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 on a white plate

 

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.

Pan Fried Lemon- Garlic Ribe-Eye Steaks raw on a plate
🛒Ingredients needed:

  • rib eye steaks
  • garlic
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • fresh oregano
  • salted butter
  • kosher salt
  • lemon

Pan Fried Lemon- Garlic Rib-Eye Steaks in a frying pan
✏️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.

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Pan Fried Lemon- Garlic Rib-Eye Steaks in a frying pan

➡️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.

Pan Fried Lemon- Garlic Rib-Eye Steaks with lemon being drizzled on

✔️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.

Pan Fried Lemon- Garlic Rib-Eye Steaks❤️Why I love this recipe:

  1. Not many recipes are designed for two and I love that this makes a perfect “date night” meal.
  2. We grill steaks so often that it’s really nice to have one cooked a little differently.
  3. I love that drizzle of pan fried leman. It adds the perfect zing to these steaks.

Savory recipes enhanced with lemon!

Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks
5 from 2 votes

Pan Fried Lemon Garlic Rib Eye Steaks

For best results, search high and low for some good quality rib-eye steaks (good quality meat can make a big difference in the resulting flavor).
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
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Ingredients

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

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 659kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 52g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 27g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 2490mg, Potassium: 663mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.2g, Vitamin A: 255IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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32 Comments

  1. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says:

    These look SO stinkin’ scrumptious, Lori! Amazing flavor!

  2. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says:

    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…

  3. Marie @ Little Kitchie says:

    Wow! This is a sight to behold! Beautiful!

  4. Cookbook Queen says:

    These look so great!! Jon David LOVES steak, I need to make this for him soon!!

  5. Tina | My Life as a Mrs says:

    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!!

  6. Erin @ Texanerin Baking says:

    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!

  7. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says:

    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!

  8. marcie@flavor the moments says:

    Nothin’ like a rib eye, especially pan fried in all of that goodness! Amazing!

  9. Ali | Gimme Some Oven says:

    Sounds amazing! I always forget about the option of pan-frying steaks. These sound so flavorful and delicious!! 🙂

  10. Tieghan says:

    You cookbook is so awesome! All the recipes look and sound delicious! My family is going to love me when I make these steaks!