The Proper Way To Grill A Tomahawk Steak

Juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked, my Grilled Tomahawk Steak is one that rivals any restaurant, and way cheaper too! By following these instructions, you can easily make this impressive meal at home. The herbed compound butter is the perfect complement to this delicious steak.

Stay at home, but make it steakhouse-quality

It’s no secret that dining out is getting more and more expensive these days, and a meal at a fancy steakhouse can run you hundreds of dollars, depending on the size of your party. But for many of us, that’s just not feasible, and that’s why I set out to create a recipe for the perfect grilled tomahawk steak at home.

This incredible steak dinner is impressive and costs a fraction of what you’d spend at a restaurant. The herbed compound butter is simple to make and adds even more flavor. If you prefer a different type of topping for your steak, try chimichurri sauce or the sauce I make for my ribeye steak with red wine reduction or NY strip steak with gorgonzola sauce.

I love to serve my grilled tomahawk steak for special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and small gatherings with sides like steakhouse homefries, creamed spinach, cauliflower au gratin, or grilled zucchini.

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below, and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

• Steak. I’m using a 3 pound tomahawk steak, which is a ribeye with the bone. You can also do the same recipe with a thick ribeye or porterhouse. Ribeyes often have a lot of fat on the sides which contributes to their great flavor. If you’d like to trim some of the fat away, feel free to do so.
• Herbs. I’m using a blend of parsley, rosemary, and thyme (plus garlic, salt, and pepper) for the herby compound butter.
• Salt. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for my tomahawk steak, salting at 1-1.25% of the tomahawk’s weight. So if the steak weighs 1000 grams, salt at 10-12.5 grams, or 1 1/4 tablespoons. It’s important to keep in mind that Diamond Crystal weighs half as much by volume as table salt, so you’d only use 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 teaspoons of table salt.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make grilled tomahawk steak with compound butter

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steak on a wire rack-lined baking sheet, uncovered, and place in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have time to do it overnight, salt the steak and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.
2. While the steak is sitting, prepare the compound butter by combining the softened butter, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mixing well until combined.

3. Place the herbed butter in the center of a large piece of plastic wrap and begin to roll into a log.
4. Tighten the opposite ends of the plastic wrap to tighten the log of compound butter. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to stiffen it up.
5. Remove the steak from the fridge 1 hour prior to grilling. Prepare the grill for indirect and direct cooking by heating one side of your grill and keeping the other side unheated.
6. Oil the grill grates and begin to sear the steak on the heated side of the grill for 1 minute per side.

7. Flip the steak every minute for a total of 8-10 minutes or until the steak is well charred but not burnt.
8. Using heatproof gloves or tongs, grill the steak on its edges so the fat is seared as well. It may flame up because of the fat, so if that happens, move the steak to the cool side for a few seconds before resuming.
9. At this point the steak will be well charred but still undercooked on the inside. Move the steak to the cool side of the grill. If using a gas grill, turn the grill heat to medium (350-400°F), and if using a full load of charcoal, almost close the bottom damper. Probe the thickest part of the steak directly in the center with an oven-safe digital thermometer.
10. Close the lid, leaving the top vents open and cook until the thermometer reads 115°F for medium-rare.

11. If desired, the steak can be flipped every 3 minutes until done, but it’s not really necessary.
12. Allow the steak to rest for 7-10 minutes before carving. Cut the teak off the bone then slice it into 1/4-1/2-inch thick pieces. Place in a platter along with the bone and top with a few tablespoons of room temperature compound butter. The remaining butter can be served at the table, stored in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months. Enjoy!

More steak recipes

Give these other great recipes a try!

• Steak tagliata
• Marinated London broil
• Reverse-seared ribeye