Y’all…I’m so proud of myself. As most of you know, my husband is deployed overseas. He’s been gone for 6 months and he is the master griller/smoker at our house. Throughout this deployment, I’ve timidly tried using our smoker and, to my surprise, have been successful every time. Why did I think it was so hard?!? I’ve smoked tri-tip a few times and on 4th of July I made the juiciest, most perfect homemade burgers. Honestly it was the first time in my life that I’ve grilled burgers! When I saw that Lee’s Marketplace had ribeyes on sale this week, I decided to go for it. I am so proud and happy to say that my Smoked Ribeye Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri turned out better than I could have imagined!
I can’t get over how amazing these turned out! I told my husband that he may be losing his job as grill master when he gets home. Ha! I can’t wait for him to be home so I can make this for him. He’s going to love it after 6+ months of bad cafeteria food.
Chimichurri Sauce
Now let’s talk about this bright, tangy, delicious Cilantro Chimichurri. If you’ve never had or made a chimichurri, think of it as a pesto without the nuts. It originates from Argentina and is so delicious on beef, chicken, and fish. We even used it as a salad dressing for this recipe! If you happen to be a cilantro hater, do not worry, because you can make chimichurri with all kinds of herbs. I happen to think cilantro is the best fresh herb on the planet so you know I had to make a chimichurri with it. Just give me a straw!
I just added everything to my Blendtec and from start to finish it took maybe 5 minutes to make. Then I just let it sit out at room temp while I waited for my steaks to finish. So easy!
Grilling the Steaks
There are so many recipes out there for smoked ribeye but this is what I did…
I seasoned with a steak rub, smoked them on my Traeger for 40 minutes on low at 225, then cranked the heat up to high and cooked to temp, flipping once. I like my steaks medium-well (don’t yell at me) and my Thermapen from Thermoworks made this so easy. They were perfectly done! Of course, if you like yours less done, cook them for a shorter amount of time.
Once mine were to temp, I let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes, sliced them up, and ate them over salad greens with tomato, cucumber, and avocado. It was incredible!
Smoked Ribeye Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri are my New Favorite Summer Meal
I made four steaks and luckily my youngest wasn’t home because my other two kids and I ate them all. Should I admit that?!? We could not stop eating this perfect steak with that addictive chimichurri on top! Can you imagine grilling some fresh corn and adding that to the mix? Yum!
Also, just a note, but if you don’t have a smoker you can absolutely use a charcoal or gas grill. The main thing here is to make an amazing steak and top it with that chimichurri sauce that is to die for.
If I can make this, anyone can, so I hope y’all run out and get some ribeye steaks (from Lee’s if you’re close!) and make these Smoked Ribeye Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri. It’s the perfect summer meal that will get you outside in the beautiful sunshine and not heat up your kitchen!
Items on sale at Lee’s the week of July 7-13: ribeye steak, olive oil, red wine vinegar
What to Serve With the Steaks
Smoked Ribeye Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 4 ribeye steaks
- Steak seasoning or salt & pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley (stems and leaves)
- 1/2 red onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees. Season both sides of steaks then place directly on grill. Close lid and let smoke for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make chimichurri sauce by placing olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is combined and not big chunks remain (I don't like mine perfectly smooth). Pour into a bowl and set aside (no need to refrigerate right away).
- After 40 minutes of smoking is up, increase heat on smoker to high and cook for another 4-6 minutes. Then flip steaks and cook to desired temperature and doneness. Remove from smoker and let steaks rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve steaks with chimichurri on the side or right on top.
Notes
- If you prefer your steak more rare, decrease smoke time to 30 minutes then grill on high for less time. I highly recommend using a digital meat thermometer to get your steak perfectly cooked!
- This steak is amazing sliced and added to a salad with the chimichurri drizzled over the top.Â
- Don’t have a smoker? It’s ok! Just use whatever grill you have and cook the steaks to your liking. Top with that amazing sauce and it will be perfect!
Looks wonderful.
Thank you!