The Best Cuts of Steak for Grilling: 10 Cuts Ranked by Flavor, Tenderness, and Value

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The top cut for grilling is the bone-in ribeye. Heavy intramural marbling, a thickness that survives direct heat, and a bone that buffers the meat from overcooking make it the most forgiving and most flavorful steak on the grate. New York strip, tomahawk, porterhouse, T-bone, and picanha round out the upper tier. Skirt, flank, flat iron, and tri-tip win on price-per-bite and cook fast. Filet mignon, despite its reputation, underperforms over an open flame. Here is the ranked list.

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Ranking Criteria Explained

Every cut on this list was scored against three variables that matter when meat hits hot grates.

Flavor is driven by intramuscular fat, the muscle’s job in life, and dry-aging potential. A standing rib does almost nothing on the live animal, so it stays tender and fatty. A flank pulls hard, so it eats leaner and beefier.

Tenderness is a function of connective tissue and grain. Loin cuts behind the ribs run fine-grained and soft. Cuts from the plate, flank, and round carry more silver skin and need either short, hot cooks or a sharp angle against the grain when you slice.

Value is dollars per usable ounce after trim. A tomahawk looks expensive on the menu, but the bone and frenched section cost you yield. A picanha or tri-tip can feed six for the price of two filets.

We also weighted grill forgiveness, the degree to which a cut tolerates a distracted operator. Thin steaks punish a missed minute. Thick, fatty, bone-in cuts do not.

Sources for the cut anatomy and grading framework: the USDA Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS), the North American Meat Institute Meat Buyer’s Guide, and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner cut explorer from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

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1. Bone-In Ribeye

The bone-in ribeye is the most forgiving high-end steak on a live fire. Cut from the rib primal between the 6th and 12th ribs, it carries the spinalis dorsi (the “ribeye cap”), the longissimus, and the complexus. The cap is the single most marbled muscle on the carcass.

Why it wins on the grill: the bone slows heat transfer on one face, so even an aggressive sear leaves a wide medium-rare band. The fat cap renders into the fire, which flares, which Maillards the crust. Thickness in the 1.75 to 2 inch range gives you a reverse-sear window of 10 to 12 minutes indirect, then 60 to 90 seconds per side over direct flame.

Flavor: 10/10. Tenderness: 9/10. Value: 6/10 at USDA Prime, 8/10 at Choice or American Wagyu cross.

For grill-ready bone-in ribeyes with the spinalis intact, see our Wagyu Cross Bone-In Ribeye. For an even higher marbling tier, the Full Blood Wagyu Ribeye carries BMS 8 and above.

“PLACEHOLDER QUOTE: Chef partner or in-house pitmaster on why the bone-in ribeye is the only steak they will cook for a first-time guest.”

Image spec 1: Hero. Bone-in ribeye on cast iron grate, flames visible under the bone, crust rendering. Shallow depth of field on the spinalis cap. Shot at golden hour, slight smoke haze.

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2. New York Strip

The strip steak comes from the short loin, just behind the rib. It is the longissimus dorsi continuing past where the ribeye ends. The fat is less marbled inside the muscle and more concentrated in a defined fat cap along one edge.

Why it grills well: the strip has a tighter grain than the ribeye, which means it eats firmer but holds shape better on the grate. Less interior fat means fewer flare-ups, so you get a more controlled sear. A 1.25 to 1.5 inch strip is the steakhouse standard.

Tenderness: 8/10. Flavor: 8.5/10. Value: 7/10.

Cook strips hot and fast: 4 to 5 minutes per side over direct heat at 500 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, then rest 5 minutes. Slice against the grain if you are plating.

Shop the Wagyu Cross NY Strip for the strip with American Wagyu marbling at a fraction of full-blood pricing. For dry-aged depth, see our Dry-Aged NY Strip.

Image spec 2: Two strip steaks side by side on grates, defined sear marks, fat cap rendered translucent.

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3. Tomahawk

A tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye with the rib bone left long and frenched. The eating geometry is identical to the bone-in ribeye, but the handle changes how you cook it and how you serve it.

Why it grills: at 2.5 inches thick and 36 to 45 ounces of meat, the tomahawk demands reverse sear. Indirect heat at 250 degrees until internal hits 115, then a hot direct sear for crust. The long bone is a heat sink that keeps the eye protected during the sear.

Flavor: 10/10. Tenderness: 9/10. Value: 5/10 (the bone is dramatic, not edible).

The tomahawk is the cut you choose when the steak is the event. It is not the cut you choose when you are pricing dinner by the pound.

Source the Full Blood Wagyu Tomahawk for the marbling that justifies the spectacle. Our full-cook walkthrough is at How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak.

