Grilled T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are easy with just a few steps. Start with a great steak, season simply, and cook over high heat. Get perfect grilled steaks every time.
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T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are from the short loin area, and except for a minor difference in the tenderloin side of the steak, they are identical and cook the same.
Grilling t-bone steaks and porterhouse steaks are very easy with just a few simple steps and an instant-read thermometer. It only take about 10 minutes tp follow the simple step-by-step photo instructions.
All they need is simple seasoning with salt, pepper, and perhaps some garlic and you can use either gas or charcoal grills.
Check out some other great steak recipes like Grilled Ribeye Steak, Grilled Filet Mignon, Grilled Sirlon, or Grill Strip Steak. No grill, no problem, see Oven Baked Strip Steak and Oven Baked Filet.
👨🍳How to Grill T-bone Steaks and Porterhouse Steaks
- Rest the steaks at room temperature and trim the beef of extra fat.
- Preheat your grill to maximum. Clean and oil grates.
- Apply salt and pepper or another seasoning.
- Place over direct heat and flip in five minutes.
- Grill for approximately three more minutes for rare, four more minutes for medium-rare, and 5 minutes for medium (150). But always cook to a final internal temperature, not by time.
- Rest before serving by lightly tenting with foil for 5 to 10 minutes.
⏰How Long to Grill T-bone Steaks and Porterhouse Steaks
About 9 minutes total time for a 1-inch thick steak over high heat to medium-rare—depending on variables.
The variables affecting cooking time are the thickness and temperature of the steak, the exact grill temperature, and your desired final internal temperature.
All this means you must check the internal temperature to get exactly the results you want.
- Rare—cold red center(125°-130°) about 6-7 minutes total grill time. Please see the caution below.
- Medium-Rare—warm red center(130°-135°) about 7-9 minutes total grill time.
- Medium—pink and firm (140°-150°) about 9 -11 minutes total grill time.
- Medium-Well—minimal pink(150°-155°) about 12-14 minutes total grill time.
- Well-Done—firm and brown(160°+ ) about 14 or more minutes total grill time.
Approximate times give for planning only and will vary by thickness, grill temp, and rest time—NEVER COOK BY TIME ALONE and use a thermometer. Cook to the internal temperature you want, allowing for a 2°-4° temperature rise after removal from the grill.
Caution about cooking rare steaks
It is hard to hit rare correctly. Decrease the first side grilling time and watch very closely, checking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Remember, you can always cook a bit more later, but you can not uncook a steak.
Seasoning
Salt and pepper are required, and we like garlic, so All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2 is perfect here. A steak seasoning mix like Montral Steak Seasoning is also good.
Fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme can be added. Or top with come compound butter like our Blue Cheese Compound Butter.
👨🍳 Pro Tips
- Thickness: all the "experts" want 1 ½ inches which is a pound and a half of beef. Have your butcher cut it at 1 inch. You will find both 1-inch and ¾ inch in the pre-cut. I think ¾ inch is a little thin, and I want some meaty center, but either will do.
- Allow the meat to rest at room temperature if possible. If you don't rest it, you will need to cook it longer to get the internal temperature, and it may dry some.
- If you want those nice-looking crossed grill marks, rotate the steaks by ninety degrees halfway through grilling each side.
- Trim the extra fat. You won't eat it, and it will cause flair on the grill that will burn your steak.
- Season either 1 hour before grilling or immediately before grilling. Salt will pull the water out of the meat, but then the salt and the water will absorb back into the meat. That takes 45 to 60 minutes.
- Oil is not needed on the meat. Some will suggest a light brushing of oil on the meat and not the grill—your choice, but I can not tell the difference.
- Do not skip the rest after grilling. Let the grilled steaks rest off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes minimum before cutting. This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat cells and gives a more tender and moister steak with great flavor.
🐄About T-bone vs. Porterhouse Steaks
Both the T-bone and porterhouse steaks come from the short loin, which is between the rib and the sirloin. The larger side is New York strip steak, and the small side is a filet mignon (beef tenderloin.) In a T-bone, the tenderloin must measure a minimum of ½ inch across the center and the porterhouse a minimum of 1 ¼ inches.
T-bone and porterhouse steaks are the same cut of meat except for more filet on the porterhouse. If they are the same price, get the porterhouse.
❓FAQs
Yes. Pan sear for a few minutes per side, then transfers to a preheated oven to finish to your desired temperature. The area of the steak next to the bone will not sear well due to the meat shrinking of the meat as it cooks. It will be identical Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak.
No, you will burn the outside before the center is cooked. This works well up to 1 ½ inches thick as long as the steaks are rested well at room temperature before cooking.
