What temperature should I sous vide steak at?

Sous vide steak removes the temperature guesswork — you set the exact final doneness and the steak cooks edge-to-edge at that temperature without overcooking. Unlike traditional pan-searing where steak gray-bands from outside to inside, sous vide produces a perfectly pink interior wall-to-wall.

The doneness chart (López-Alt + ChefSteps + Anova testing):

Rare: - Temperature: 120-125°F (49-52°C) - Texture: very soft, almost raw center, deep red, cool interior - Time: 1-2 hours for 1-inch steak - Note: Below food-safety threshold (130°F+) if held under 2 hours

Medium-rare (the chef benchmark): - Temperature: 130-134°F (54-57°C) - Texture: pink throughout, warm center, classic steakhouse doneness - Time: 1-4 hours for 1-2 inch steaks - Note: 130°F+ is pasteurization-safe at 1 hour hold

Medium: - Temperature: 135-144°F (57-62°C) - Texture: light pink center, firmer, slight loss of juice - Time: 1-3 hours - Note: Mid-range home preference; texture starts firming

Medium-well: - Temperature: 145-154°F (63-68°C) - Texture: faint pink, much firmer, drier - Time: 1-2 hours - Note: Diminishing returns above this; sous vide can't save overcooked steak

Well done: - Temperature: 155°F+ (68°C+) - Texture: no pink, very firm, gray throughout - Time: 1-2 hours - Note: Sous vide eliminates the dryness somewhat vs. pan but still drier than rarer

Time windows + safety:

Sous vide steaks hold at temperature for a wide time window without overcooking. Once the steak reaches the bath temperature, additional time only changes texture (more tender after 4+ hours due to collagen breakdown).

Pasteurization thresholds (FDA + Modernist Cuisine): - 130°F: 2 hours hold = pasteurized - 134°F: 51 minutes - 140°F: 11 minutes - 145°F: 4 minutes

For typical 1-2 inch steaks, 1-2 hours at 130°F+ is both safe and ideal texture. Hold longer (up to 4 hours) for slightly more tenderness.

Why temperature matters more than time:

In sous vide, the steak cannot exceed the water temperature. Set the bath to 130°F → steak is 130°F edge-to-edge after equilibration. Set to 140°F → steak is 140°F. Time controls texture (more time = more collagen breakdown) but doesn't change doneness once equilibrated.

Steak thickness + cooking time:

The sear: where the crust comes from

Sous vide steak comes out gray on the surface — it needs a high-heat sear to develop crust. Standard methods:

• Cast iron + neutral oil: smoking hot, 60-90 sec per side, finish with butter
• Torch (e.g. Searzall): even browning, no smoke; 30-60 sec total
• Grill / Charcoal: highest heat possible, 30-60 sec per side
• Combo (cast iron + torch): restaurant-style perfect crust

Sear ONLY at the end. Sous vide before sear, never sear before sous vide (the sear cools to bath temp).

By steak cut:

Ribeye + NY strip + sirloin: - 130-134°F medium-rare standard - 1-2 hours typically - Sear hot + fast

Filet mignon (lean): - 129-131°F slightly lower (preserves tenderness) - 1-1.5 hours - Sear gently — filet overcooks faster on sear

Tomahawk + porterhouse + bone-in: - 130-134°F - 2-3 hours (thicker) - Sear vigorously

Flank + skirt + flat iron (tough cuts): - 131°F for tender medium-rare - 4-8 hours (collagen tenderization) - Slice against grain

Tri-tip + sirloin tip: - 130-134°F medium-rare - 4-6 hours for tenderness - Sear at high heat

Hanger: - 131-133°F - 2-3 hours - Sear hot

Common mistakes:

• Setting bath too high "to be safe" — sous vide doesn't need a buffer; 130°F = 130°F final
• Skipping the sear — gray exterior looks unappetizing; crust + flavor come from Maillard
• Searing too long — overcooks the outer layer; 60-90 sec max per side
• Salt before bath without dry-brining first — salt draws moisture into water; salt + pat dry + bag, or dry-brine 24h before
• Using thin steaks (≤0.75 inch) — equilibrate in 20 min; not worth sous vide setup
• Holding too long with delicate cuts — filet over 2 hours can get mushy

Don't: - Bring sous vide bath to temp via room-temp meat without heating water first (food-safety zone) - Sear meat from bath without patting dry (water = steam = no Maillard) - Use seasoned salt or marinade in the bag (extreme flavor concentration in vacuum) - Hold meat at temperature for 6+ hours unless specifically tenderizing tough cuts

Cross-reference: see /pages/what-temperature-for/sous-vide-steak for time details + /pages/how-to-convert/celsius-to-fahrenheit for temperature conversions + /pages/what-temperature-for/cooking-chicken for sous vide chicken.

Most published references (J. Kenji López-Alt "The Food Lab", ChefSteps + Anova Culinary, Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold, Douglas Baldwin "Sous Vide for the Home Cook") converge on 130-134°F medium-rare standard with 1-4 hour holds.