“PLACEHOLDER QUOTE: Customer testimonial on serving a tomahawk for a milestone dinner, with permission to publish first name and city.”

Image spec 3: Tomahawk standing on its bone end on a wood cutting board, sliced into 1-inch strips fanned across the board, internal medium-rare visible.

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4. Porterhouse

The porterhouse is a cross-section of the short loin that includes both the New York strip on one side and the tenderloin (filet) on the other, separated by a T-shaped bone. To qualify as a porterhouse by USDA IMPS standards, the tenderloin side must be at least 1.25 inches wide at its widest point.

Why it grills well: you cook two different steaks in one piece. Position the bigger filet side over indirect or cooler heat and the strip side over the hottest zone. Done right, both come off the grill at the same internal temperature with two different textures.

Flavor: 9/10 (strip side carries it). Tenderness: 9/10 (filet side carries it). Value: 6/10.

A 24 to 32 ounce porterhouse feeds two adults. For the steak that defines old-school steakhouse grilling, the porterhouse is the answer. See our Wagyu Cross Porterhouse.

Image spec 4: Porterhouse on a hot grate, strip side closest to camera with deep sear, filet side facing back, T-bone visible in cross-section.

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5. T-Bone

The T-bone is the porterhouse’s smaller, leaner cousin. Cut from further forward in the short loin, the tenderloin section measures less than 1.25 inches at its widest. Same bone geometry, same two-muscle structure, lower price.

Why it makes the list: for the home griller who wants the porterhouse experience without the porterhouse spend, the T-bone delivers. The cook is identical: hot direct on the strip side, indirect on the filet side, pull at 130 internal for medium-rare.

Flavor: 8.5/10. Tenderness: 8.5/10. Value: 8/10.

A well-marbled T-bone at 1.5 inches thick is the workhorse of summer grilling. Browse our T-Bone Steak selection.

The trade-off between T-bone and porterhouse is detailed in our porterhouse vs T-bone guide.

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6. Picanha

Picanha is the top sirloin cap, called culotte in French butchery and coulotte in some American shops. It is the signature cut of Brazilian churrascaria and one of the most underrated steaks in the American supermarket because most American butchers break it into sirloin steaks instead of leaving the cap whole.

Why it grills: picanha has a thick, single-edge fat cap and a tight, beefy grain. Score the fat cap, salt heavily with coarse salt, and grill whole over medium-high heat (450 degrees Fahrenheit) for 8 minutes per side, then slice against the grain into 1-inch strips. Or skewer it Brazilian-style and rotate over hardwood.

Flavor: 9/10. Tenderness: 7.5/10. Value: 9/10.

Picanha is the cut that converts skeptics. It eats beefier than ribeye, costs less per pound, and feeds a crowd. The Brazilian Steakhouse Association considers it the national cut. See our Picanha (Top Sirloin Cap) for whole-muscle delivery with the fat cap intact.

Image spec 5: Whole picanha on a skewer over open flame, fat cap scored in a diamond pattern, rendering visible.

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7. Flat Iron

The flat iron is cut from the top blade of the chuck primal. Until 2002, this muscle was butchered into pot roasts because of a tough seam of connective tissue running through it. Research by the University of Nebraska and University of Florida identified that splitting the muscle along that seam produced two extremely tender steaks. The flat iron entered the American market and has been growing in popularity since.

Why it grills well: the flat iron is the second most tender muscle on the carcass by Warner-Bratzler shear force testing, behind only the tenderloin. It is also half the price. Thickness is consistent at 0.75 to 1 inch, which means a 3 to 4 minute per side cook over direct heat.

Flavor: 8/10. Tenderness: 9.5/10. Value: 9.5/10.

The flat iron is the answer when someone asks for “the most tender cut of steak that doesn’t cost filet money.” Order our Wagyu Cross Flat Iron.

“PLACEHOLDER QUOTE: Customer who switched from filet to flat iron after trying it, with quote about flavor and price.”

Image spec 6: Flat iron sliced against the grain on a cutting board, medium-rare interior visible, simple salt-and-pepper finish.

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8. Skirt Steak

The skirt comes from the plate primal, the diaphragm muscle. There are two: the outside skirt (longer, thinner, more marbled) and the inside skirt (wider, slightly tougher). The outside skirt is the prized cut for fajitas.

Why it grills: skirt has a very loose, open grain that holds marinade aggressively and renders fat fast. It cooks in 2 to 3 minutes per side over the hottest fire you can build. Pull it at 125 internal, rest 5 minutes, slice across the grain into half-inch ribbons. Slicing with the grain produces ropy, chewy strips. Slicing against produces tender bites.

