This One Skillet Rib Eye Steak Dinner with Steakhouse Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms is the easiest way to bring steakhouse flavor home-no grill required. With a blazing-hot cast-iron skillet and a quick oven finish, this dinner-for-two delivers a perfectly seared ribeye and a rich, creamy side made in the very same pan. Fewer dishes, bigger flavor, and results are as good as your favorite steakhouse meal.
Want to cook the perfect steak? Turn off the grill, heat up a skillet, and grab some butter and fresh herbs. The basting technique you'll learn in this recipe creates a deeply flavorful, evenly cooked ribeye with a gorgeous crust-and once you master it, you can use the same method for pork chops or lamb chops, too.
This meal also adds a new recipe to your repertoire: classic steakhouse creamed spinach and mushrooms, reimagined as a superclub-style side that comes together in the same skillet while your steak rests. It's a thoughtful, restaurant-worthy dinner for two that proves you don't need a reservation-or a pile of pans-to cook something truly special.
Why This Recipe Works for Dinner for Two
This recipe is designed to feel special without feeling complicated. One 12 ounce boneless ribeye is plenty when it's cooked properly, sliced, and paired with a rich, creamy vegetable side. Using a single skillet keeps the process streamlined, the flavors layered, and cleanup mercifully short-perfect for a cozy weeknight or a date-night-in.
Because everything happens in stages, timing works in your favor: the steak rests while the creamed spinach and mushrooms come together, so nothing feels rushed or overcooked.
Jump to:
Best Steak Cut for a One-Skillet Ribeye Dinner
The best steak cut for a one skillet rib eye steak dinner is a boneless ribeye. Ribeye's rich marbling keeps the steak juicy during high-heat searing and delivers bold, steakhouse-style flavor when cooked in a cast-iron skillet.
For best results, choose a ribeye that is 1 to 1½ inches thick and weighs about 12 ounces, making it ideal for a dinner for two. Thicker cuts allow for a deep, caramelized crust while finishing evenly in the oven.
Good alternatives: New York strip works well if ribeye isn't available, while filet mignon is better suited to the reverse-sear method due to its lower fat content.What you'll need
Best Pan to Cook Steak: Cast Iron and HOT
When it comes to cooking steak indoors, cast iron is king. It retains heat better than any other pan, which is exactly what you need to create that deep brown, caramelized crust.
A properly heated cast-iron skillet:
- Delivers an even sear
- Prevents steaming
- Transitions seamlessly from stovetop to oven
The key is patience-let the pan get really hot before the steak ever touches it.
One-Skillet Ribeye Steak Instructions
Step 1: Be Sure Your Steak Is Completely Thawed
This matters more than people think. A partially frozen steak won't cook evenly.
Thaw your steak in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. About 30-40 minutes before cooking, take it out of the fridge so it can come closer to room temperature. This helps it cook evenly from edge to center.
Step 2: Preheat the Oven to 400°F and Season Generously
400°F is the sweet spot for oven-finished steaks-hot enough to cook efficiently without drying the meat.
While the oven preheats, season your ribeye generously with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. Press the seasoning into the meat with your palm so it actually sticks.
At the same time, place a large cast-iron skillet on the stove over high heat. You're looking for very hot-the pan should just start to smoke.
Step 3: Pan-Seared Ribeye Steak - Sear Both Sides
Add the oil to the hot skillet, then carefully place the steak in the pan.
Let it sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms. You're not just cooking the steak here-you're building flavor. That brown crust is everything.
Step 4: Finish the Ribeye Steak in the Oven
Once both sides are beautifully seared, add the butter, thyme, rosemary, and smashed garlic to the pan. As the butter melts, tilt the pan slightly and baste the steak with a spoon.
Transfer the entire skillet to the oven and bake until the steak reaches about 5°F below your desired doneness (see cooking chart below). This usually takes 5-15 minutes depending on thickness.
Remove the steak from the oven, transfer it and the garlic and herbs to a cutting board, and tent loosely with foil.
