The ultimate tomahawk steak recipe: slow-cooked in the oven (or a Traeger smoker), then grilled to perfection. No more stressing about how to cook that high-quality, expensive piece of beef without messing it up. This dry-brined, reverse-seared method is consistent whether your steak weighs 1.5 pounds or 3 pounds. The results are a dramatic presentation of juicy, medium-rare bone-in ribeye steaks for your friends to 'ooh and ahh' over.
Every summer, we host a 'Couples Weekend' at our lake house. A few friends from the city come down, and our lake friends join us for a Friday night potluck dinner with wine. There can be as many as 18-20 friends total, laughing and catching up on life. Our contribution to the potluck is Tomahawk Steaks with creamy horseradish sauce.
For a dinner for 2-3, this pairs well with these roasted potatoes and asparagus. Simply cook these vegetables on the stovetop towards the end of the slow-roasting period. Transfer them from the skillets to plates and put them in the warmed oven that has been turned off while you sear the steak.
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What is a Tomahawk Steak?
A tomahawk steak is a beef bone-in ribeye, but the bone is clean and extra long, making the shape of the steak resemble a tomahawk. All you need is the steak and salt to make this.
How to Buy the Best Tomahawk Steak
- If you have options at the store, look for a decent-sized rib cap which is the succulent outer rim of the roast separated by a layer of fat. It's the best part, and some steaks don’t have any! See the picture above where the steak on the left has a rib cap and the steak on the right does not.
- USDA prime or choice cuts are best.
- Look for white marbling throughout the red meat.
- Confirm the butcher made it a thick cut, at least 2 inches, making the total weight 2-3 pounds.
Dry Brining a Steak - How Much Salt?
I recommend dry-brining steaks or a prime rib roast by seasoning with salt and letting it rest uncovered in the fridge for a day in advance. This allows the salt to penetrate the beef while drying it out to help with quick browning. It's an optional step, but the additional time is worth the flavor, in my opinion.
You will read a lot of websites suggesting 1% of the total weight (including the bone) in salt to season your beef. I have found that 1% is too salty. The bone alone is about 25% of the total weight of a tomahawk steak!
Here is how much salt is needed to dry brine:
1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound of bone-in steak.
You can always sprinkle a finishing salt over the slices of steak after serving if you prefer a little more salt after tasting it.
Why Reverse Searing Is The Best
Reverse searing is the best way to cook any cut of ribeye because of its high fat content, which causes a lot of stressful flare-ups on a grill. Start low and slow in the oven, and gently bring the internal temperature up evenly. Followed by a quick, high-heat sear on the grill, creating that crust without overcooking the interior.
If you have a pellet smoker, like a Traeger, use it to slow-roast and smoke the beef at 225℉ rather than the oven. This recipe is exactly how we cook them. They're perfect every time.
Equipment
- gas grill
- instant-read meat thermometer
- 13 x 18-inch cookie sheet
- cooling rack that fits in the cookie sheet
How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak
Dry-Brine the Steak
Step 1: Liberally apply kosher salt to all sides of the beef. Don't worry about salting the bone.
Step 2: Line a half-size cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top of the paper so the air circulates underneath. Lay the tomahawk steak on top of the rack. If needed, 2 steaks will fit on one rack.
Step 3: Place the steak in the refrigerator for 24 hours, uncovered, to dry brine and age.
Step 4: Remove the steak from the refrigerator to the countertop 45 minutes before turning on the oven or Traeger pellet smoker to 225℉.
Reverse Sear the Steak
Step 5: Place the cookie sheet with the steak on the rack into the oven to slow cook. The air will circulate underneath the steak. Cook until the internal temperature is 105-110℉. This could take 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes.
Step 6: The lower internal temperature is intentional to prevent overcooking the steak when searing. Remove from the oven. Turn on the gas grill, let it preheat on high for 10 minutes.
Step 7: Make sure the grill is hot, at least 550℉. Hold your hand 3 inches above the grill grates. You should only be able to hold it there for 2-3 seconds. Clean the grill, then season the grates with an oiled paper towel using tongs.
Step 8: It's important to have everything ready, including your instant-read meat thermometer and tongs at the grill, before starting to sear the steaks. You need a watchful eye to calm the flare-ups. Start searing by placing the steak on the grill for 1 minute covered.