Flavor: 9/10. Tenderness: 7/10 (entirely dependent on slicing). Value: 8.5/10.

Skirt is the cut for tacos, fajitas, and steak salads. It is also exceptional on its own with chimichurri. Source the Outside Skirt Steak for the trim-quality cut.

Image spec 7: Skirt steak coming off a screaming-hot grill, char marks pronounced, smoke visible.

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9. Flank Steak

The flank comes from the abdominal wall, lower on the carcass than the skirt. It is one large, flat, lean muscle with a pronounced grain running lengthwise. Flank steak is the traditional cut for London broil, carne asada, and steak rolls.

Why it grills: flank is lean. Marinate it for at least 4 hours (acid plus oil plus salt), pat dry, and grill hot and fast. 4 minutes per side at 500 degrees Fahrenheit takes a 1.5-pound flank to medium-rare. Slice paper-thin against the grain.

Flavor: 8/10. Tenderness: 6/10 unsliced, 8/10 sliced correctly. Value: 9/10.

A 1.5 to 2-pound flank feeds 4 to 6 and runs less than half the per-pound cost of strip. See our Grass-Fed Flank Steak.

Image spec 8: Flank steak sliced thin and fanned on a wood board, against-the-grain slicing direction clearly visible.

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10. Tri-Tip

The tri-tip is a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin. It is the defining steak of California’s Santa Maria barbecue tradition, where it is rubbed with salt, pepper, and garlic, then grilled over red oak.

Why it grills: at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds whole, the tri-tip is a roast-sized steak. Reverse sear is the cleanest method: 30 minutes indirect at 275 degrees Fahrenheit until internal hits 115, then direct sear at 500 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit for crust. Pull at 130 internal, rest 10 minutes, slice against the grain (which changes direction halfway through the cut, so look carefully before you slice).

Flavor: 8.5/10. Tenderness: 7.5/10. Value: 9/10.

The tri-tip is the cut that proves California knows what it is doing. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce maintains the regional barbecue tradition. Order our Santa Maria Tri-Tip.

Image spec 9: Tri-tip on a grill grate over visible red oak coals, smoke ring just visible on the cut face.

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Cuts to Avoid on the Grill (and Why Filet Underperforms)

A blog post that names winners owes you the losers.

Filet mignon is the polarizing call. The filet is the most tender cut by Warner-Bratzler shear force and the most expensive per pound. On the grill, it underperforms because it has the lowest intramuscular fat of any major cut. Direct grilling concentrates dry heat against an already lean muscle, and the result is texturally soft but flavorally flat. Filet is exceptional pan-seared in butter with a quick basting. On a live fire, it loses to ribeye, strip, and even flat iron. If you must grill filet, wrap it in bacon, keep it under 1.5 inches thick, and pull at 125 internal.

Eye of round is the leanest, toughest steak in the round primal. Direct grilling produces a brick. It belongs in a slow cooker or a sous vide bath, not on a grate.

Bottom round has the same problem. The grain is dense and the fat content is too low to render before the interior overcooks.

Cube steak is mechanically tenderized round. It is a chicken-fried steak cut, not a grilling cut.

Sirloin tip side steak is sometimes mismarketed as “sirloin.” It is from the round, not the sirloin, and it eats tough on the grill.

The pattern: cuts from the round primal do not belong on direct heat. Cuts from the rib, short loin, and sirloin (including the cap) do.

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Best Grill Temperature for Each Cut

Cut	Method	Direct Heat (F)	Internal Pull Temp (F)
Bone-In Ribeye	Reverse sear	500-600	130 (medium-rare)
NY Strip	Direct	500-600	130
Tomahawk	Reverse sear	275 indirect, 600 direct	130
Porterhouse	Two-zone	450 strip / 350 filet	130
T-Bone	Two-zone	450 strip / 350 filet	130
Picanha	Direct or rotisserie	450	130
Flat Iron	Direct	500	130
Skirt Steak	Direct, screaming hot	600+	125
Flank Steak	Direct	500	130
Tri-Tip	Reverse sear	275 indirect, 500-600 direct	130

Internal temperatures based on USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance for whole-muscle beef (145 F minimum with 3-minute rest for food-safety doneness; 130 to 135 F pull for traditional medium-rare service in a controlled kitchen). Always use a calibrated instant-read thermometer.

Image spec 10: Overhead shot of a two-zone charcoal grill with coals banked on one side, infrared thermometer reading the grate temperature.

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Bone-In vs Boneless

The bone-in question is real but smaller than steakhouse marketing suggests.

What the bone does: it slows heat transfer to the meat directly adjacent to it. On a 2-inch bone-in ribeye, the meat within half an inch of the bone runs 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the rest of the steak. That gives you a built-in buffer against overcooking and a textural difference (the meat closest to the bone is slightly less done and slightly more tender).