Step 5: Rest the Steak (Don't Skip This)
Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes.
During this time, carryover cooking will raise the internal temperature by about 5°F. More importantly, resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat so they stay in the steak-not on your cutting board.
Step 6: Make the Steakhouse Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms
Carefully pour off excess oil from the skillet and return it to the stovetop over medium heat.
Mash the softened butter and flour together in a small bowl to create a paste-this will thicken the sauce later.
In the now empty skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add mushrooms and sauté until deeply browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add shallots and garlic, cooking just until soft and fragrant (see photo 1).
Add spinach in batches, turning gently with tongs until wilted (see photo 2). Stir in the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the butter-flour paste, red pepper flakes, and cheese, stirring until the sauce clings beautifully to the spinach and mushrooms.
If needed, loosen with a splash of milk.
Slice the rested steak and serve with the creamed spinach and mushrooms (photo 3).
Reverse Sear Option (When to Use It)
Reverse searing is another excellent method, especially for steaks thicker than 2 inches-like filet mignon or a cowboy ribeye.
Instead of searing first, you bake the steak at a lower temperature until nearly done, then finish with a hot stovetop sear. This method provides incredibly even doneness but takes longer, making it better for thicker cuts rather than weeknight ribeyes.
Steak Cooking Times Chart
I recommend 400°F as the best oven temp for steaks. For the perfect doneness, use a meat thermometer and the Measuring Doneness Chart below for perfect steak doneness.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to Our Table 4 2 for even more cooking for two recipes and tips.
Common questions about this recipe
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
Yes. It's the most reliable way to avoid overcooking steak, especially when finishing in the oven.
Because of carryover cooking. The steak continues to cook as it rests, bringing it to the perfect final temperature.
Yes-New York strip works beautifully here. Just adjust cooking time based on thickness.
Use the heaviest oven-safe skillet you own, but cast iron will give you the best crust.
Related
Looking for other one pan dinner for two recipes like this? Try these:
One Skillet Rib Eye Steak Dinner
Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box
You can access your saved recipes on this device and generate a shopping list for recipes in your collections.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the steak
- 1 boneless ribeye steak 12 ounces, removed from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 rosemary sprig
- 1 garlic clove smashed
For Creamed Spinach and Sauteed Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup 4 ounces sliced mushrooms such as button or cremini
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons shallots finely chopped
- 1 bag 10 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ cup cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 ounces of monteray jack cheese cut into ½ inch cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook the Steaks:
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until the surface of the pan begins to smoke. Season the steaks all over with the salt. Using a pepper mill, crack pepper coarsely over both sides of the steak, pressing the meat with your palm so that the seasoning will stick.
- Place the oil in the pan, then add steak. Sear over high heat until a dark brown crust has formed evenly on the surface of the meat, this may only take 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the steaks and repeat the process on the other side.
- Add the butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic to the pan and when the butter melts, baste the steak with the butter. Transfer the entire skillet to the oven and bake until the steak reaches about 5°F below your desired doneness. Transfer steak, herbs and garlic to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest. Remove oil from the skillet.
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms
- Meanwhile, In a small bowl, use a fork to mash 1 tablespoon softened butter with the flour to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet over medium-heat. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and translucent-but don't let them take on color.
- Add half of the spinach and cook until just wilted, turning with tongs to coat. Add remaining spinach and continue to cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon of pepper and nutmeg bringing to a gentle simmer. Stir in the butter-flour paste, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and cheese. Stir until everything is melted and the sauce clings to the spinach, about 3 minutes. If mixture looks too thick, you can stir in a splash of milk, 2 tablespoons at a time to loosen it slightly.
- Remove from heat, slice the steak and serve with mushrooms and creamed spinach
Notes
Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Now shipping!
my new cookbook is here!
Celebrate the joy of heirloom cooking with 130 recipes that reimagine family favorites for today's smaller table.
Leave a Reply