How to Grill New York Strip Steaks
on Jun 20, 2021, Updated Jun 17, 2025
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Everything you need to know about grilling perfect NY strip steaks: juicy, pink, and tender on the inside, beautifully browned on the outside.
Cooking NY strip steak on the grill (gas or charcoal!) is simply the best way to prepare this cut of beef in warmer weather. Strip steaks are boneless center-cut loin steaks with a pleasantly chewy texture and lots of beefy flavor. All you need to grill them up perfectly is some salt (I like kosher or sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper.
New York Strip may be called different things, depending on where you are having your steak discussion. You may see it labeled as Kansas City Strip, Omaha Strip, Club Steak, Strip Loin Steak, or Top Loin Steak.
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For a delicious grilled dinner in summer, serve your New York strip steaks with Steakhouse Tomato Salad, Grilled Vegetable Kabobs, Bulgur Wheat Salad, and Grilled Corn.
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How to Buy NY Strip Steaks
If you have a choice and can discuss it with the butcher (and in a perfect world, you should buy freshly cut steaks from a butcher — in the ultimate world, you will develop a relationship with that butcher, who might give you the best cuts, and some good steak cooking tips!), try to get a strip steak from the rib end of the tenderloin.
Buy the best grade of beef you can afford. USDA Prime is the top of the range, with only about 2% of the beef in this country earning that label. Prime beef has nice fat marbling throughout, giving beef steaks their incredible flavor, not to mention tenderness. USDA Choice comes after that. Within Choice, there are different levels, so once again, ask your butcher what is best behind the meat counter that day. The grade Select is below Choice, and will be leaner still.
A freshly cut NY strip steak should be a pretty bright red color and have no dark spots. It will turn a more brownish red as it ages, which doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that it was not cut as recently, and the exposure to oxygen causes the meat to darken. Steer clear of any steak with an odor that is slightly sour or anything but fresh.
How to Grill NY Strip Steak
- Preheat the grill to high. Carefully oil the grill rack.
- Grill the steaks. See the cooking time chart below. Turn once about halfway through the cooking time for simple grill marks on each side. Or, turn the steaks every 2 minutes or so three times so that you achieve cross-hatch grill marks (turn the steaks 90 degrees as you flip them).
- Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing or serving them.
NY Strip Steak Grilling Tips
Bring the steaks to room temperature before grilling. You can grill a NY Strip steak of any thickness successfully, but there is a sweet spot of thickness. Here are tips for grilling steaks of varying thicknesses:
I think a 1 1/2-inch thick steak is the perfect thickness for grilling and the most forgiving. You will have the best chance of getting the interior cooked to whatever rosy pink level of doneness you are after (see chart below) and a beautifully caramelized exterior.
If you have NY strip steaks that are thicker than 1 1/2 inches, don’t let the grill heat get too high, or the outside of the meat might get too charred before the inside is cooked to your liking. You can also flip these steaks a total of three times as you cook them, turning the steak a quarter turn with every flip. This will result in those tempting cross-hatched grill marks.
If you are cooking thinner steaks on the grill, 1-inch or less, only flip them once. This allows the outside to sear up before the steaks overcook. Keep the heat fairly high so the outside has a chance to sear before the inside gets too well done.
How Long to Grill NY Strip Steaks
You want to grill the steaks over direct high heat and, ideally, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temp. These times and internal temperatures take into account the resting time: the temperature of the meat will continue to climb by several degrees once the steak is removed from the heat to a cutting board. You can also use the touch method to determine the doneness of your steaks.
| Thickness | Doneness | Time |
| 1/2 inch thick | Rare (125 degrees F) | 1-2 minutes per side |
| 1/2 inch thick | Medium-Rare (130 degrees F) | 2-3 minutes per side |
| 1/2 inch thick | Medium (135 degrees F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| 1 inch thick | Rare (125 degrees F) | 3-4 minutes per side |
| 1 inch thick | Medium-Rare (130 degrees F) | 4-6 minutes per side |
| 1 inch thick | Medium (135 degrees F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1 1/2 inches thick | Rare (125 degrees F) | 5-6 minutes per side |
| 1 1/2 inches thick | Medium-Rare (130 degrees F) | 6-8 minutes per side |
| 1 1/2 inches thick | Medium (135 degrees F) | 8-9 minutes per side |
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Grilled New York Strip Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 (1 1/2-inch thick) New York strip steaks (about 10 ounces each)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high. Carefully oil the grill rack.
- Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the steaks, turning once after 5 minutes, and cooking for about another 5 minutes for medium-rare to get simple grill marks on each side. Or, turn the steaks three times in total so that you achieve cross-hatch grill marks (turn the steaks 90 degrees as you flip them), until the steaks are done to your liking. For thinner steaks, reduce the grilling time; for thicker steaks, increase the time and consider using indirect heat to avoid burning the outside before the inside is done.This should take about 12 minutes total for rare (125 F internal temperature when you remove them from the grill), 14 minutes for medium-rare (130 F internal temperature), and 16 minutes (135 F for medium). The temperature will continue to rise as the steaks rest after you pull them from the heat, which will get you to the intended level of doneness.
- Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into them or serving them. You can also leave the steaks on the cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice and serve the steak sliced.
Notes
Steak Doneness Guide
- Rare: 125 F
Medium-rare: 130–135 F
Medium: 140–145 F
Medium-well: 150–155 F
Well-done: 160 F
Storage and Leftovers
- You can keep an uncooked strip steak wrapped in its original packaging in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days if you’ve purchased it from a place with high turnover and fresh meat (which, of course, you should always do!).
- If you plan to freeze the steaks, remove them from their packaging the day you buy them, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and slide the wrapped steaks into freezer-proof zipper top bags. Press out any excess air, then seal and freeze for up to 9 months. Make sure to label the package with the name and date.
- Leftover cooked steak can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, as long as it was cooked when it was quite fresh. You can slice the steak and add it to various salads and bowls, or warm it up on the grill, in the microwave, or in the oven, just until warm.
Steak Portions
You should plan on about 5 to 6 ounces of steak per person. Grill up extra if you know you have big eaters or hungry steak lovers! And leftover steak is excellent sliced and added to Greek Salad, Caesar Salad, grain bowls, and steak and cheese quesadillas, so better to make a little too much. A typical 10-ounce strip steak can comfortably serve two people, especially when sliced and served with sides. Adjust the number of steaks based on your guests’ appetites and the size of the steaks you have.Nutrition
What to Serve With New York Strip Steak
Besides pairing the steaks with the perfect sides, you can also think about topping them with a flavored or compound butter, as pictured above and below! Try the thyme-garlic butter from this ribeye steak recipe or the tarragon-caper compound butter from this beef tenderloin recipe.
Katie, reference your comment to rotate the steaks 90 degrees to get a diamond pattern of grill marks on the steak, I take objection to. If you rotate the steak 90 degrees, you’ll get a crisscross square pattern where the grill mark lines are at 90 degrees to each other. I recommend a 45-60 degree rotation for the best presentation.