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How Long Does It Take to Cook a Steak on the George Foreman Grill?

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I think we can all agree that most of the as seen on TV products you see are gimmicks. Every once in a while there is one that comes along that changes things. Enter the George Foreman Grill. Cooking on it can be easy and fast but sometimes it is nice to know the shortcuts. Today we are going to look at how long it takes to cook a steak on the George Foreman Grill. 

Picture from Amazon

The George Foreman is arguably the most successful small appliance that was ever invented. With well over 100 million of them sold, many households have them, and for good reason, they are simple and work great. 

One of the main draws of this small appliance is if you like cooking on an outdoor grill but do not have the time or the weather is bad, you can have similar results by cooking on this indoor grill. It also creates a healthier version of a grilled steak once the fat drips away. The fat is then collected into the included drip tray.

How It Works

The George Foreman is an indoor grill that has two grill plates with both having heating elements. One is on the top and one on the bottom. The clamshell design is similar to a panini press.

Grilling Surface of the George Foreman

This allows it to cook the top and bottom of food at the same time and to have dual contact with the food that is cooking. This direct contact cooks the food faster because of the grilling surfaces.

The grill is slightly tilted and has grooves on the surfaces. This allows fat to drip off and flow into the included drip tray. It works like a convection cooker and keeps the heat along with moisture trapped in between the plates.

Drip Tray

This helps to retain the moisture in the meat even though the fat is dripping away. It is simply a brilliant invention that creates a slightly healthier version of grilled food. 

The George Foreman Grill only has one temperature setting. Once you plug it in, there is an off-and-on button on the back side of the gill. All that is needed is to cut it on and let it preheat for about 5 minutes. Make sure to close the lid to allow it to heat up faster.

On/Off Button on the back of the George Foreman

There is an indicator light on top of the grill that lets you know the unit is on and that it is heating. Once it reaches its predetermined temperature, the indicator light turns off.

Indicator Light on top of the George Foreman

On the newer models, there are two lights. One is green and the other orange or red. The green light turns on when it is ready to use or has reached its optimal temperature.

It will keep its temperature within a range and as it cycles off and on to keep up the temperature, the light will turn on and off to indicate when it is heating. 

Enough about that, How Long Does it Take to Grill A Steak on the George Foreman?

There are a few things to take into account before we can consider the recommended grilling times on the George Foreman. 

First, how thick is the steak that we are grilling? The thicker the steak, the longer it will take to cook it.

Second, what cut of steak are we grilling? If you have a lean cut of meat, you will need to cook it for a shorter period or it will get dry.

Lastly, did the steak come right out of the refrigerator, or did you let it set out for 10 to 20 minutes to come up to room temperature? 

These variables can greatly affect the time it takes to grill a steak on the George Foreman. 

Cuts of Steak to Consider 

The George Foreman does a great job of moving fat away from the meat. In this case, cooking a lean steak such as a sirloin in the George Foreman can leave you with a dry and tough steak. I recommend buying a cut of meat that has a little fat. As the fat melts away, it flavors the meat and keeps it tender. 

The marbling of a New York Strip Steak

A few of my favorite steaks are t-bone steaks, ribeye steaks, and the New York Strip steaks. All three have great marbling which will return a juicy steak. 

Preparing the Steak

I recommend setting the steak out for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the meat to come up to room temperature. This will give you the most accurate time for cooking the meat and will return the perfect steak.

Do not fret if you do not have time to do this though, you can still get great results by cooking the steak right out of the refrigerator. 

Pat the meat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. At this point, I like to coat the steak with olive oil or another neutral-tasting oil that has a high smoke point. 

Coating the steak with olive oil helps sear the meat as it cooks in the George Foreman. This along with a good amount of salt gives the steak and nice crust and seals in the juices. 

Season the steak the way you like it. At the very basic, put a liberal amount of sea salt or kosher salt on it. Then add some ground black pepper. As stated above, the salt will give it a nice flavor, it also builds a crust on the outside of the meat.

