What temperature should I sous vide steak at?

Sous vide steak temperatures by doneness: Rare 125°F (52°C) · Medium-rare 130-134°F (54-57°C) · Medium 135-144°F (57-62°C) · Medium-well 145-154°F (63-68°C) · Well 155°F+ (68°C+). Hold 1-4 hours.

The full answer

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:**

| Thickness | Time to reach temp | Min safe hold | |---|---|---| | 1 inch | 45-60 min | 1 hour total | | 1.5 inch | 90 min | 1.5 hours | | 2 inch | 2 hours | 2.5 hours | | 2.5+ inch | 2.5 hours | 3 hours |

**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/how-long-does/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.

Time ranges by condition

What changes the time

• Doneness preference. 5°F changes doneness category; 130°F medium-rare is chef standard
• Steak thickness. 1-inch needs 1 hour; 2-inch needs 2 hours; thicker = more equilibration
• Hold time. 1-2 hours = standard; 4+ hours = collagen breakdown (tough cuts)
• Cut type. Tender cuts (ribeye) need 1-2h; tough cuts (flank/tri-tip) benefit from 4-8h
• Sear method. Cast iron + butter or torch; 60-90 sec per side max to preserve doneness

Common questions

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

1. T3J. Kenji López-Alt, "The Food Lab" — Sous vide temperature + time charts for steak with quality ratings
2. T2ChefSteps + Anova Culinary — Tested doneness temperatures with photos
3. T1Nathan Myhrvold, "Modernist Cuisine" — Pasteurization time-temperature charts + scientific framework
4. T2Douglas Baldwin, "Sous Vide for the Home Cook" — Academic temperature + safety reference

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