The 7 Best Cheap Cuts of Beef That Eat Like Expensive Ones

One of the best parts of my job is showing people that great beef doesn't require a premium price tag. The meat case is full of cuts that deliver extraordinary flavor and tenderness for a fraction of what you'd pay for a ribeye or strip. You just need to know where to look.

Here are my seven favorite affordable cuts — the ones I buy for my own family.

1. Flat Iron Steak ($8-$12/lb)

The flat iron is the second most tender muscle in the entire carcass (after the tenderloin), with better marbling than a filet at a third of the price. It comes from the chuck shoulder — a primal most people associate with pot roast.

Cook it like: A ribeye. Hot grill or cast iron, medium-rare, 3-4 minutes per side. Salt and pepper. That's it.

Tastes like: A cross between a strip and a tenderloin. Beefy, tender, and genuinely delicious.

2. Chuck Eye Steak ($8-$11/lb)

The chuck eye is cut from the center of the chuck roll — literally the next few inches of the same muscle that becomes the ribeye once you cross into the rib primal. Butchers call it the "poor man's ribeye," and it's not an exaggeration. The marbling pattern, flavor, and tenderness are remarkably close to a real ribeye.

Cook it like: A ribeye. Same methods, same temperatures. The only difference is it might have a slightly tougher section near the edge.

Tastes like: 85-90% of a ribeye at 40% of the price. Seriously.

3. Tri-Tip ($8-$13/lb)

Tri-tip from the bottom sirloin is a roast-size cut (1.5-2.5 lbs) that feeds 4-6 people. It has good marbling, excellent beef flavor, and it cooks like a dream on the grill or in the oven.

Cook it like: A whole roast — sear on all sides, then indirect heat to 130°F internal. Slice against the grain (watch for the two grain directions!).

Tastes like: The best roast beef you've ever had, but better because it was grilled with a smoky crust.

4. Hanger Steak ($10-$16/lb)

The "butcher's steak" — there's only one per animal, and butchers used to keep it for themselves. The hanger has an almost organ-like depth of beef flavor that's unlike anything else in the case. It's intensely savory and deeply satisfying.

Cook it like: Hot and fast, medium-rare maximum. The central sinew should be removed (some butchers sell it pre-trimmed as two pieces).

Tastes like: The beefiest thing you've ever eaten. Rich, mineral, primal.

5. Denver Steak ($9-$14/lb)

Another chuck discovery from the university muscle profiling studies. The Denver steak comes from the serratus ventralis, and it has excellent marbling — often rivaling the rib section — with a tender texture that surprised even experienced butchers when it was first isolated.

Cook it like: Medium-rare on a grill or cast iron. It's got enough marbling to handle medium without drying out.

Tastes like: A well-marbled strip steak. Seriously underrated.

6. Beef Cheeks ($6-$10/lb)

Cheeks are the masseter muscles — the chewing muscles of the jaw. They're loaded with collagen and connective tissue, and when braised for 3-4 hours, they become impossibly tender with a richness that rivals short ribs.

Cook it like: Braise in red wine with aromatics at 300°F for 3-4 hours until fork-tender. Or smoke at 250°F for 6-8 hours.

Tastes like: The most tender pot roast you've ever had, with short rib richness. Melt-in-your-mouth.

7. Top Sirloin Cap (Picanha) ($8-$14/lb)

The top sirloin cap — called picanha in Brazilian cuisine — is the single most popular cut in Brazil's famed steakhouses. It's a triangular muscle from the top of the sirloin with a thick fat cap that bastes the meat during cooking. Americans are only now discovering what Brazilians have known for decades.

Cook it like: Keep the fat cap on. Skewer in a C-shape (Brazilian style) or grill whole. Fat cap side over high heat first to render, then flip to finish. Medium-rare.

Tastes like: A fattier, more flavorful sirloin with a crispy fat cap. The contrast between the rendered fat and beefy lean is addictive.

Why These Cuts Are Cheaper

It's not quality — it's economics. These cuts are less expensive because:

• Lower demand: Most consumers buy what they know (ribeye, strip, tenderloin). These cuts fly under the radar.
• Tougher primals: Chuck and sirloin cuts carry the stigma of their parent primal, even when individual muscles within them are excellent.
• Limited supply: Some (like hanger — one per animal) are scarce, but demand hasn't caught up to create premium pricing at retail.
• Require knowledge: These cuts need proper cooking methods. Treated wrong, they can be disappointing. Treated right, they're spectacular.

The gap between these cuts and the "premium" steaks is much smaller than the price difference suggests. Know your cuts, cook them properly, and you'll eat like a king on a commoner's budget.