Steak coated in Salt and Black Pepper

You can also put a little Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce on the steak and let it marinate for about 20 minutes while the meat is coming up to room temperature.

Another secret ingredient to bring flavor to a steak is to make compound butter and top the steak with it once it has finished cooking!

Recommended Grilling Times

As stated above, grilling times can be very subjective. I recommend getting an instant-read thermometer as the best gauge to judge when a steak is at the right temperature or doneness. You want a fast-reading thermometer such as the ThermoWorks Thermapen which is trusted by many chefs. 

Thermapen By ThermoWorks

Again, these times for how long to cook a steak on the George Foreman are to be used as a gauge, your thermometer is truly your friend for the best results. 

How to Cook A Steak On The George Foreman: Grill Temperature

Cooking Time and Internal Temperature for a Steak that is 1 ½ Inch Thick:
Rare steak = 120°F or 50°C 4-6  minutes
Medium-Rare steak = 130°F or 54°C 5-7 minutes
Medium steak = 140°F or 60°C 6-8 minutes
Medium-well steak = 150°F or 66°C 7-9 minutes
Well done steak = 160°F or 70°C 8-10 minutes

The information in this blog post will be your general rule of thumb. If your steak is thicker, your times will be slightly longer. If you have thin steaks, the times will be slightly shorter. 

How long to Cook Steak on the George Foreman Grill

Place steaks on the nonstick grilling surfaces and close the lid. Look at the chart above to see what doneness you desire and check the grilling time. Once it gets close to that time, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steaks.

Once your steak is within 5 degrees of the target temperature that you desire, remove the steak from the heat and let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Resting Steak that is cooked at Medium Doneness (140F°/60°C)

If you wait until the steak hits the desired temperature and then remove it, your steak with not hit the correct doneness that you are seeking. This is because the meat will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat.

Instead, remove the steak from the grill when it hits about 5 degrees before your target temp. This will ensure you have the perfect cooked steak that you desire. 

Infographic showing How Long To Cook A Steak On The George Foreman


FAQs

How Do I Adjust the Temperature of My George Foreman Grill?

The George Foreman does not have a temperature setting. It is internally controlled. Throughout the grilling process, you will see it cut on and off to keep the preprogrammed temperature.

What Else Can I Cook on the George Foreman?

There are a variety of foods that can be cooked on the George Foreman indoor grill such as hot dogs, ground beef hamburgers, and chicken breasts. You can even use it as a panini press for sandwiches.

Can I Reheat Steak that Has Been Cooked on the George Foreman?

Yes, you can reheat the steak that was cooked on the George Foreman but this will affect the doneness of the steak. Reheating will further cook it. It will still be good but maybe not quite as tender.

How Do I Store Steak that was Cooked?

You can store the steak in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

How Can I Use Leftover Steak?

There are many ways to use leftover steak. A few ideas are to make a steak sandwich, add it to a salad, or top your baked potato with it.

How to Clean the George Foreman

This small appliance is fairly simple to clean. The nonstick surfaces allow food to come off easily. I like to use warm soapy water and a dish rag or tea towel to wipe the surfaces clean.

Do not place the appliance in water or submerge it. For best results wipe it clean. Once you wipe it clean, you can turn it back on to burn off the water and dry off the surfaces.

Do I Need to Use Nonstick Cooking Spray?

You can use nonstick cooking spray if you want to. The oil that you coat the steak with along with the nonstick surfaces of the George Foreman does a great job of keeping the food from sticking.

If you are cooking a sandwich, the nonstick spray may be useful and will also give the sandwich a nice crust.

Another idea is to use a long piece of aluminum foil across the grill grates to keep food from sticking in the cooking process.

Sides that Go well with Steak:

Looking for a Dipping sauce for your steak? Try this homemade Southern Tarter Sauce Recipe

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post. It is my desire that it will help you achieve better results when cooking on your George Foreman. Figuring out how long it takes to grill a steak on the George Foreman will take less effort if you follow this guideline. 
-Thanks Ronnie

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