T-Bone Steak on the Grill served with garlic herb butter is what summer nights were made for! Perfectly grilled Steak layered with herby, buttery flavor.
This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
Grilled T Bone Steak Recipe
I think it’s safe to say that everyone, cats and dogs included, were drooling as I was cooking these T-Bone Steaks! This recipe is a favorite because it’s so simple and pairs well with just about anything.
I don’t know about you, but in the summer after a long, hard day of physical work, a huge heavy meal doesn’t always sound appetizing. I’m always starving (we just finished a fencing project on the Farmstead), but I crave something that will fill me up and taste fresh at the same time. Que this recipe!
While T-Bone is always delicious, pairing it with fresh herbs lightens and brightens everything up. You can substitute dried herbs but using fresh will make a difference and I highly recommend them in this recipe. The same goes for the garlic. Granulated garlic can work, but fresh is going to send the flavors over the top.
What is a T-Bone Steak?
T-Bone Steak gets its name from the T-shaped bone that is always found in this cut. A T-Bone Steak is actually made up of two other cuts of Steak you might recognize. The smaller portion of a T-Bone Steak is what’s commonly known as a Tenderloin Steak or “Filet Mignon” (my favorite cut). This portion is very tender and typically has great marbling.
The larger portion of the T-Bone Steak when sold alone is known as a Strip Steak. This is also a great cut of Steak when sold alone or as part of a T-Bone. Honestly, cooking a T-Bone Steak is like getting two Steaks in one. I’m all for that!
What is the difference between a Porterhouse Steak and a T-Bone Steak?
While a Porterhouse Steak and a T-Bone Steak can look the same with that T-shaped bone in the cut, traditionally a Porterhouse steak is cut farther back on the short loin. Because they are cut farther back, they include more Tenderloin Steak and there are sizing specifications on what is classified as a Porterhouse and what is classified as a T-Bone.
These specifications are argued often and there aren’t really hard and fast guidelines for restaurants labeling a Steak a T-Bone vs. a Porterhouse. Overall, a Porterhouse Steak is going to be larger, particularly on the Tenderloin side.
What is the best way to cook T Bone Steak?
- Preheat your grill on medium-high heat. If it has a temperature reading, it should be around 400ºF.
- Season the T-Bone Steaks with salt and pepper.
- Place them on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes.
- Flip and cook on the opposite side for about 7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 145ºF for a perfectly cooked medium done steak.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Grill T Bone Steak
- Prepare your steak with seasonings while the grill preheats to about 400 degrees F (medium-high heat).
- Make sure the grill is properly heated before adding your steaks to it as a properly heated grill will help to sear the meat on contact and keep the nice juices inside for a moist steak while helping to prevent the steak from sticking to the grates.
- Place your steaks across the grates and cook them for several minutes on each side until char lines appear and the meat looks cooked.
- When cooking your steak you do not need to close the lid to the grill unless it’s a much thicker cut of meat and you want to keep the heating more even.
- When the outside of your steak has nice black lines, the meat looks cooked and the inside has reached a minimum of 130 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer, it’s finished and can be removed from the grill.
Grill Temperature
Not all grills are created the same so the temperature gauges can read differently and cause some confusion. Hopefully, this helps to make the grill temperatures make a little more sense.
- High heat is 400-450 degrees F
- Medium-High heat is 350-400 degrees F
- Medium heat is 300-350 degrees F
- Low heat is 250-300 degrees F
How Long to Grill T Bone Steak
The length of time spent cooking your steak will vary depending on the thickness of your steak.
For a steak that is about 1 ½ inches thick, you’ll want to cook it for about 7 minutes per side.
Smaller steaks take a little less time to cook but thicker ones will obviously take a little longer.
Garlic Herb Butter for this T Bone Steak Recipe
The garlic herb butter is what really makes this T-Bone Steak recipe special. I like to serve it at room temperature, so it melts nicely on the warm T-Bone Steaks and doesn’t cool them off too much.
Pro Tip: make a bunch of this butter, roll it into ½ cup portions in plastic wrap and toss them in the freezer. Then all you have to do when you want T-Bones and garlic herb butter is grab one out and let it thaw! Dinner in minutes.
Here’s how to make the garlic herb butter for Steak:
- Mince fresh garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, and chives.
- Combine the softened butter with the salt, pepper, garlic, and minced herbs.
- Mix until well combined and set aside at room temperature. This can be made ahead and refrigerated.
How do I make my T-bone steak more tender?
T bone steaks are already made with tender meat so you really don’t have to do much to keep it this way.
The best process is to flash cook the outside of the steak, meaning to sear it over high heat to help seal in the juices as it cooks. This is a prime example of why you should heat the grill before adding the steak so that it sears on contact. Following this recipe will give you a tender stake.
Other great methods for tenderizing your steak include rubbing salt on the meat or using a marinade. Marinades are usually an acidic liquid used to help tenderize the meat for a few hours before cooking and can also help to infuse flavors into the meat with very little effort.
What to Serve with This T-Bone Steak Recipe
Grilled T-Bone Steak Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Steaks
- 4 T-Bone Steaks see note
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the Garlic Herb Butter
- 1/2 cup butter salted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons basil minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme minced
- 1 teaspoon rosemary minced
- 1 teaspoon chives minced
Instructions
For the T-Bone Steaks
- Preheat your grill on medium-high heat. If it has a temperature reading, it should be around 400ºF.
- Season the T-Bone Steaks with salt and pepper.
- Place them on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes.
- Flip and cook on the opposite side for about 7minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 145ºF for a perfectly cooked medium done steak.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
For the Herb Butter
- While the T-Bone Steaks are grilling, make the herb butter.
- Mince fresh garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, and chives.
- Combine the softened butter with the salt, pepper, garlic, and minced herbs.
- Mix until well combined and set aside at room temperature. This can be made ahead and refrigerated.
- Serve with the Grilled T-Bone Steaks. I prefer to serve the herb butter at room temperature, so it doesn’t cool the steak too much.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more great steak recipes and posts?
- 5 Best Steak Knives
- Easy Steak Seasoning Recipe
- How to Reverse Sear Steak
- How to Cook Steak in a Pan
- How to Grill Steak
- Steak Seasoning
- How Long Does Steak Last in the Freezer
- Herb Steak Butter
- Blue Cheese Steak Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- Chopped Steak Salad
- Grilled Flank Steak
- Garlic Herb Kabobs
- Leftover Steak Tacos
- Dijon Peppercorn Steak
- Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Alli says
Amazing grilled steak!