Freezing meat is great for keeping meat fresh when you’re not going to use it right away. It’s also great for when meat goes on sale and the price you just can’t beat, or if you’re buying in bulk. What’s not so great? Getting home during the week, only to realize, all your meat is frozen, and you’re hungry. Should you go buy a fresh, not frozen piece of meat from the store? Should you microwave it? Should you bake it? We’re going to teach you in just a few, simple steps, how to cook steak from frozen so that you can enjoy a quick and delicious meal in less than 30 minutes.

How Long Can You Freeze A Steak

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculure, if you’re freezing any meat, let alone steak, at exactly 0°F, you’re going to be able to store and use that meat for a long, long time. As long as your meat doesn’t change from this temp, you’re good to go. [R] At this temperature, your meat is going to be safe from microorganisms and bacteria that cause digestive upset, illness, and spoilage.

What about steak specifically? Well, great question. We were wondering how long you can freeze a steak, too, and so after looking into it, the USDA recommends that you should keep steaks for no longer than a full calendar year. [R]

That being said, if the freezer fluctuates from the baseline 0°F temperature, the bacteria may come, even if you reset to the 0°F. If you thaw, then refreeze, then thaw meat again, this is also another way to expose the meat to potentially harmful bacteria and microorganisms. So best practice? Buy it, freeze it at 0°F, then only take it out when you’re going to use it.

How Long Is Leftover Steak Good For

If you have cooked steak though, and you freeze it, the USDA recommends that you should eat it in three months or less. [R] With regard to cooked steak, you can refrigerate it for three to four days at 40°F, yet it’s important to note, that just because it iss refrigerated, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not going to prevent bacterial growth.

How To Cook Steak From Frozen - Stovetop and Oven Method

Alrighty, it’s go time! After you’ve taken your frozen steaks out, fill up a bowl or the kitchen sink with very hot water and let the steaks sit in the package in the hot water for ~10-20 minutes until they thaw. The next steps that we’re going to take are searing the steak, putting some delicious seasonings on, and cooking it. Preheat your oven to 300˚ F and take out a pan, some extra virgin olive oil, and your desired seasonings. Here we go!

• Step 1: Grab frozen steaks (t-bone, new york, ribeye, porterhouse, etc.). Toss in water to let thaw.
• Step 2: Preheat oven to 300˚ F
• Step 3: Place 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan and head up the oil on medium-high
• Step 4: While the oil is heating, grab a cookie sheet or a wire rack and line it with foil (this avoids the mess in the oven, but you can omit the foil if you want and put the rack over the cookie sheet)
• Step 5: Watch for the oil to start glistening, and right before the smoke point, add your steak to the pan with oil after you removed them from the water and their packaging
• Step 6: Sear both sides of the steak, making sure that they’re a little crispy, but not burnt
• Step 7: Put the steaks on the wire rack and season them up (we always like seasonings such as garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and herbs)
• Step 8: Bake in the 300˚ F oven for 15-25 minutes (depending on the desired cook through) and make sure to check the meat with a thermometer to ensure it’s cooked enough
• Step 9: Remove from the oven when desired temperature/tenderness is reached, and set on top of the oven.
• Step 10: Take 5-8 minutes to clean, while you let the steaks rest on the rack, before transferring to a serving dish or plate

How To Cook Steak From Frozen - Thaw and Grill Method

Similar to the stovetop and oven method we just mentioned, another great way to cook a steak from frozen is by using our thaw and grill method. Yes, you will need to fill up that big bowl or kitchen sink again with very hot water to thaw out the steaks for some time, but after that, the steps are pretty similar and pretty straightforward.

• Step 1: Grab frozen steaks (t-bone, new york, ribeye, porterhouse, etc.). Toss in water to let thaw.
• Step 2: Turn on the grill and clean it with a wire brush
• Step 3: Remove the steaks from the hot water and their packaging
• Step 4: On a plate, season the steaks with desired seasonings and spray with oil (lightly, this is also optional)
• Step 5: Head back out to the grill and pop those steaks on
• Step 6: Grill steaks until desired temperature/doneness is reached
• Step 7: After removing the steaks from the grill, turn the grill off, and let the steaks sit in a pan or on a plate for 5-8 minutes to rest and really soak up the juices
• Step 8: Serve the steaks with some sides and enjoy

How To Cook Steak From Frozen - Thaw and Broil

Similar to grilling, broiling steak isn’t that much different and can be a juicy, delicious way to cook steak. The difference between the two is simple: on the grill, the heat is below the steak, and when you broil, it’s over the top of the steak. When you broil in the oven, make sure that the rack you put the meat on is 3-4 inches away from the heating element on the top of the oven for safety reasons. Another notable thing with broiling is that it is extremely important to monitor the cooking process closely, as the broil in the oven can create a very intense heat and very quickly burn, or worse, catch your meat on fire. Yikes!

Pro Tip:

Use a broiling pan if you have one because it’s made for this specific reason

Pro Tip:

DO NOT COOK FROZEN STEAKS with this method if you do not thaw them in the water method FIRST

• Step 1: Grab frozen steaks (t-bone, new york, ribeye, porterhouse, etc.). Toss in water to let thaw.
• Step 2: Turn the broil setting on high and make sure the rack is 3-4 inches from the heating element
• Step 3: Remove the steaks from the hot water and their packaging, placing them on a broiling pan or cooking sheet, add seasonings
• Step 4: Broil for 4-6 minutes, checking regularly
• Step 5: Open the oven, flip the steaks, and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the steaks reach the desired temperature
• Step 6: Remove steaks from oven, transfer to a cutting board or plate, and let sit for 4-8 minutes
• Step 7: Serve and enjoy

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How To Cook Steak From Frozen: Takeaway

Ok, cooking a steak from frozen isn’t exactly the best way to cook a steak for texture reasons, but it definitely is an option you can fall back on when you don’t have fresh meat or are in a rush and want a good meal. Most importantly, use the thaw and soak water method for the steaks prior to cooking them with any of the previously mentioned methods. If you’re preparing your meat for the freezer, we do also recommend freezing meat (really any type of meat) in individual packs so that the thawing and cooking method that you use gives the best cooking process and texture for the meat. Make sure to keep it at that 0˚ F temperature to avoid unnecessary bacterial growth and only take out when you’re going to use it. Otherwise, we hope you give these methods a try and find ease in doing so! Bon Appétit!

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