Steaks over 1 ½ inches thick should be cooked by reverse searing or at lower grill temperature to allow the heat to penetrate before the outside is overcooked.
🍽️Serving and Leftovers
Serving
I tend not to do grilled types due to differences in grill temperature needs and timing.
Potato side dishes like potato salad Roasted Red Potatoes, Parmesan Baked Potatoes, or Twice Baked Potatoes.
Other vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, corn, or green beans are a simple way to round out your meal. Some suggestions are Microwave Corn on the Cob, Green Beans with Bacon, Baked Parmesan Asparagus, or Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower.
If you are quick and prepared, try our favorite grilled dessert, which uses high heat, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glazed Grilled Pineapple.
Wine Paring
We will pair grilled steaks with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir for a nice wine complement.
Leftovers
Leftover strip steak is wonderful served on a green salad. Or just reheat and serve as before.
To store leftover strip steak: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with choice or prime T-bone or Porterhouse steaks about 1 inch thick. Rest the steaks at room temperature for about 1 hour if possible allowing the steaks to come to room temperature.
Trim the beef of extra fat. Season an hour before grill or just before grilling. Use coarse salt and black pepper. I used my 7:2:2, which is kosher salt: pepper: garlic. But use the seasoning of your choice.
Preheat your grill to maximum. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Place the steaks over direct heat.
In five minutes, flip the meat. If you want crossed grill marks, you should have rotated the meat ninety degrees at about 2 ½ minutes. If you want rare steaks, decrease the first side cooking to about 3 minutes.
Grill for approximately three more minutes for rare, four more minutes for medium-rare, and 5 minutes for medium (150°). Your timing will vary a little, so as always, check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer. Never cook by time alone.Remember the temperature will rise a few degrees after removing from the grill.
Rest before serving by lightly tenting with foil for 5 to 10 minutes.
Recipe
How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak – A Tutorial
Ingredients
- T-Bone or Porterhouse Steaks—choice or prime grade - about 1 inch thick
- Salt and pepper to taste OR 7:2:2
Instructions
- Start with choice or prime T-bone or Porterhouse steaks about 1 inch thick. Rest the steaks at room temperature for about 1 hour if possible allowing the steaks to come to room temperature.
- Trim the beef of extra fat. Season an hour before grill or just before grilling. Use coarse salt and black pepper. I used my 7:2:2, which is kosher salt: pepper: garlic. But use the seasoning of your choice.
- Preheat your grill to maximum. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Place the steaks over direct heat.
- In five minutes, flip the meat. If you want crossed grill marks, you should have rotated the meat ninety degrees at about 2 ½ minutes. If you want rare steaks, decrease the cooking time on this first side to 3 minutes.
- Grill for approximately three more minutes for rare, four more minutes for medium-rare, and 5 minutes for medium (150°). Your timing will vary a little, so as always, check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer. Never cook by time alone.Remember the temperature will rise a few degrees after removing from the grill.
- Rest before serving by lightly tenting with foil for 5 to 10 minutes.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use a higher temperature oil on the grill grates. Olive oil will smoke.
- Rest if room temperature before grilling is important to getting this right.
- Salt either 1 hour before cooking or just before. Not between which will pull fluid out of the cells but not give enough time to reabsorb.
- For rare be sure to decrease the first side grilling time. Rare is discussed more in the post.
- There are some variables with those suggested times on the second side. The exact grill temperature, the exact starting temperature of the steak and the thickness of the steak. All this means you must check the internal temperature to get exactly the results you want. DO NOT USE ONLY TIME.
- This is for ¾-1 inch thick give or take a little. 1 ½ inch max. If you are into to 2 inch thick, a different technique is needed. If about 1 ½ inch, be sure to rest to room temperature at the start or the center will be rare - unless that is what you like. 1 ½ inch will be almost 2 pounds.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published July 27, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Kari
I am going to try this tonight. Just picked up some porterhouse steaks that were on sale. I usually sear my steaks then put them in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes and they come out a perfect medium rare. Looking forward to giving this a try tonight
DrDan
Hi Kari,
Since you like medium rare, watch it carefully. This is a lot of heat and you can overshoot easily.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Katie
Hi Dr. Dan. We are in west Michigan too. I am going to throw some t-bones on the grill tonight and serve them alongside all kinds of delicousness from the Fulton Street Farmers Market.
DrDan
Hi Katie,
I haven't tried Fulton Street. I generally do Grand Haven (only a couple of miles) but never on Saturday during the summer. Maybe I should get up earlier and go on Sat....
Enjoy the steaks.
