By Christie Vanover | Published August 31, 2022 | Last Updated May 18, 2023
What is a ribeye steak
The ribeye steak comes from the rib primal of a cow and is a tender piece of meat with a rich amount of marbling.
It’s made up of multiple muscles. The ribeye cap, or spinalis dorsi, is extremely flavorful and rests along the outer edge of the steak.
Steaks cut from the chuck end of the rib primal (closer to the shoulder) will have larger caps. Steaks cut from the loin end will have thinner caps.
The longissimus dorsi is in the center of the ribeye. It is sometimes called the filet of the ribeye. But it shouldn’t be confused with a filet mignon steak cut from the tenderloin of the cow. Those are different muscles.
The ribeye steak may also have a piece of meat commonly referred to as the ribeye tail. This isn’t from the tail of the cow. Those are oxtails. It’s just a small piece at the tail end of the ribeye steak.
Ingredients
- Ribeye Steaks: For this recipe, use two boneless ribeye steaks cut about 1-1/4-inch thick. I always select steaks with large ribeye caps, because they’re more flavorful.
- Oil: Either olive oil or another type of vegetable oil will work with this recipe.
- Soy Sauce: This will go into the marinade to provide a salty, umami flavor.
- Kosher Salt: Keep your fine table salt for baking. The grainier kosher salt is best for grilling.
- Black Pepper: Coarse ground black pepper will provide the best crust. Look for 16-mesh.
- Granulated Garlic: You can use granulated garlic, garlic powder or even fresh minced garlic.
Substitutions: This recipe will also work with New York strip steak and sirloin steak.
How to cook grilled ribeye steaks on a Ninja Grill
- STEP ONE: Place the steaks in a zip-top bag with the oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper and garlic. Seal. Massage the bag and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- STEP TWO: Set the Ninja Grill cook function to grill. Set the temperature to high and the time to 20 minutes. These can be cooked on your indoor grill or the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill.
- STEP THREE: Remove the steaks from the bag and place them on the grill grate. Press them down onto the grill, so more surface area comes in contact with the grates. This will give you better grill marks. Cook for 5 minutes. Then, flip.
- STEP FOUR: Cook for another 5 minutes for medium rare. If you like your steaks more done, add 1-3 minutes to your cooking time and cook to your desired doneness.
NINJA PRO TIP: The most accurate way to know what level of doneness your steak is at is to use an instant read meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature.
Degrees of doneness
- Rare: Cool red center 125F degrees
- Medium Rare: Warm red center – 125F degrees
- Medium: Warm pink center – 145F degrees
- Medium Well: Slightly pink center – 150F degrees
- Well: Little or no pink – 160F degrees
Cook times will vary depending on the thickness of the steak, which is why a thermometer is key.
If you have a Ninja Foodi Pro or Ninja Woodfire Pro, you’ll have a grill feature that includes a smart probe thermometer. Insert the thermometer in through the side of the steak, avoiding the fat seams.
The smart probe will register the meat temperature on the grill, so you’ll end up with the perfect steak every time.
How to serve juicy steak
Once your ribeyes reach your perfect level of doneness, remove them from the Ninja Grill and let each steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into it.
This allows the active juices to settle back into the meat. Those juices equal flavor. If you cut the steak too soon, the juices will still be active and will just drip all over the cutting board, instead of back into the meat.
When you slice a ribeye, remove the cap from the steak and slice it against the grain. Then, slice the filet against the grain. This will result in the most tender bites.
Storage
If you have any leftover steak, it’s great the next morning. You can slice it and cook it on your Ninja Grill griddle plate and sprinkle into scrambled eggs or an omelet.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
You can also freeze Ninja grilled ribeye steaks for up to 6 months. If you’re going to freeze it, I recommend vacuum sealing it whole, instead of sliced. This will help maintain juiciness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ribeye is already a very flavorful, tender cut of beef, so it doesn’t need to marinate long. The recipe recommends 20-30 minutes. You can marinate it for up to 4 hours.
Many factors influence the cost of a ribeye. Bone-in ribeyes generally cost less because they require less butchering. Steaks are also priced, depending on their USDA grade. Choice steaks will cost less than prime grade or wagyu steaks. In 2022, steak prices spiked due to inflation. I have seen them range from $6-20 per pound in Las Vegas.
Ribeye steaks are cut from the rib primal, which includes seven rib bones. Each cow has two rib primal sections, so butchers can get 14 bone-in ribeyes from each cow. If the bones are removed, the steaks may be cut thinner, allowing butchers to get around 24 steaks per cow.
With the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill, you can easily add smoke to this recipe. Just add pellets to the smoke box and push the Woodfire Flavor Technology button. The pellets will ignite, adding smoke flavor as the steaks grill.
Prime and choice are grades determined by the USDA. Prime beef has more intramuscular fat and marbling than choice beef. You can see this visually when you look at a choice and prime steak side by side. The steaks should also be labeled with the appropriate USDA stickers. Prime beef is generally more tender and flavorful than choice beef.
A rib roast is cut from the same rib primal as the ribeye steak. While a steak is usually 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick, a rib roast is several inches thick and can include 3-5 bones (sometimes more). Rib roasts are where prime rib come from, but it can still be choice grade. Rib roasts can be cooked bone-in or boneless.
Try my recipe for The Best Steak Rub
More Ninja Grill Beef Recipes
- Cowboy Ribeye Steak on Ninja Woodfire Grill
- Ninja Grilled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Smoked Prime Rib on a Ninja Woodfire Grill
Ninja Grilled Ribeye Steak
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye steaks 1-1/4-inch thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
Instructions
- Marinate: Place the steaks in a zip-top bag with the olive oil, soy sauce, kosher salt, black pepper and garlic. Seal. Massage the marinade into the steaks. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes.
- Heat Grill: Set the Ninja Grill cook function to grill. Set the temperature to high and the time to 20 minutes.
- Grill: Place the steaks on the grill grate. Cook for five minutes. Flip. Cook for another 5-8 minutes, depending on your desired doneness.
Notes
Nutrition
This estimate was created using an online nutrition calculator
Recipe sets time on the ninja for 20 minutes but to grill 5 minutes on first side and 5 to 8 minutes on second side. Please clarify since that would not be 20 minutes total. Thank you!
I always set the grill for a little longer than the cook time, just in case I need a little more time. If I cut it too close, the grill may shut off before I want it to. Once you’re done cooking, you can turn it off, if there is more time left.
Hi
Great website!
Do you grill these with the lid up or down on the NFWG?
You can grill them either way. If they’re thicker, I usually close the lid. If they’re 1 inch thick or less, I generally leave it open.