Reverse searing on an infrared grill is a two-stage method built for thick steaks: cook the steak gently until the center is close to your target, then finish with a hard infrared sear to build the crust. The low-and-slow first stage brings the whole steak to temperature evenly, and the blazing final sear creates a crust in seconds without overcooking the center. This guide covers when reverse searing makes sense, the temperature workflow with a probe, and how to adapt the method to an infrared grill's intense heat.
When reverse searing makes sense
Reverse searing is for thick steaks — roughly one and a half inches and up. A thick steak cooked entirely over high heat develops a burnt exterior before the center reaches temperature; the reverse method fixes that by cooking the center gently first. For thin steaks, reverse searing adds little because a thin steak cooks through quickly either way; a direct sear is the better use of the grill. Choose reverse searing when the steak is thick enough that the center and the crust are competing, and you want both to win.
The temperature workflow
Use a probe thermometer and follow the numbers rather than a clock. In the gentle stage, cook the steak indirectly at a moderate heat until the center reaches about 10–15°F below your target pull temperature — for a medium-rare steak, that means pulling from the gentle stage around 115–120°F, then searing until the center finishes near 130–135°F. Because carryover continues after the sear, pull a few degrees early and rest briefly. The probe is the whole method: it tells you when the gentle stage is done and when the sear has finished the job, which removes the guesswork from both stages.
Choosing a steak for the method
Start with a cut that rewards the two-stage approach. Look for a steak roughly one and a half inches thick or more, with an even shape so the center cooks at the same rate across the whole piece. A thick ribeye works well because its fat renders during the gentle stage; a thick filet benefits because the lean center is protected from the sear; a tomahawk or bone-in ribeye works if you account for the uneven shape by letting the gentle stage do the bulk of the cooking. What does not suit the method is a thin or uneven steak — a one-inch cut is cooked through by the time you build a crust, and a tapered piece is overdone at the thin end before the thick end is ready.
Preparation starts an hour ahead or the night before: season with salt and leave the steak uncovered in the fridge so the surface dries. A dry surface sears instead of steams — moisture has to boil off before browning begins, which on an intense infrared zone is the difference between a fast crust and a gray, overcooked edge. Pat the steak dry before cooking and let thick cuts sit at room temperature for about thirty minutes so the center starts less cold.
Setting up the infrared grill
An infrared grill's heat is intense and immediate, which is exactly what the final sear needs — but it means the gentle stage needs the opposite of full power. If your grill has separate zones or an adjustable heat, run the gentle stage over the cooler part or at a reduced setting; if the grill only runs full power, cook the steak in the gentle stage on a raised position or away from the direct emitter, then move it low for the sear. Learn your grill's layout before the cook so the two stages have a home, and preheat the sear zone fully so the crust forms fast rather than stewing the surface.
For the gentle stage, aim for the oven-like zone between roughly 225–275°F if your grill can hold it, and accept a wider band on simpler models as long as the heat is indirect and gentle. Put the probe in the thickest part of the steak, away from bone and fat, and close the lid so the heat stays steady; every time the lid opens, the stage slows and the steak's surface cools. On a multi-burner grill, light one burner on low and place the steak on the unlit side; on a single-zone infrared grill, raise the grate to its highest position or move the steak to the edge of the emitter's reach. The goal is a slow rise in the center, not a race, and the probe decides when the stage is over.
The final sear
When the center is close to target, move the steak to the hot infrared zone and sear in short intervals — often 30–60 seconds per side depending on the steak and the heat — watching for the crust to develop rather than timing blindly. Flip once or twice as needed, and pull the steak when the crust looks right and the center has reached your target. Because infrared heat is so intense, the window between a perfect crust and an overcooked center is narrow; keep the probe in place and pull at the number, not at the color.
Read the crust while it forms. Infrared searing browns faster than a standard gas or charcoal fire, so color is the cue: you want a deep mahogany crust, not blackened patches or pale streaks. Hard smoking in the first seconds means the zone is too hot or the surface was damp; a full minute with only light browning means the zone was not hot enough. Do not press down on the steak, and do not move it until the first side has actually browned — two short turns beat one long hold.
Resting, slicing and serving
Rest the steak after the sear, tented loosely, for about five to ten minutes depending on thickness. The rest does two jobs: the temperature carries up a few more degrees, which is why you pulled the steak early, and the juices redistribute instead of running onto the board the moment you cut. A thick steak sliced immediately after the sear bleeds out and reads drier than its internal temperature suggests; ten patient minutes is the cheapest flavor insurance in the method.
Slice against the grain at an angle, and check the center as you cut — the first slice tells you whether to pull the next steak earlier or later. Serve with flaky salt or a finishing sauce on the side, and cut only what you plan to eat so the rest holds its heat.
Adapting the method
Reverse searing adapts to different cuts and finishes. For a thick ribeye, the gentle stage renders fat evenly before the sear; for a filet, the gentle stage protects the lean center; for a tomahawk, the method handles the uneven shape by cooking the whole steak gently before the final crust. Add butter, garlic and herbs to the pan or a cast-iron insert during the sear for a basted finish if your grill allows it, or keep the sear clean and finish with flaky salt. The method's strength is its flexibility — once the two-stage temperature workflow makes sense, it applies to any thick steak on any infrared grill.
Reverse-sear mistakes and their fixes
Three mistakes cause most reverse-sear failures. Skipping the gentle stage and searing a cold center leaves the steak underdone inside. Pulling the gentle stage too late means the sear pushes the steak past your target. And searing for too long on the intense infrared zone chars the crust before the center settles. Each mistake is fixed by the same discipline: trust the probe, pull early from the gentle stage, and sear in short bursts. When the numbers are right, the crust and the center both arrive at the finish line together.
A second set of failures appears before the steak reaches the grill: a damp surface steams the crust, an un-preheated sear zone turns a fast sear into a gray edge, and cutting in before the rest throws away the carryover you planned for. The remedy is the same routine every time — dry the surface, preheat the zone fully, trust the probe at both stages, and rest the steak before the knife.
Big Horn's portable infrared steak grill and the 16-inch infrared steak grill are built for the sear side of this method, and the steak searing grill collection shows the range. Pair the two-stage workflow with the temperature chart for your doneness targets, and reverse searing becomes the reliable way to cook thick steaks outdoors.
These steps are general guidance, and models vary: follow the manual for your specific unit, and verify temperatures with a clean thermometer where the text calls for one. Product details reflect official Big Horn Outdoors listings reviewed September 5, 2026; re-check prices and availability at checkout.