Dan
Tina
Fixed this tonight, with grass-fed Porterhouse and it was AMAZING! Seasoned with 7-2-2 and grilled for 5 minutes on each side and they were tender and tasty!
DrDan
Thanks for the note Tina, I do this over and over for every special occasion for my wife.
Dan
Amin Gilani
If one rests for 10 minutes after cooking and before serving the steak is warm to serve.What happens if your guest wants 'hot' not just warm meat, does one reheat?
DrDan
Hi Amin,
The discussion is clearer in the post. The rest allows the moisture that is in the meat but not in the cells to reabsorb back into the cells of the meat. It adds lots of moisture back into of the steak.
So first, when doing a resting of meat, generally a light tenting of foil will keep it warmer. Second, 5 minutes will be enough but 10 would be preferred. So if you take it off the grill and don't immediately cut into the steak, you will probably get to 5 minutes. If you are cutting into the steak and there is lots of fluid draining, that is moisture you are losing for your tenderness and you moved too fast.
I have reworded to be clearer.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Chris Raus
Chris Says
January 1 2017
Just cooked Porterhouse steaks @ medium on the grill, followed recipe and they came perfect. Rate recipe a 5!!
DrDan
Hi Chris,
When I think back 30 years ago and how I did steaks then, I shutter. And they were horrible. I evolved into this method about 15-20 years ago with my first instant read thermometer. My goal for all steaks on the grill now is one flip and only one temperature check. I hit it about 80% now.
Have a great holiday
Dan
Chris
I followed your instructions thoroughly, wound up with MW instead of MR.I don't blame you, it's a new grill, and max temp is 800°. Going forward, I'll do exactly the same except I'd do 4 minutes 1 side, 3 minutes other side (instead of 5 and 4). I'll keep you posted. Thanks!
DrDan
That is some serious grill you have. A "normal" gas grill usually is 550 max but may make 600 on a good day. I can get 725 plus if preheating is prolonged but usually 650ish with a 10 minute preheat. This works at 500-700 very well since I have done it on a variety of grills. Also, was taught a simular method at a cooking school. I never expected an 800-degree monster... I have got to the point of using a grill surface thermometer most of the time and of course, I'm connected at the hip to my Thermopen. I suspect you will have this issue frequently with most recipes out there. It does point out the old saying of "know your grill".
babykitted
Awesome recipe. First time cooking a T-Bone and couldn't be happier. I was missing some of the ingredients but as long as most ingredients are included this seasoning has a nice kick to it. I actually modified the recipe by moistening the steaks with Worchester sauce before rubbing in the seasoning mix. The result was quite good. Thanks.
Johnnymo
Wow!! That was simple and effective. We just enjoyed some great porterhouse steaks. Thank you very much.
Ashley
I am trying thus tonight for my husbands suprise birthday dinner never cooked on the grill but want to suprise him ill let you know how it goes
Masterchef
You should never oil the grill, lightly brush the steaks themselves with a small amount of oil instead of the grate.
I promise it'll make it better, you're doing everything else right.
DrDan
Each to their own I say... Years ago I did it that way with poor results BUT I had inferior equipment then. My oil on the grill is the way I have been taught recently by several chefs and it has worked great for me. I have two porterhouses in the fridge now and will test again BUT mine just always come out great so I don't think you can win this one... The test is on in a day or two...
DrDan
Masterchef
I work at an upscale (60 dollars a plate) Steakhouse and i cook steaks all day long over a grill and have almost every day for the last 20 years.
The biggest thing is that when you oil the grill grate itself on a grill you are dealing with temeratures of 500 plus degrees so the oil is pretty much just burning away, if you put it on the food you are grilling it hits the heat at the same time as the food and it forms a much better crust on the meat.
It actually did used to be the concensus among chefs that you oil the grill but in the past 5 or 6 years its become much more accepted that its better to oil the food as its been getting better results.
DrDan
OK... you have me convinced. I won't argue about cooking steaks with you with those credentials. I will still trial it and then edit the post.
Thanks for the tips.
Dan
DrDan
Trial run completed. In my sample of one cooking of two porterhouse steaks. One with a light brush of oil on a cleaned but not oiled grill and the other side of the grill oiled but not the steak. Neither my wife nor I could tell the difference. Neither stuck to the grill, cooking time identical. Both excellent. Maybe some can tell but not me on one sample. I think I will continue to my side by side for a while.
I'm editing the post with an update tonight.
George
This method turned out great, but I had to add a bit of time as my grill doesn't get as hot as you need to grill properly. I went 6 minutes, then 5 more on the other side...perfect medium rare.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. Great job realizing the capacity of your grill.
