a steak that’s tender and loaded with flavor. We’ll share all our best tips for getting perfect grilled steaks every time!
This post was developed in partnership with Ohio Beef. As always, all opinions are my own.
Perfect Grilled T-Bone Steaks
Table of Contents
Nobody wants to waste a package of nice steaks on a ho-hum meal. You want to cook them right, the first time, and enjoy the heck out of every bite. We know grilling steaks can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! With a few simple tips, you can make an absolutely killer grilled T-bone steak on your very first try.
We use a simple grilling technique, basic seasonings, and an absolutely incredible Cowboy Butter to make a steak that is tender, juicy, and flavorful every time. Pair it with Sauteed Zucchini and Goat Cheese or Garlic Green Beans for a perfect summer meal.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- T-bone steaks– A T-bone is a bone-in steak that includes a strip steak and a small portion of the filet. Look for steaks with lots of marbling (that’s the white stuff!) for the best flavor. To learn more about picking cuts of beef from the grocery store, check out our post on Choice vs Prime beef.
- Salt and pepper– We like to let the flavor of the meat really shine, which means keeping the seasonings simple. If you can get your hands on some smoked salt, it’s especially wonderful for steaks and grilling recipes. We source ours locally from The American Smoke Company, but you can also find it online. Otherwise, Kosher salt works great.
- Cowboy butter– This compound butter is the perfect way to add a burst of flavor to your finished steaks. It’s got fresh herbs, garlic, a hint of lemon, and a nice kick of spice.
How to Grill Bone In Steak
Step 1: Season steaks. Remove the steak from the fridge, and sprinkle generously with Kosher salt and pepper on both sides. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, clean and oil the grill and preheat to high heat (500 degrees), with one area of the grill left without open flame (or on charcoal, an area that’s not directly over the hot coals).
Step 2: Grill. Place the steak over direct heat and cover the grill. Allow to sear for 1-1.5 minutes, then turn the steak 90 degrees. (Be sure to re-cover the grill between each turn!) Sear another 1-1.5 minutes, then flip the steak over completely. Sear for another minute, then turn the steak a final time, moving the filet side to indirect heat. Continue to cook the steak another 3-5 minutes, or until you reach your desired temperature.
Step 3: Top and serve. Remove the steaks to a plate and top with generous slices of Cowboy Butter. Tent with foil and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
T-bone Vs. Porterhouse: What’s the Difference?
The steaks you see pictured here were both labeled as T-bones at my local grocery store, but you can see there’s a massive difference in the size from the left to the right! T-bones and porterhouses both include a strip steak and a tenderloin (filet mignon). The only difference is the size of the filet. A cut where the filet (the piece on the right side of the bone) measures more than 1.25 inches is a Porterhouse. Anything under that is a T-bone.
I would classify the steak on the left as a T-bone and the steak on the right as a porterhouse, but if you can pay T-bone prices for a porterhouse, I always call that a win! We tested this recipe with both steaks, and it works well for either! Use this same technique whether you’re grilling a T-bone or a porterhouse.
Expert Grilling Tips
- Store steaks properly. To maintain freshness and food safety, steaks should be stored in the fridge on the lowest shelf on a plate or tray to catch any drippings. Most steaks should be cooked within 3-4 days of purchasing, with vacuum sealed steaks lasting a bit longer.
- Let your steak rest at room temperature before grilling. I recommend resting for at least 30 minutes, but not more than an hour. For food safety purposes, steaks should never be rested in the sun or by the hot grill.
- Season the steak while it’s resting and season generously! You can keep the seasonings very simple. Kosher salt and pepper are great, just make sure it’s well covered. That 30 minute rest gives the seasonings a chance to infuse into the meat before it’s cooked.
- Start with high heat, finish on low. We like to sear the steak over high heat (500 degrees), then move it to a cooler side of the grill to complete cooking. This is called two-zone cooking. This is especially helpful for a grilled T-bone steak or Porterhouse, where the filet will cook quicker than the strip steak. Position the filet over the indirect heat portion of the grill for the best results.
