ElectricGrill

Technique · April 2026

Reverse Sear on an Electric Grill

The two-stage steak technique built for electric's dual-zone era.

By The ElectricGrill Editorial Team·Updated April 2026

Reverse sear is the steak technique that flips the traditional order of operations: you cook the meat slowly first to your target internal temperature, then sear it hard at the very end for crust. The result is more even pink edge-to-edge, a deeper crust, and far less risk of overshooting the doneness you wanted. It works best on cuts at least 1.5 inches thick — anything thinner cooks too fast for the slow stage to matter. Reverse sear is also the technique that benefits most from electric's specific strengths.

A dual-zone electric grill like the Current Model G+ lets you hold one zone at 250°F for the slow stage and rip the other to 700°F for the finishing sear, all without moving the grill or relighting anything. On single-zone units, you cook the meat low first, pull it, crank the grill to max, and put the steak back on for two minutes a side. Either way, the technique rewards a proper instant-read thermometer and the patience to not skip the rest.

Master the Technique

Why does reverse sear work so well on electric grills?

Independent technique video from Serious Eats.

We don't produce our own videos.

01 / Best electric grills for reverse sear

The grills we cook this on

Reverse sear wants either a dual-zone setup or fast temperature swings. These three deliver.

02 / Recipes using this technique

Cook the technique

Tested recipes from our kitchen that use reverse sear on an electric grill.

Recipe

Reverse Sear Ribeye on Electric Grill

The reverse sear technique: cook low, then sear hot. Edge-to-edge medium-rare and a restaurant crust.

Read the recipe →

03 / Related techniques

Keep going

Technique

Searing

The high-heat crust most electric grills swear they cannot deliver

Read the technique →Technique

Indirect Heat

The slower cousin of direct heat, built for thick cuts and whole birds

Read the technique →

04 / Questions

Common questions about reverse sear

How thick does a steak need to be for reverse sear?
1.5 inches is the practical minimum. Anything thinner overshoots the target temperature before the crust has time to form. For the most dramatic reverse-sear results, look for 1.75–2 inch ribeyes or strips.
What internal temperature do I pull at for reverse sear?
Pull the steak about 10°F below your target. For medium-rare (130°F final), pull at 115–120°F off the slow stage, then sear hard for 60–90 seconds a side. The sear adds the last 10°F of carryover heat.
Do I need a dual-zone grill for reverse sear?
It's the cleanest setup but not required. On a single-zone electric, cook the steak at 225–250°F until 10°F below target, pull it, crank the grill to max for 5–8 minutes to fully preheat, then sear. The pause is the price of single-zone.
Can I reverse sear chicken or pork?
You can — though it's overkill on most cuts. Reverse sear shines on thick beef where the difference between the slow-cook target and the final crust is what makes the technique distinctive. Bone-in pork chops over 1.5 inches benefit similarly.

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