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Chuck Eye Steak substitute

Best substitute

Flat iron steak (top blade, oyster blade)

Use the same amount by weight as the chuck eye steak you are replacing

Best for pan-searing

Close match

The best substitutes for chuck eye steak are flat iron steak or ribeye steak at 1:1 by weight, with sirloin steak as the everyday option and skirt or flank steak if the beef is going to be sliced. The job chuck eye does is deliver ribeye-style marbling and rich beefy flavor at shoulder-cut prices, cooked hot and fast like a steak rather than braised like the rest of the chuck. Any substitute needs to be tender enough to eat at medium-rare, so do not reach for chuck roast or round steak even though the names look related.

Other chuck eye steak substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

Substitutes for Chuck Eye Steak with ratios

  1. 2Ribeye steak

    Close match

    Use the same amount by weight

    The cut chuck eye is imitating, from the rib section directly next door on the carcass.

    What changes
    Best for
    pan-searing in butter, grilling, special occasions, steak served whole

    Everything chuck eye promises, delivered fully: more marbling, more rendered fat, a richer and juicier mouthful, and no gristly surprises. It is also more forgiving of overcooking because that fat keeps it moist. The only real drawback is price, typically two to three times chuck eye. If the steak is going into a marinade or under a heavy sauce, you are paying for marbling you will not taste.

  2. 3Sirloin steak or top sirloin

    Different taste

    Use the same amount by weight

    The reliable middle-priced steak stocked in every supermarket.

    What changes
    Best for
    weeknight steak, grilling, steak and potatoes, steak salad, kebabs

    Leaner and cleaner tasting than chuck eye, with none of the shoulder's mineral note and much less fat rendering into the pan, so the plate feels lighter and less indulgent. It is firmer in the mouth rather than buttery. What you gain is consistency and availability, and no chance of hitting a chewy seam. A knob of butter and a pan sauce closes most of the richness gap.

  3. 4Skirt steak or flank steak

    Different texture

    Use the same amount by weight

    Thin, coarse-grained cuts that are excellent when the steak will end up in slices or strips.

    What changes
    Best for
    tacos and fajitas, stir-fry, steak sandwiches, marinated grilled beef, steak salad

    Skirt is more intensely beefy than chuck eye and flank is leaner and milder, and both are considerably thinner, so cooking time drops to two or three minutes a side. Both have a coarse grain that must be sliced thin and hard across, or they turn stringy. They are not substitutes for a thick steak served whole on the plate, but they are excellent when it is being cut up anyway.

  4. 5Denver steak or hanger steak

    Close match

    Use the same amount by weight

    Two butcher's cuts prized for delivering tenderness and flavor at less than premium prices.

    What changes
    Best for
    grilling, pan-searing, bistro-style steak dishes, steak frites

    Denver steak comes from the same shoulder area as chuck eye and is a near-exact match in flavor with better consistency. Hanger, or onglet, is more tender and considerably more intensely mineral and beefy, which some people love and others find too strong. Both may need asking for at the counter, and hanger is limited to one per animal so it is often unavailable.

  5. 6Chuck steak or blade steak (least-good option)

    Different texture

    Use the same amount by weight

    The rest of the shoulder, sold as chuck steak, and the cut most often mistaken for chuck eye because the labels look alike.

    What changes
    Best for
    braising in gravy, slow-cooker steak, smothered steak, stews

    Named honestly because it is the mistake people make. Ordinary chuck steak is riddled with connective tissue, and grilled like chuck eye it comes out chewy and gristly no matter how carefully you cook it. It is genuinely good if you change the method: brown it, then simmer it covered in liquid for ninety minutes so the collagen melts. That is a braise, not a steak dinner.

What is Chuck Eye Steak?

Chuck Eye Steak is a well-marbled steak cut from the very back of the beef shoulder where it meets the rib section, which is why it is sold as poor man's ribeye and in some shops as Delmonico steak, and why it is the one part of the chuck you can grill instead of braising.

Cooking tips

  • Chuck eye often has a seam of connective tissue running through it, and one or two steaks per package can fall into pieces as they cook. Trim any visible silverskin before seasoning, and expect the same from substitutes taken from the shoulder like Denver or blade steak.
  • These are all cuts that live or die on a hard sear. Pat the steak completely dry, get the pan or grill hotter than feels sensible, and do not move the meat for the first two or three minutes. A wet steak in a warm pan steams gray.
  • Cook to 130 to 135 F for medium-rare and rest five minutes. Chuck eye and its marbled substitutes are more forgiving than lean cuts, but past medium the connective tissue in shoulder steaks tightens and the tenderness advantage disappears.
  • Marbled shoulder and rib steaks render a lot of fat. Use that: after the steak comes out, throw in sliced onions or mushrooms, or a splash of wine and a knob of butter, and you have a pan sauce that costs nothing.
  • Slice across the grain even on a steak you would normally serve whole. Chuck eye's grain is more obvious than a ribeye's, and cutting at right angles to the fibers makes a noticeable difference in how tender each bite feels.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave the steak out?

No, the steak is the meal. But you have wide latitude in what you buy: any tender fast-cooking cut, seared hard and sliced across the grain, will give you the dish. The name on the label matters far less than choosing something from the tender rather than the braising family.

Is chuck eye steak really the same as ribeye?

No, though it is close. Chuck eye is the continuation of the same muscle group one rib further forward into the shoulder, so it shares much of the marbling and flavor. The differences are consistency and tenderness: chuck eye carries seams of connective tissue that a ribeye does not, so some bites are chewy.

Why can I never find chuck eye steak?

There are only a couple of chuck eye steaks per side of beef, so supply is tiny and they sell fast. Many stores also grind that section into chuck mince rather than cutting steaks from it. Ask the butcher for chuck eye, Delmonico or Denver steak, since different shops use different names for that corner of the shoulder.

Can I use chuck roast or chuck steak instead?

Not the same way. Ordinary chuck roast and chuck steak are full of connective tissue that only softens after an hour or more of moist heat, and seared like a chuck eye they are tough and gristly. If chuck is all you have, cube it and braise it rather than grilling it.

What is the cheapest substitute for chuck eye steak?

Flank steak or sirloin in most supermarkets, and flat iron if your store carries it. Flat iron is the closest in flavor and the most consistent in tenderness, and it is usually only slightly more expensive than chuck eye was.

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