DrDan
Michele
Yum. Still thinking about my dinner last night! Sautéed onions on top of a fabulously grilled porterhouse. Thanks!
DrDan
There is nothing like a grilled porterhouse.
Thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Dave "Tex" Cho
FWIW, I just "grilled" some filet mignons (about 9 oz each) for a Valentine's Day supper. I preheated my oven to 400 deg F. I heated my enameled cast iron skillet (or I could have used my trusty Lodge cast iron skillet) on High to Med High setting (gas burner), put in some canola oil (need to use something with high smoke point). While the skillet was heating, I rubbed the 7-2-2 seasoning onto the filets which I had taken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes beforehand. Now that the skillet was very hot (I'm wondering if I should invest in one of those surface temperature gauges that you just point at heat source) and I seared one side for 2-3 minutes and then flipped to sear other side for 2-3 minutes, then, put into 400 deg oven and checked internal temp after 7 min. I was trying to get to 150 deg F and I think I had to cook for about 10 min. Remove skillet from oven and plated the steaks with a foil tent so they could rest (we could only wait 5 min even I know you're supposed to rest from 10-15 min). Steaks turned out great, medium, pink in center and gradually darkening out to edges, with nice sear. I debated using my enamel cast iron griddle pan but opted for regular skillet. I've read many posts describing this method.
DrDan
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the note. You will find this technique for Filet on this site at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/pan-seared-oven-roasted-filet-mignon/ and it is the best way for Filet. That post is so popular that it crashed the server last Saturday when over 400 people tried to read it at the same time for Valentine Day. It took me an hour to recover the server.
Either pan should be fine.
Again thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Robert Kline
Well, it's about 2 degrees outside so I'm going to have to use my indoor grill. Do you have any steps on how to oven sear a steak?
DrDan
By indoor grill I'm assuming like the oven with a broiler. In my experience, highly variable due to distance and heat factors. If I were to guess, I would broil on one side without flipping until it "looks nice" I'm thinking about the same 5 minutes as outside (just guessing). Then flip and broil about have the time the first side took and then check the temp.... just guessing.... I said that already I think.
This is totally buyer beware. The 5 minutes may turn it black or leave it pink depending on the equipment variables.
If you are dealing with one of the stove based grills(which makes a horrible mess for me) then crank it to high, let it get as hot as it can and cook for 5 and see where you are.
Hope this helps more than hurts.
DrDan
(PS My grill is next to the kitchen door and I can grill all winter even in Michigan. I love it.)
Scott
With your cooking times, are you intending the grill to be open or closed?
DrDan
The lid is only open for the picture. So closed.
DrDan
Curtis
I just cooked porterhouse steaks, purchased on sale, at Food Lion...
I cooked according to the directions 5 minutes on each side and they were perfect.
I did not bring to room temp or use the salt mix though. I will try that next time.
thanks
DrDan
Glad it worked well for you. Before I learned, I would fuddle and flip all the time. But really it is just this easy.
Thanks for the Comment
DrDan
Aaron
You absolutely have to try the reverse sear method. It is what I swear by and to do the meat justice, you need the 1 1/2 inch steak...just buy one (for two people) slice it and serve slices instead of the side o' beef on the plate. The big advantage of the reverse sear is that you get meat that is almost perfectly done all the way through instead of meat with large bands of overcookedness (my word) on the outer edges. Cook over indirect heat with the lid down until you are within 15 degrees of the target temp. Pull it off, baste with a little olive oil (helps the sear and color) while you crank the heat as high as you can. Then just put it down about a minute a side with the lid open until you get the perfect sear. That should get you to within 5 degrees of your target and the resting will bring the temp up to right where you want it. I'm not big on cooking by time, too many variables and the meat doesn't react to anything except the heat applied to it. I typically shoot for 130, so I pull it at 115 or so. Great blog, keep up the good work!
DrDan
Aaron, Thanks so much for the note and tutorial. This remains on my "to do list" I have always thought of it when doing thicker steaks. Since I'm trying to cut back a little, it may take me some time to get to it.
DrDan
Andrew
Yep. Yep. Yep! We have a local meat shop that will cut beef to order. I have grilled 1lb beef tenderloin and 1 1/2 inch thick porterhouse using the method you describe. Both are absolutely delicious. However, I think I actually enjoy the tenderloin side of the porterhouse using this method more than I enjoy the tenderloin alone. Maybe the bone is gives it better flavor. Anyway, yes, indirect heat with a reverse sear is definitely the way to go.
Chris
We love a good porterhouse. I typically buy choice but also check the select beef because I have seen decently marbled select ON OCCASION.