How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak

one ribeye steak with french bone on a platter

4.80 from 53 votes

A Tomahawk steak is a tender, buttery, delicious show stopper! They are easy to make with our step-by-step guide on how to Reverse Sear a Tomahawk.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Marinating Time - 12 hours12

Total Time13

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, BBQ

Servings: servings

Calories: 493kcal

Author: Cyndy Ufkes - The Art of Food and Wine

Equipment

Grill

Ingredients

The steak:

2.8 pounds Tomahawk Steak with bone attached
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

Ingredients for the Rub:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

Instructions

Liberally salt the steak all over with kosher salt.
Place steak on a baking sheet (on a rack if you have one) for 12-24 hours uncovered in the refrigerator.
Remove steak from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. (The internal temperature of the steak should be 65- 70˚F before cooking).
This is an important step so don't skip it. This can take up to 2 hours depending on how cold the steak is and how much it weighs.
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
(if your in a time crunch cook it at 250℉)
Prepare the rub mixture which is a thick paste of olive oil, paprika, black pepper, and crushed garlic
Coat the steak liberally with the spice rub and let sit for about 15 minutes on the rack.
Cook steak, on the rack and baking sheet, until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness. Use an instant-read thermometer for best results. (The cooking time can be anywhere from 35-50 minutes, but can be longer depending on the thickness/size of your steak and the internal temperature when you start cooking)
- Rare = 120°F (cool red center)
- Medium Rare = 125°F (warm red center)
- Medium = 130°F (warm pink center)
NOTE: The time will vary depending on the cut of your steak and your individual oven. No two are ever the same.
When steak is almost done cooking in the oven start the grill and heat to medium-high.
Remove steak from the oven and transfer it to the preheated grill. Sear evenly on each side for about 3 minutes to obtain grill marks.
Remove from the grill and let the steak rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Cut steak away from the bone, and slice against the grain into 1/2-inch pieces.
For best presentation arrange the cut steak around the bone.

Notes

Every steak is cut a little differently so using an instant-read thermometer will help you get the best results.
Be sure to allow the steak to come to room temperature before cooking them (70˚F). This is an important step so don't skip it!
The steaks used for our testing were 2.8 pounds.
Cooking time will vary based on the size of your steak, so this is just a guide.
If you don't have fresh garlic for the rub you can substitute 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder.

Nutrition