How to Cook a Steak Without a Grill?

You can cook a steak without a grill by using an indoor electric grill, a flat-top griddle, an infrared burner, or a kamado cooker, depending on what you own. The key is reaching a high enough surface temperature to sear the outside before the inside overcooks, and the maker’s published top temperatures tell you which appliances can do that.

Indoor electric grills with published searing heat

The Best Indoor Grills for High-Heat Searing guide lists five picks, and several publish a top temperature. The Ninja Sizzle Indoor Grill & Griddle, model GR101, states a maximum heat of 500°F. The Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill states a searing heat of 450°F and an adjustable range from 200°F to 450°F. The T-Fal OptiGrill Stainless Steel XL Electric Grill publishes 1800 watts but does not state a top temperature in its features.

For steak, a grill that reaches 450°F or 500°F can put a brown crust on the surface. The Ninja has interchangeable grill and griddle plates, so you can use the grill plate for marks or the flat griddle plate for more contact. The Hamilton Beach has a removable lid with a viewing window, and the maker states the lid is dishwasher safe. Both are countertop appliances that run on standard household current.

The Dyna-Living Commercial Electric Griddle publishes a temperature range of 122°F to 572°F and a 3000-watt heating element. That is the highest top temperature among the indoor grills in this guide. Its cooking surface is 21.3 inches by 11.8 inches, and the maker describes the heating panel as 8mm thick. The Besococina Electric Griddle publishes a 1650-watt heating system and a peak temperature of 536°F.

Flat-top griddles and contact grills

A flat-top griddle gives you full contact with the steak, which helps with browning. The Dyna-Living griddle is the largest in the indoor grill guide, with a 22-inch class cooking surface. The maker lists a nonstick coating and a removable oil collecting box. The Besococina griddle is smaller, with a 14-inch size stated in the text, and the maker states a 5mm heat-resistant stainless steel surface.

Contact grills like the T-Fal OptiGrill close over the food. The maker states nine automatic cooking programs and a capacity of up to 6 servings, and the title says up to 6 servings while a feature says cook for 8 with ease. The maker also states the plates are inclined to remove fat. For steak, a contact grill can cook both sides at once, but the published features do not give a top temperature, so you cannot compare its searing heat to the others by the numbers.

If you use a griddle, preheat it fully before the steak goes on. The Dyna-Living maker states the heating tubes are dense and heat quickly and evenly. The Besococina maker states rapid heating technology. Neither maker publishes a preheat time in minutes, so follow the indicator light or display on the unit.

Infrared burners and hot plates

An infrared burner is a single hot plate that works with a pan. The Best Infrared Cookers From 1000 to 2200 Watts guide lists five picks. The DRINTON Electric Cooktop Hot Plate publishes 2200 watts and an adjustable temperature range of 140°F to 480°F. The OVENTE Electric Infrared Single Burner publishes 1000 watts and a 7-inch recommended cookware diameter. The nuopuplai and PAYISHO models each publish 1800 watts and 10 power levels, but neither states a top temperature in its features.

To cook a steak on an infrared burner, set a heavy skillet on the plate and let it heat. The DRINTON maker states the unit is compatible with cast iron, stainless steel, and other cookware. The OVENTE maker states it works with virtually all cookware and recommends flat cookware close to the burner size. A cast iron skillet on a 2200-watt burner can reach searing heat, but the maker does not publish a pan temperature, only the burner’s 480°F top setting.

The Nuwave Pro Plus 2 Infrared Countertop Air Fryer Oven is also in this guide. It publishes a 10-lb capacity and lists Grill and Broil among its functions. The maker does not publish a top temperature for the grill or broil settings, so it is not possible to compare its searing heat with the hot plates by the numbers.

Kamado cookers for high heat

A kamado is an outdoor cooker, but if you have one, it can sear a steak without a gas or charcoal grill. The Best Kamado Grills for Low Smoking and High Searing guide lists five picks. The Char-Griller AKORN 20-Inch Kamado publishes a cooking range of 200°F to 700°F and 445 square inches of cooking area. That 700°F top is the highest published temperature in any of the guides cited on this page.

The Kamado Joe Big Joe Konnected Joe publishes a digital control system and a 2-tier Divide & Conquer system for multi-zone cooking. The maker does not state a top temperature in its features. The Weber Summit Kamado S6 publishes a 24-inch cooking area and an adjustable grate for low and slow smoking or high-heat searing, but the maker does not state a top temperature in its features. The Stanbroil Hygrill 32-inch built-in charcoal grill publishes an insulated hood and a built-in temperature gauge, but no top temperature.

For a steak, the Char-Griller AKORN’s published 700°F top means you can sear directly over the coals. The maker states the cast iron grates and the dual adjustable dampers let you fine-tune airflow. A kamado also holds heat, so you can close the lid after searing to bring the steak to your target internal temperature. The maker does not publish a recommended steak cooking time.

A simple indoor method

Start with a dry steak. Pat it dry with paper towels, then season it with salt and pepper. If you have time, let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours, but that is a cooking choice, not a product specification. Bring it close to room temperature before cooking so the center warms evenly.

Preheat your appliance to its top searing setting. On the Ninja Sizzle, that is 500°F. On the Hamilton Beach, that is 450°F. On the Dyna-Living griddle, you can set it up to 572°F. On the DRINTON infrared burner, the top setting is 480°F. Let the surface come up to heat before the steak goes on, and use the indicator light or display as your guide.

Set the steak on the hot surface and leave it alone for a few minutes to develop a crust. Turn it once. If you are using a grill with a lid, such as the Hamilton Beach, you can close the lid to hold heat. The maker states the lid has a viewing window, so you can watch without opening. For a thick steak, finish it on a lower setting or in a low oven, but the makers do not publish steak cooking times, so use an instant-read thermometer to check the center.

What the makers do and do not publish

The figures on this page come from the makers’ published product specifications as collected in the cited guides. Not every maker publishes a top temperature. The T-Fal OptiGrill publishes wattage and programs but no top temperature. The nuopuplai and PAYISHO infrared cookers publish wattage and power levels but no top temperature. The Kamado Joe, Weber, and Stanbroil kamados publish features and cooking area but no top temperature in their features.

Where a maker publishes a temperature range, this page states it. Where a maker does not, this page says so. This site has not tested these products, and nobody at Lush Food & Drink has used them. The numbers are the makers’ own published figures, and any cooking result depends on your technique, the thickness of the steak, and how you manage the heat.

For egg cookers, which are not used for steak, the Best Egg Cookers for Simple Countertop Cooking guide lists five picks with published capacities and wattages. That guide is cited here only because it is one of the guides on this site, not because an egg cooker can cook a steak. The indoor grills, infrared cookers, and kamado grills are the relevant guides for steak without a grill.