Step 9: Flip the steak to the opposite side of the grill for another 1 minute with the lid closed. Repeat flipping the steak at 1-minute intervals, closing the lid while waiting. Move the steak away from flare-ups. After flipping the steak 4 times, it has been searing for 4 minutes. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
Step 10: When the internal temperature is 126-130℉, pull the steaks off the grill back onto the cooling rack over the cookie sheet. If the internal temperature is too low, flip and do another 1-minute sear on both sides. Recheck the temperature. After removing from the grill, the internal temperature will rise 5-8 degrees to a perfect medium-rare. The steak in these photos was removed from the grill at 127℉.
Let the steaks rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before carving. After resting, the meat will have a full pink color throughout, no purple.
Top Tip
Only sear 2 steaks at a time. Don't get overwhelmed by searing too many steaks at once on the grill. That high heat can cause the ribeye's marbling to render quickly, creating grease flare-ups. You will tame the flare-ups by flipping the meat every minute to the opposite side of the grill.
If you see acrid black smoke rolling out of the grill, pull the meat off and allow the fire to settle down before continuing to sear. If you don't do this, the smoke will leave your expensive steak tasting burnt and unpleasant.
Serving Suggestions
For a dinner for 2-3, this pairs well with these roasted potatoes and asparagus. Simply cook these vegetables on the stovetop towards the end of the slow-roasting period. Transfer them from the skillets to plates and put them in the warmed oven that has been turned off while you sear the steak.
Storage & Reheating Information
Steaks are meant to be eaten soon after cooking and resting.
How to Store Leftovers: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
How to Reheat: This does not reheat easily, but you can take the chill out of the leftover steak by microwaving in 20-second increments. It will easily overcook.
FAQ
No. You will not see the salt because it has been absorbed.
Continue to sear the steaks covered for 1-minute intervals on the grill until their internal temperature is:
Medium: 133-135℉
Medium-Well: 138-140℉
Well-Done: 143-145℉
Remember to check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat, not the fat cap.
Yes, a boneless ribeye steak will work. Make sure it's at least 1.5 inches thick.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Tomahawk Steak Recipe
Equipment
- gas grill
- instant-read meat thermometer
- 13 x 18 inch cookie sheet
- cooling rack that fits in the cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 tomahawk steak
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1 teaspoon per pound)
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
Day 1: Dry Brine the Steak
- Liberally apply kosher salt to all sides of the beef. Don't worry about salting the bone.
- Line a half-size cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top of the paper. Lay the tomahawk steak on top of the rack.
- Place the steak in the refrigerator for 24 hours, uncovered, to dry brine and age.
Day 2: Reverse Sear the Steak
- Remove the steak from the refrigerator to the countertop 45 minutes before turning the oven on to 225℉.
- Place the cookie sheet with the steak on the rack into the oven to cook until the internal temperature is 105-110℉. This could take 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. 25 minutes before serving, turn the gas grill on high for 10 minutes.
- Make sure the grill is hot, at least 550℉. Clean the grill, then season the grates with an oiled paper towel using tongs.
- It's important to have everything ready, including your instant-read meat thermometer at the grill, before starting to sear the steaks. You need a watchful eye to calm the flare-ups. Start searing by placing the steak on the grill for 1 minute covered.
- Flip the steak to the opposite side of the grill for 1 minute with the lid closed.
- Flip the steak again to the opposite side for 1 minute, covered. Move the steak away from flare-ups.
- Flip a fourth time to the opposite side of the grill and sear for 1 minute covered. Check the internal temperature. When their internal temperature is 126-130℉, pull the steaks off the grill back on the cooling rack over the cookie sheet. Their internal temperature will rise 5-8 degrees to a perfect medium rare.
- Let the steaks rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. After resting, the meat will have a full pink color throughout, no purple.
Notes
- Only sear 2 steaks at a time. Don't get overwhelmed by searing too many steaks at once on the grill. That high heat can cause the ribeye's marbling to render quickly, creating grease flare-ups. You will tame the flare-ups by flipping the meat every minute to the opposite side of the grill.
- If you see acrid black smoke rolling out of the grill, pull the meat off and allow the fire to settle down before continuing to sear. If you don't do this, the smoke will leave your expensive steak tasting burnt and unpleasant.
- If you like your steaks cooked more than medium-rare, continue to sear the steaks covered for 1-minute intervals on the grill until their internal temperature is:
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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