One of my favorite ways to prepare steak is this recipe for Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks.
Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks
This is a recipe from The Recipe Girl Cookbook. It’s one that we like to have for dinner now and then. It’s just a simple and delicious steak recipe. Add a potato and a vegetable/salad, and you’re all set with an easy, family-friendly dinner!
You can always make these steaks on the grill, but the grill isn’t accessible for everyone all-year-long, and PLUS… these are fried in a little oil+butter, which is ALWAYS a good thing. FRYING STEAKS IN BUTTER. Yes, that’s a good thing.
🛒Ingredients needed:
- rib eye steaks
- garlic
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh oregano
- salted butter
- kosher salt
- lemon
✏️How to make Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks:
*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.
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Rub both sides of the steaks with the split garlic halves. Coat both sides of the steaks with a generous sprinkle of pepper. Coat each steak with ½ tablespoon oil and press on ½ tablespoon of the oregano. Wrap the steaks in plastic wrap and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour (see tips).
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Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove the steaks from the plastic wrap and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the steaks to the hot pan and cook 2 minutes on the first side, or until they are seared a nice, deep brown. Turn the steaks over and add the lemon to the pan, cut-side-down. Turn heat to medium low and cook for 2½ minutes more, or until the steaks become browned on the bottom. Your steaks will be medium rare at this point. Add a little more cooking time if you prefer your steak more well done.
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Remove the steaks to the cutting board and let them rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Squeeze the pan-fried lemon over the two steaks. Serve immediately.
➡️Recipe Tips:
- Cooking a steak at room temperature will allow for it to cook more evenly and quickly.
- You’ll get a better result in pan-frying your steaks if you avoid using a nonstick skillet. The steaks will brown nicely and hold a better texture if you opt for a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet.
- MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Wrap the steaks in plastic wrap and let them marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 1 day. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
- USING THE GRILL INSTEAD: Preheat your grill to medium and grill the steaks 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the lemon cut-side-down.
✔️What to serve with Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks:
- A classic baked potato is perfect with these steaks or you might want to opt for something a little special.
- I also like these with roasted butternut squash or roasted carrots.
- Serve this alongside a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon or a savory Syrah.
❤️Why I love this recipe:
- Not many recipes are designed for two and I love that this makes a perfect “date night” meal.
- We grill steaks so often that it’s really nice to have one cooked a little differently.
- I love that drizzle of pan fried leman. It adds the perfect zing to these steaks.
Savory recipes enhanced with lemon!
- Sweet Lemon Glazed Drumsticks
- Lemon Caper Calamari Steaks
- Lemon-Tahini Couscous with Chicken & Vegetables
- Grilled Lemon Mustard Chicken
- Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo
Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks
Ingredients
- Two 8-ounce rib eye steaks, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano, divided
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ medium lemon
Instructions
- Rub both sides of the steaks with the split garlic halves. Coat both sides of the steaks with a generous sprinkle of pepper. Coat each steak with ½ tablespoon oil and press on ½ tablespoon of the oregano. Wrap the steaks in plastic wrap and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour (see tips).
- Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove the steaks from the plastic wrap and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the steaks to the hot pan and cook 2 minutes on the first side, or until they are seared a nice, deep brown. Turn the steaks over and add the lemon to the pan, cut-side-down. Turn heat to medium low and cook for 2½ minutes more, or until the steaks become browned on the bottom. Your steaks will be medium rare at this point. Add a little more cooking time if you prefer your steak more well done.
- Remove the steaks to the cutting board and let them rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Squeeze the pan-fried lemon over the two steaks. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make this recipe dairy free, leave out the butter and use all olive oil instead.
- Cooking a steak at room temperature will allow for it to cook more evenly and quickly.
- You'll get a better result in pan-frying your steaks if you avoid using a nonstick skillet. The steaks will brown more nicely and hold a better texture if you opt for a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet.
- MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Wrap the steaks in plastic wrap and let them marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 1 day. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
- USING THE GRILL INSTEAD: Preheat your grill to medium and grill the steaks 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the lemon cut-side-down.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look SO stinkin’ scrumptious, Lori! Amazing flavor!
I looooove a good steak and this one looks pretty spectacular. I also love to cook steaks up in butter. Or, if I’m cooking them on the grill, I’ll finish them off with a pad of butter while they rest. I’ve already had lunch, but now I am hungry again…
Wow! This is a sight to behold! Beautiful!
These look so great!! Jon David LOVES steak, I need to make this for him soon!!
This looks SOOOO good. I’m obsessed with adding citrus to everything & can’t for the life of me figure out why I’ve never tried it on steak!!! Must try. 🙂 Congrats on the book!!
That caramelized lemon! Yum.
The only opportunity we have to grill involves 30 minutes of walking + a bus ride with our grill in hand so I appreciate this recipe. It looks awesome. Thank you!
I have some steaks that I wanted to try something new with – this looks the way to go. Think I will make it tonight with a hominy side dish!
Nothin’ like a rib eye, especially pan fried in all of that goodness! Amazing!
Sounds amazing! I always forget about the option of pan-frying steaks. These sound so flavorful and delicious!! 🙂
You cookbook is so awesome! All the recipes look and sound delicious! My family is going to love me when I make these steaks!