Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks
Imagine the best part of a ribeye roast smoked to perfection – that’s what these Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks are all about! The cut of steak no one wants you to know about, ribeye cap steaks are meaty, juicy, fatty, and oh-so-crazy good!
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Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks are, hands down, my new favorite steak. They’re big and beefy with plenty of marbling and fat to make them juicy and flavorful. And, they’re easy to smoke because they’re thin. Season them just how you like them, or keep it simple with salt and pepper. Then, let your Traeger or other pellet smoker work its magic and turn these steaks into a phenomenal meal!
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What You’ll Love about Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks
- A kiss of smoke gives these tender and juicy steaks mind-blowing flavor!
- This is an easy smoker recipe.
- These steaks smoke fairly quickly, so you can eat in no time!
What Are Ribeye Cap Steaks?
Cap steaks, also known as ribeye cap steaks, are cut from the fatty cap from a ribeye. You know that juicy and fatty strip of meat that runs along the top of a ribeye roast? That’s the cap. Butchers will cut it off the ribeye (and sell the ribeye roast as cap off), then slice that cap into strips and tie it into rounds. That’s a ribeye cap steak.
Sometimes you’ll see these in your grocery store, but more often than not, you’ll have to go to a butcher to ask for them. It’s well worth the extra hassle because they’re so crazy good! Are ribeye cap steaks that good? Heck yes. Imagine the tenderness of a filet mignon but the meaty juiciness of a ribeye, and put those together into every bite!
How Do You Cook A Ribeye Cap Steak?
The traditional way to cook a ribeye cap steak is over high heat to melt all that luscious fat. However, because I smoke everything (if you can eat it, I’ll smoke it) I popped these steaks onto the smoker and fell in love. Smoking a ribeye cap steak infuses it with smoke flavor and gives the fat a chance to render and melt into the meat creating mouthwatering goodness that I’m at a loss of words to describe.
Hungry? Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- Ribeye cap steaks – About a 6-8 ounce steak per person.
- Salt
- Pepper
You’ll Also Need
- Traeger pellet grill/smoker – Or another electric smoker.
- Pellets – I love hickory pellets for this smoker recipe.
- Digital meat thermometer – Always cook to temp, not time!
How To Make The Best Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Ribeye cap steaks are incredibly rich and flavorful, so this recipe keeps things simple and lets the beef shine. A low smoky cook followed by a gentle finish gives these steaks an amazing texture and deep smoky flavor.
Start by preheating your Traeger smoker or another pellet smoker to 180°F. I like using oak or hickory pellets for ribeye cap steaks because they add bold flavor without overpowering the meat.
Season the steaks generously on all sides with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Since ribeye cap steaks are so well marbled, they can handle a good amount of seasoning.
Place the steaks directly onto the smoker grates and smoke at 180°F for about 30 minutes. This lower temperature gives the steaks time to absorb smoky flavor while beginning to cook gently.
Increase the smoker temperature to 225°F and continue smoking until the steaks reach an internal temperature of 125°F for medium-rare. Use a reliable digital meat thermometer for the most accurate results because these steaks can cook quickly once they begin heating through.
Remove the steaks from the smoker and top with garlic butter if desired.
Tent the steaks loosely with foil and let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Let the steaks rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before smoking to reduce the smoking time.
- Don’t overpower these steaks with fancy rubs. Salt, pepper, and maybe a bit of garlic is all they need to let the amazing flavor shine.
- Always smoke to temp, not time. Rest these steaks when they hit 125-F for medium rare. Use a digital meat thermometer to get an accurate temp.
Make It A Meal
Wondering what to serve with Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks? There are plenty of tasty sides to pair with this smoked steak recipe, but some of my favorites include:
- Smoked Double Stuffed Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Biscuits
- A great salad
- Creamed Corn
- Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
- And for dessert, Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best steakhouses and chefs pretty much always add a pat of butter to a grilled or smoked steak. Why? Because butter adds mouthfeel, texture, and unctuousness to a steak. The melting butter adds a bit more salty flavor, and as it melts, it combines with the steak juices to create a bit of a sauce that’s perfect for mopping up with bread or potatoes.
That’s going to depend on how big the steaks are, how hot your smoker is, and how cold the steaks are when you put them on the smoker. Room temperature 8-ounce steaks at 225-F take about an hour for medium-rare. But always cook to temp (125-F then rest) and not time!
Cooking to temp and not time simply means that you should smoke the meat as long as it takes to reach a certain internal temperature. Because all smokers are different (and some are notoriously terrible at holding a consistent or reliable temperature), no recipe can tell you exactly how long it will take to smoke something. Have a good digital meat thermometer and smoke the meat as long as it takes to reach the suggested temperature.
Smoked Ribeye Cap Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ribeye cap steaks 4 steaks, about 8 oz each
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger smoker (or another pellet smoker) to 180-F.
- Season the cap steaks really well on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Smoke the steaks at 180-F for 30 minutes to give them a good dose of smoke.
- Increase the heat to 225-F and continue to smoke the steaks until they reach an internal temperature of 125-F for medium rare. About 45 minutes.
- Top the steaks with garlic butter (optional) and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
These smoked steaks were SENSATIONAL!!
I was drooling long before I made the recipe! The smoke flavor on this cut comes out mouthwatering!
These steaks turned out amazing! I never thought to smoke them until I saw this recipe and I am so glad that we tried it. The smoky flavor on the meat is so delicious and everyone loved it!
These were quite amazing! I haven’t really cooked rib cap steaks before, but they were on a great special so I grabbed a couple of packets.
Then to find a recipe, yours intrigued me it was the the kiss of smoke comment as I do love the way good restaurants give you that tender beef and the hint of smoke without it being super smoked.
Gave it a go and we just loved it!
Tender, juicy, smoky but not too much, enough fat to be tasty but not to be unpleasant to eat and just so good!
I am so glad I bought two trays!!!
You weren’t joking. These were amazing! My husband told me I’m never allowed to cook a steak in the oven again. It has to be in the smoker. 😀