How To Grill Steak On A Gas Grill To Perfection

Steak is one of my favorite foods to cook at home on my grill.

It is easy how to grill steak on a gas grill to perfection but it is also easy to mess up if you do not know how to do the basics.

Grilling steak on a gas grill is easy and you can easily grill a tender steak on a gas grill without failing at it.

The tender results you get once you perfect cooking steak on your grill is next to none.

There are so many amazing flavors that you can add and you never run out of side dishes to pair it with.

My main secret to cooking steaks is to approach the process carefully. You can use these tips if you want to grill a ribeye steak/ tomahawk steak on a gas grill.

You need to treat the steak delicately to get the results you want when you cook.

The grill, while important, is only a part of a process that involves a lot of work.

Knowing the right tips to grilling a steak on a gas grill is important as you can save a lot of time with trail and error and you get a perfect tender steak everytime you grill it on a gas grill.

A combination of your grill management skills, steak type, and grill features will give you a perfect steak.

Again, it is easy to mess it up so you need to take the job pretty seriously.

There are only a few things that you need to remember and all the other things you need to do will come naturally to you.

So check out the tips and guide below to cook your steak perfectly.

Starting With The Steak

You need to know what kind of steak you are cooking to cook it perfectly.

There are different cuts of meat that you can get and there are some specific features to look for.

Understanding the different cuts of steak will help you set the temperature, timer, and accessories you need to cook it.

Research a bit before you head to the supermarket to buy.

So let’s talk about steaks.

My favorite and perhaps the most common cut of steak you will find in butcher shops and supermarkets is the filet mignon, also known as the tenderloin.

It is the most tender cut that you will find in any cut of meat on the market. It is soft so when you cook it, it requires the most delicacy from you so it does not stick to the grill or come out overcooked.

The next common type of steak you will find is the top sirloin steak.

It is also known as the New York strip or the Kansas City strip which contains a beefy flavor and is slightly tender.

It is not as tender as the tenderloin but it is up there.

When you get a New York strip, the advantage you get is the flavor as it does not have too much marbling and is full of meaty flavors.

The T-bone steak or the porterhouse steak is one of the largest cuts of steak.

It comes from the upper rib which also means that it has decent marbling and is softer when cooked.

Ribeye is also one of the more common cuts of steak and it is up there when it comes to my favorites. Flank steaks and skirt steaks are also there for my fajitas and meat fillings.

What To Look For In A Steak?

The main thing that you should look for when choosing a steak is marbling.

Marbling is simply a term used to describe the number of fats that run along the grain of lean meat.

If the meat has good marbling, it will be softer when it is cooked and it hardly dries up despite cooking it over direct heat, which you will when you use a gas grill to cook it.

Marbling is not only the fat you find on the outside of the meat as that is called the fat cap.

Marbling is the fat that runs along with the meat or inside the steak – the white lines on the meat.

Experts tell you that steaks with more marbling are better. If to buy high-quality steaks online then I recommend that you check out the Snake River Farms as they have the best quality.

When you cook meat with good marbling over direct heat, the fats will melt and produce a buttery texture.

The melted fats will make the steak juicy and start to coat the lean meat that you need to tenderize. From there, the steak will start to become juicier and more tender.

Grilling Your Steaks

Now, we head to the skills and features that you need to know to cook your steak. This starts with the preparation of the steak so you know how to season steak properly.

Dry The Steaks

Before anything else, you need to make sure that the steak is dry. Just pat some paper towels over the steak so that you remove the excess moisture from the meat before cooking it.

Removing the excess moisture from the steak is important because it helps make the meat get more flavors from the seasoning. It also helps with the consistency of the texture.

See, when you leave the excess moisture on the steak, it will not cook how you want it. The moisture will prolong the process and melt the steak’s outer part and make it crumbly instead of chewy.

RELATED- How to grill a New York strip steak

Seasoning Or Marinating?

There is an ongoing debate on whether you should marinate your steak or simply just season it to help it boost the flavors of your steak or make it tender. So let us clear that with this section.

Seasoning with simple dry ingredients or herbs is great as it truly gets the flavors into the meat. This is my favorite technique as I rarely marinate steak.

It does not add any excess moisture so the main benefit of seasoning the steak with dry spices is it locks the flavor in.

Marinating is the process of soaking food in an acidic and savory liquid before cooking. It adds flavor as well but the main purpose of marinades is to start tenderizing the meat.

Even then, you still need to pat the steak dry after you have marinated it. Just like seasonings, you also do not need complex ingredients for the marinade a simple lemon juice and such will suffice.

