How to cook a steak sous vide

What do you need?

Ingredients

• 1 steak, any thickness
• Kosher salt
• High-smoke-point oil for the sear

Equipment

• Immersion circulator
• Zip-top or vacuum bags
• Large pot or container
• Cast iron skillet
• Paper towels

Not sure what temperature to aim for? See the steak doneness chart and how to take a steak's temperature, or plan your exact steak below.

Step by step

1. Set the bath. Set the circulator to the final temperature you want the steak to be. The center can never get hotter than the water.
2. Season and bag. Season the steak, seal it in a bag and press out as much air as you can so it sinks and touches the water on all sides.
3. Cook until heated through. Cook until the center reaches bath temperature. From the fridge that is about 1¼ hours at 1 inch thick, 2½ hours at 1½ inches and 3½ hours at 2 inches.
4. Dry the surface. Take the steak out of the bag and pat it very dry. Any water left on the surface slows browning.
5. Sear fast. Sear in a smoking-hot skillet, flipping often, just until it is browned. The steak is already cooked, so the sear only needs to build crust.
6. Serve. Slice across the grain and serve. The center is already at your target, so there is no carryover to wait out.

What temperature should the water bath be?

Set it to the final temperature you want the steak to reach. For medium-rare that is 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C). For rare use 120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C), and for medium use 135 to 145°F (57 to 63°C). Because the water is the hottest thing the steak touches, it cannot overshoot.

Water bath temperature by doneness

Doneness	Bath temperature
Rare	120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C)
Medium-rare	130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C)
Medium	135 to 145°F (57 to 63°C)
Medium-well	145 to 155°F (63 to 68°C)
Well done	155°F (68°C) and up

How long does a steak take in the bath?

Thickness sets the time, not weight. A fridge-cold steak takes about this long to heat through:

Time in the water bath by steak thickness

Thickness	Time to heat through from the fridge
1″	About 1¼ hours
1½″	About 2½ hours
2″	About 3½ hours

These are model estimates from Douglas Baldwin's heating tables, so a little extra time is fine for tender steaks.

Why is there almost no grey band?

The overcooked layer under the crust, called the grey band, forms when the surface gets much hotter than the center. In a water bath the whole steak sits at one temperature, so the only overcooked layer is the thin one the final sear creates.

How do you get a good crust after sous vide?

Pat the steak completely dry. A wet surface cannot get hotter than 212°F (100°C), and browning needs around 300°F (150°C). Then sear in a smoking-hot pan and flip often, so the crust forms before heat reaches the center. A pan-sear guide covers the technique.