What the bone does not do: it does not transmit “bone flavor” into the meat in any measurable way. The flavor difference between a bone-in ribeye and a boneless ribeye from the same primal is functionally zero. Research from Kansas State University Meat Science and replicated by Texas A&M found no statistically significant flavor difference in trained-panel testing.

Practical call: buy bone-in for thick cuts (2 inches or more) where the heat buffer matters. Buy boneless for thin cuts where the bone would force the steak into an awkward shape on the grate.

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Thick vs Thin Steaks

This is the single biggest variable most home grillers get wrong.

Thin steaks (under 1 inch) cook fast. They have a narrow window between rare and gray. The crust forms at roughly the same rate the interior cooks, which means the medium-rare band ends up thin. Thin steaks are appropriate for flat iron, skirt, flank, and minute steaks. They are the wrong choice for ribeye or strip.

Medium steaks (1 to 1.5 inches) are the supermarket default. Most NY strips and most boneless ribeyes are cut here. They cook in 4 to 5 minutes per side over direct heat and produce a respectable medium-rare band.

Thick steaks (1.5 to 2.5 inches) are where steakhouse texture lives. The medium-rare band is wide, the crust is deep, and the reverse-sear method gives you margin. This is the right thickness for tomahawk, bone-in ribeye, porterhouse, and tri-tip. Thick steaks require a thermometer. Time-based cooking does not work above 1.5 inches.

The simple rule: thicker steaks are more forgiving and produce more steakhouse-quality results. If your butcher cuts steaks at 0.75 inches, ask for 1.5 inches and pay the difference. Browse thick-cut grilling steaks for the cuts pre-portioned for live fire.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best steak for grilling? The bone-in ribeye is the best all-around steak for grilling. It has the highest intramuscular fat of any common cut, a thickness that survives direct heat without overcooking, and a bone that buffers the meat from the hottest part of the fire. NY strip is the runner-up.

What is the most tender cut of steak for grilling? The flat iron is the most tender grilling cut. By Warner-Bratzler shear force testing, the flat iron is the second-most tender muscle on the carcass, behind only the tenderloin (filet). The flat iron grills better than the filet because it has higher intramuscular fat.

Is ribeye or strip better for grilling? Ribeye if you want maximum flavor and fat. Strip if you want a cleaner sear, less flare-up, and a firmer bite. Both are upper-tier grilling steaks. Bone-in ribeye edges out strip for forgiveness on the grate.

Should I grill filet mignon? Filet mignon is not the best use of a live fire. The cut is exceptionally tender but low in fat, and direct grilling does not bring out its strengths. Pan-sear filet in butter or reverse-sear it carefully. If you must grill it, wrap in bacon and pull at 125 internal.

What is the best cheap steak for grilling? The flat iron and the picanha. Both deliver high-end texture and flavor at supermarket sirloin prices. Tri-tip is the best value when feeding a crowd. Skirt and flank are the best values per ounce if you slice correctly.

How thick should a grilling steak be? 1.5 to 2 inches for premium cuts (ribeye, strip, tomahawk, porterhouse, tri-tip). 0.75 to 1 inch for fast-cook cuts (flat iron, skirt, flank). Avoid steaks thinner than 0.75 inches for direct grilling.

What temperature should I grill steak at? 500 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit at the grate for direct-sear cuts. 250 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit for the indirect side of a reverse sear. Pull at 130 internal for medium-rare, then rest 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.

What is the best steak for a beginner griller? A 1.5-inch bone-in ribeye. It is the most forgiving cut, the most flavorful, and the easiest to get right with a thermometer. NY strip is the second-best beginner cut because it has fewer flare-ups.

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Where to Source Steaks That Earn the Grill Time

The list above is only as good as the meat that goes on the grate. A well-marbled bone-in ribeye from a heritage program will outperform a USDA Choice ribeye from a commodity feedlot, every time, on the same fire.

Circle 7 Meats supplies American Wagyu cross, full-blood Wagyu, and dry-aged grass-fed beef shipped frozen, vacuum-sealed, and cut to grilling thickness. Every steak in this guide is in our catalog at grilling spec.

Start with the Wagyu Cross Bone-In Ribeye, the Wagyu Cross NY Strip, or the Full Blood Wagyu Tomahawk. For the underrated cuts, the Wagyu Cross Flat Iron and the Picanha (Top Sirloin Cap) are the two we recommend most often to first-time customers.

Build your grilling box from the Circle 7 Grilling Bundle, or shop the full beef catalog. Questions on cuts, marbling, or shipping: contact our team.

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