- Use a meat thermometer to achieve your perfect doneness, without cutting into the steak. Remove from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees for medium rare, 140 degrees for medium, and 150 degrees for medium well. We really love this grilling thermometer that pings your phone when the exact temperature is reached!
- Let it rest (yes, again). Tent the finished steaks with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat.
- Slice steak against the grain for optimal texture. ‘The grain’ refers to the direction of the muscle fibers. Slicing ‘across the grain’ or against the direction of the fibers, results in an easier chew and better texture.
FAQs
To get the grill pattern you see here, you’ll want to first ensure you start with a really hot grill! Place the steak directly on the grates and make sure it’s seared (usually 1-2 minutes), then lift the steak, turn it 90 degrees, and place it back down on the grates. Sear another 1-2 minutes, then flip and repeat the process on the other side.
A 12-16 oz T-bone steak that’s 1 inch thick will take around 10 minutes to grill. That said, many factors can influence how long a steak takes to grill, including the thickness of the steak and how hot your grill is. We always recommend using a meat thermometer for the most consistent results!
Side Dishes for Steak
We love to pair steak with potatoes in every form. Baked potatoes are a classic, of course, but the steaks are also wonderful with air fryer potatoes, crock pot mashed potatoes, and cheesy potatoes.
Light, vinegary, and green sides are also a welcome pairing for steak. We recommend our Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing, Easy Garden Salad, or Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Or try our Sauteed Zucchini with Goat Cheese or Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms.
If you want to stick with the Tex-Mex flair of the cowboy butter, add a side of Black Bean and Corn Salsa for a perfect dinner.
More Steak Recipes
Although many believe that industrial farming has taken the place of family farms and ranches, 97
percent of beef farms are family-owned and operated, including 15,000 farms in my home state of Ohio! Ohio’s beef farmers use the latest technology and resources to ensure they are raising cattle in a safe, humane and environmentally sustainable way. Here are more of our favorite ways to cook with steak!
Raining outside? Make this Cast Iron Ribeye Steak!
Love surf n’ turf? Try our Steak and Scallops or our Steak and Shrimp Scampi.
Feeling a sandwich? Enjoy this Grilled Skirt Steak Sandwich or Prime Rib Sandwich.
Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming
families. Use #OhioBeef to share photos of the delicious beef dishes you love to make.
Join the NeighborFood email community to get recipes in your inbox ad-free! Or consider becoming a paid subscriber to access exclusive content and conversations with us. You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest. Made our recipe? Leave us a star rating or comment below!
Grilled T-Bone Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 T-bone steaks (about 1-1 1/4 inch thick)
- 1-1 1/2 teaspoons smoked salt (or substitute Kosher salt)
- ¾ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons cowboy butter (for finishing)
Instructions
- Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before you’re ready to grill. Place on a plate, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Rest at room temperature (never in the sun) for at least 30 minutes, but no more than an hour.
- Clean and oil your grill grates. For a gas grill, preheat the grill to high heat (500+ degrees), with direct flame on all but one section. For charcoal, prepare one area for high heat cooking directly over the coals and one for indirect cooking.
- Place the steaks over direct heat and cover the grill. Sear for 1-1.5 minutes, then lift and turn the steak 90 degrees. Return to the grill. (This is how you get that lovely grill pattern!) Sear another 1-1.5 minutes, then flip the steak over completely. Sear for another minute, then turn the steak 90 degrees, placing the filet side over indirect heat. Continue to cook the steak another 3-5 minutes, or until you reach your desired temperature. We like to pull it around 135 degrees for a medium rare steak.
- Plate the steaks, top with a generous pat of Cowboy Butter, and tent with foil. Rest for 7-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Our steaks were about 1.25 inches thick. If you have thicker steaks, you will need to add a few minutes to the cook time.
- This recipe also works for Porterhouse steaks, but they’ll likely need a few extra minutes to cook, as they’re larger than a T-bone.
- Moving the steak (especially the filet side!) to indirect heat for the last part of the cooking process will help the steak cook more evenly.
- I’m always a little eye-rolly about fancy kitchen gadgets, but this meat thermometer that stays in your steak and pings your phone when it reaches your desired temperature is pretty great and surprisngly affordable.