Tip: If you are grilling a high-quality steak, I love using salt and pepper only as a seasoning and not pre-made seasonings to let the flavor of the steak be the highlight.

How to grill a steak on a gas grill

Step 1-

Make sure the steak you are about to grill is at room temperature and start your gas grill. You need to get your gas grill to max heat in the beginning before you can put your steaks down on the grill.

Step 2-

You need to sear your steak for about 3-4 minutes on both sides on direct heat and then place it far away from the flame in indirect heat of the grill and cook the steak till the internal temperature of the steak is around 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you want you can follow the grilling steak rule of 3 and not keep it for more than 3 minutes on direct heat.

When I grill a tomahawk steak on a gas grill, I usually keep it for four minutes since that steak is pretty thick.

But with other steaks like the sirloin steak, ribeye steak of chuck eye steak, following the grilling steak rule of 3 is ideal.

Depending on the thickness of the meat, you can sear both sides initially and then close the lid and cook the steak in indirect heat.

Make sure you season your steak with salt, pepper, and garlic powder as you sear each side on the gas grill.

Step 3-

Close the lid while you cook the steak till it reaches 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit. Now in a separate stove grill pan, place two blocks of butter and then add some thyme, rosemary, and salt in it.

Once the steak is cooked brush the butter mixture into the steak and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

This recipe on how to grill a steak on a gas grill will help you grill a tender steak on a gas grill every time without fail.

Pro Tip- If you are wondering how long to grill a steak on the gas grill then the two things to keep in mind is the grilling steak rule of 3 and the internal temperature of the steak.

All About Temperatures

There are two main types of temperatures that you need to consider when cooking steaks. The first one is the external temperature which is the temperature that you set your gas grill on.

The other temperature that you need to know is the internal temperature of the steak. You can measure the steak’s doneness and see if it has reached the right temperature.

Want to know how to grill steak on gas grill to medium-rare? Well, the internal temperature comes to play here and is crucial.

If your steak’s internal temperature is 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, then your steak is medium rare.

If you want medium doneness then cook the steak to a 140 degree Fahrenheit as an internal temperature.

This is the part where you get to cook the steak on your gas grill. Gas grills are easy to use as you do not have to start the fire yourself when you are about to cook.

Grilling The Steak

What temperature should you grill a steak on a gas grill? Well, that is easy to answer if you look at the answers from the internet as most of them would say that you should set the heat to high.

The confusion here is that some grills are designed to set specific temperature readings. Some grills require that you set the temperature to a specific level at Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Others would even say that you should set the temperature to medium-high. While that is right, you might be confused about what exact temperature it is just like I did.

At medium-high temperature, the grill should read a maximum of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important that you set the temperature to high when cooking steak to develop the crust.

High heat means that the grill should be around 450 degrees up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is advisable to get to that temperature, but you need to keep an eye on the steak you are grilling.

Do you grill steaks on a gas grill with the lid open or closed?

Well, you have to sear the steak for the first three minutes on each side with the grill lid open, then you have to place it on indirect heat and close the lid and let it cook till the internal temperature is above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Internal temperature of the steak(MEDIUM RARE STEAK)

The other temperature that you need to figure out is the steak’s internal temperature when you are cooking. This is where you will need a meat probe or a meat thermometer for the job.

Once you figure out the internal temperature of the meat, you will know what type of doneness it has achieved. I would recommend medium-rare for any steak which is 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you aim for medium doneness, the internal temperature of the steak should be 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Well-done doneness is at 145 degrees Fahrenheit but I do not recommend going that far.

Tip: It is more important to cook the steak based on the internal temperature rather than just the amount of time as the longevity of cooking steak relies on the thickness of the cut.

Another way to know the steak’s doneness is the finger test where you press your middle finger against your thumb and press the base of the thumb and compare it to the steak.

If it matches, then the steak is medium-rare, check again by putting your ring finger against your thumb for medium-well, and then your pinky against your thumb for well-done.

While it is easy and convenient, I do not recommend testing the steak’s doneness with this technique as it can be inconsistent.

Letting The Steak Rest

Perhaps the most important tip that I can give you is to allow the steak to rest after grilling it. Allowing the steak to rest brings a lot of magic to the steak.

After you have cooked the steak, letting it rest will bring back the juices into the meat. I always do this for at least 8 minutes and can even sometimes go for 15 minutes.

This depends on the thickness of the steak as well. The thicker the steak, the longer the resting period so that the juices settle properly into the meat.

Every time I do this, the steak runs juicy with a clear liquid once I cut through it. It is a satisfying look and you will instantly know that the steak is cooked to perfection.

This is all you need to know when you want to grill a tomahawk/ sirloin steal on a gas grill.