Chargrilled Kansas City Strip Steak

Meaty, beefy, and packed with flavor, a Chargrilled Kansas City Strip Steak is fabulous. Cooked over high heat to lock in all the flavor, this amazing steak is as good – or better – as any top steakhouse offering. Are you craving a big and bold steak? This is the recipe for you, my friends!

Thick, perfectly marbled steaks are a thing of beauty, and when they’re grilled just right and kissed with char and smoke, they are insanely delicious. And although I love a good cast iron pan sear (and think everyone should master it) there’s something about that authentic grilled flavor you can only get from a charcoal grill.

This is an easy Kansas City strip steak recipe, and like all my recipes, it’s packed with flavor. Fire up that grill, and let’s get cooking!

What You’ll Need

This recipe is for 1 steak, which will feed 2 people or one hungry meat-eater. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled – make as much as you need and have room for on your grill! It’s the perfect cut of beef as you learn how to grill a steak on charcoal like a pro!

A charcoal grill – any works but we used an old-school Weber Kettle for this recipe.
Charcoal – we used Jack Daniel’s charcoal briquets and a handful of Jack Daniel’s grilling wood chips for this steak.
Kansas City Strip steak – See my tips below for how to buy a great steak.
Salt – I like using kosher or flake salt.
Girl Carnivore Ooomami seasoning – or your favorite steak seasoning.
Butter – compound butter or a drizzle of olive oil.

Sliced grilled KC strip steak on a plate.

How to Buy a Kansas City Strip

Before you rush out to buy your steak, here are some pointers to help you get the best steak for grilling for your bucks.

There are 3 grades of beef in the USA: select, choice, and prime. Most supermarkets carry select, Costco has choice, and prime is reserved for butchers and restaurants (though some grocery store meat counters will also offer prime.) The dry aged steak shown in this recipe was was purchased from online meat distributor Porter Road.
Look for well-marbled meat and some fat but not excessive amounts of it.
Beef should be dark red in color and there shouldn’t be much red liquid (myoglobin) in the package.
Buy steaks with a nicely sized bone in relation to the meat – you can’t eat the bone, after all.

How to Grill A KC Strip

Prep your grill by preheating the charcoal in a charcoal chimney. You can tell the charcoal is ready when it is about 70% ashed over, about 15 minutes in in the chimney.
Pour the charcoal into the grill on one side, building a 2-zone fire.
Add the grate to the grill and close the lid, but open the air vents to allow the grill to heat up.

4. Rub the steak with a liberal amount of salt and sprinkle with Girl Carnivore Ooomami seasoning.

5. Check that your grill is hot – somewhere around 425-500-F.

6. Place the steak over direct heat and cook for 1 minute, then rotate it and cook it another minute. If your steak sticks or tugs, don’t move it yet – you want those grill marks!

Strip steak on the grill over hot coals.

7. Flip and move the steak to the cooler side of the grill.

8. Close the lid and cook the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 125-F to 130-F degrees (medium-rare steak), or to your desired doneness, with an instant-read thermometer.

9. Remove the steak and rest it on a platter, top it with the butter, and tent it with foil for 5 minutes.

10. Slice the steak from the bone and cut it into thin strips.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Overhead shot of a grilled shrimp steak sliced from the bone and into strips for eating.

Recipe Tips

Steaks like to be left alone on the grill, so don’t move them, poke them, or flip them more than necessary.
Bringing your meat to room temperature before grilling it will ensure even cooking throughout.
Don’t be afraid to aggressively season the steak – beef loves flavor! Try sprinkling it with my umami seasoning!
Use an infrared gun to check the temperature of the charcoal and grill grates before cooking the steaks.
The thickness of the steak and heat of the grill will affect the cook time. Thicker steaks can take quite some time to grill so be patient!
Can’t find bone-in Kansas City steaks? Use New York strip steaks instead, they are the same cut, without the bone.
Don’t have bone-in steaks handy or need to keep things on budget? Char grilling works for boneless too, like these grilled top sirloin steaks!

What Goes With a Kansas City Strip Steak?

Pretty much anything goes with grilled steaks! From fries to fancy side dishes, your steak meal can be as froufrou or casual as you like. Eat it plain, pair it with your favorite sauce, or try it with rajas con crema for even more flavor.

Overhead shot of sliced grilled steak to show the red center.

Storage Instructions

Leftover Kansas City strip steaks can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Use the leftovers on a salad, in a quesadilla, on a sandwich, or just gently warm them and gobble them up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas City Strip Steak vs New York Strip – What’s The Difference?

A New York strip steak and a Kansas City strip steak are essentially the same cut of meat, but the Kansas City cut has the bone still on it.
Because of this, these types of steak have extra fat and, with the bone, extra flavor. And a grilled Kansas City strip steak cooks easily and retains all its juiciness. With a great chew and plenty of beefy flavor, this is an affordable cut of meat readily available from your supermarket or butcher.

Is That Blood In The Bottom Of My Beef Package?

No, it’s not blood. Steaks – and in fact all beef – is drained of blood before processing. What you’re seeing is myoglobin, a protein responsible for giving meat its red color. Seeing some in the bottom of a package is fine, but a lot could mean the meat has been sitting around.

What is a Kansas City Strip vs Ribeye?

Strip steaks come from behind the rib section of the cow, where the ribeye steak is cut from. They are leaner but don’t lack flavor or tenderness.

Is KC Strip Steak Tender?

Yes, a strip steak is tender. It is not as tender as a filet mignon, but not as tough as a flank steak. It’s the perfect compromise of tenderness and budget.

More Steak Recipes to Master:

When it comes to a great steak, these bone in Kansas city strip steaks are perfect after a quick sear over charcoal to medium-rare perfection!

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Prep the grill

Prep your charcoal chimney and allow the charcoal to preheat, about 70% ashed over.
When ready, pour the charcoal into your grill to one side, building a 2 zone fire.
Add the grate to the grill
Close the lid and open the air vents to allow the grill to heat up

Prep the steak

Rub the steak with a liberal coating of salt and sprinkle with the umami powder

1 Kansas City Strip Steak, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Girl Carnivore Ooomami

Grill the steak

Check that your grill is hot, like 425 to 500 degrees hot.*
Place the steak over the direct heat and cook for 1 minute.
Carefully rotate the steak 45 degrees and cook 1 minute longer.
If the steak pulls or tugs, do not move it yet, allow it to cook to sear in the grill marks without pulling and ripping the meat.
Flip and move the steak to the cooler side of the grill.
Close the lid and cook until the steak cooks to 125 degrees to 130 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.

The thickness of the steak and the heat of the grill will change the grilling time.
*Use an infrared gun to check the grilling temp of the charcoal and grill grates.