New York Strip Steak substitute

Best substitute

Ribeye steak

Use the same amount by weight as the new york strip steak you are replacing

Best for grilling

Different texture

The most popular alternative and the easiest to find, cut from the rib section right next to the strip. It has considerably more intramuscular fat, so it eats richer, juicier and softer, and it tastes more buttery and less cleanly beefy than a strip. Two practical consequences: it flares up much more on a grill, so keep a cooler zone ready, and it is more forgiving if you overshoot medium-rare because the extra fat keeps it moist. People who prefer strip usually do so because they like a firmer bite and less grease.

Other new york strip steak substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Top sirloin steak
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
The value swap most steak cooks should make more often.
What changes
Top sirloin is leaner and firmer than strip, with a straightforward strong beef flavor that some people prefer, and it usually costs a third to a half less. Because it has less fat, it goes from juicy to dry quickly, so cook it to 130F and not a degree further, slice it against the grain, and finish it with a knob of garlic butter to make up the difference. Do not cook it well done, which is where the gap between sirloin and strip becomes obvious.
Best for
everyday steak dinners, grilling, steak salads and sandwiches, budget cooking
American top sirloin is not the same cut as British sirloin. British sirloin is the strip itself.
3Flat iron steak (top blade)
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
Cut from the shoulder, well marbled, remarkably tender for the price, and the best-kept secret at the meat counter.
What changes
It has a deep, almost sweet beef flavor and a texture close to a strip's, though the grain is looser and it eats a shade softer. It is thinner than a strip, usually three quarters of an inch, so it cooks fast: two to three minutes a side over high heat. Slice it across the grain and it holds up alongside steaks costing twice as much.
Best for
pan-searing, grilling, steak tacos and salads, cheap steak night
Check for a line of gristle down the center and buy pieces where the butcher has removed it.
4T-bone or porterhouse steak
Close match
Use the same amount by weight, allowing for the bone
A T-bone is a strip steak with the bone still attached and a piece of tenderloin on the other side, so this is not really a substitute so much as the same steak plus extras.
What changes
Flavor is identical on the strip side, and the bone slows cooking slightly near the center. Because the two muscles cook at different rates, position the tenderloin side away from the hottest part of the grill. Buy about a third more weight than a boneless strip to allow for the bone.
Best for
grilling, sharing, restaurant-style presentation
A porterhouse is simply a T-bone with a larger tenderloin section. Both eat like a strip.
5Tri-tip steak or picanha (rump cap)
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
Both are cut from the sirloin area and both deliver assertive, satisfying beef flavor with a firm chew, which is exactly what strip fans want.
What changes
Picanha comes with a thick fat cap that you leave on and render, giving a richness closer to ribeye, while tri-tip is leaner. Both are usually noticeably cheaper. The catch with tri-tip is that the grain changes direction partway through, so cut the piece at the bend and slice each half separately, or it will feel tough regardless of doneness.
Best for
grilling, Brazilian and Santa Maria style, feeding several people, good value
Cook picanha with the fat cap down first to render it, then flip.
6Chuck eye steak
Different texture
Use the same amount by weight
Sometimes called the poor man's ribeye, this is the first couple of inches of the chuck adjoining the rib, so it carries real marbling and a rich flavor at a fraction of the price.
What changes
It is the cheapest cut here that can honestly be grilled to medium-rare. The honest caveat is consistency: some steaks have a seam of gristle or a tougher patch, so it is less reliable than a strip. Cook it fast and hot to 130F, rest it, and slice it thin against the grain.
Best for
cheap grilled steak, pan-searing, steak and eggs, weeknight cooking
Only the first two steaks off the chuck are chuck eye. Regular chuck steak must be braised, not grilled.

What is New York Strip Steak?

New York Strip Steak is a boneless steak cut from the short loin along the cow's back, moderately marbled with a firm bite and a band of fat down one edge, and also sold as strip steak, top loin steak, Kansas City strip or, in the UK, Ireland and Australia, simply sirloin.

Cooking tips

The naming confusion is worth sorting out before you shop. In the US this cut is New York strip, strip loin, top loin or Kansas City strip. In the UK, Ireland and Australia the same steak is simply called sirloin. American top sirloin is a different, leaner cut from further back. So a British recipe calling for sirloin steak means this exact cut and needs no substitute.
Buy thickness over surface area with any substitute. A steak at least an inch and a quarter thick can develop a proper brown crust before the inside passes medium-rare, while a three-quarter-inch steak is gray through by the time it browns. If your substitute is thin, sear it hotter and faster.
Salt at least 40 minutes ahead, or right before cooking, but not in the ten minutes between. Salt initially draws moisture to the surface, which stops browning, and only after about 40 minutes has it been reabsorbed and left the surface dry again.
Leaner substitutes such as top sirloin and tri-tip need help that a strip does not. Baste them with butter, thyme and garlic in the last two minutes, or top them with a compound butter at the table, and always slice them thinner and strictly across the grain.
Do not skip the strip of fat along one edge. Stand the steak on that edge for a minute at the start so it renders, which gives you both the fat to cook in and an edge that is pleasant to eat rather than a rubbery band.

Frequently asked questions

Is a New York strip the same as a sirloin steak?

It depends which country you are in, which is the source of endless confusion. In the UK, Ireland and Australia a sirloin steak is exactly this cut, so British recipes calling for sirloin mean a New York strip. In the US, top sirloin is a different and leaner cut from behind the short loin. It works as a substitute but it is not the same steak, and it will eat firmer and drier.

What is a cheaper substitute for New York strip steak?

Flat iron steak is the best value, well marbled and nearly as tender for roughly half the price. Chuck eye steak is cheaper still and has ribeye-like richness, though quality varies steak to steak. Top sirloin and tri-tip are both reliable and inexpensive but leaner, so cook them to 130F, no further, and slice them thin against the grain to keep them tender.

Should I use ribeye or strip steak?

Choose ribeye if you want richness, softness and a forgiving steak, because its heavy marbling keeps it juicy even a few degrees past medium-rare. Choose strip if you want a firmer, chewier bite and cleaner beef flavor with less fat left on the plate. Both cook the same way at the same temperature, so it is genuinely a preference rather than a technical difference.

Can I use a cheap steak and just cook it longer?

No, and this is the most common way people ruin an inexpensive steak. Tough cuts such as regular chuck, round or shoulder steak are tough because of connective tissue, and grilling longer only squeezes out water and makes them drier and tougher. Those cuts need slow moist braising instead. For a fast grilled steak, buy a cut that is naturally tender, such as flat iron, top sirloin or chuck eye.

Can I leave the steak out of a recipe that calls for it?

If the steak is the plate, no, since there is nothing left. If it is a component, for example in a steak salad, a stir fry or fajitas, then portobello mushrooms seared hard, halloumi, or thick slabs of cauliflower all take the same marinade and give you something substantial. Keep the sauce, the char and the seasoning exactly as written, because that is what makes the dish read as the dish.

Related substitutes

More meat & protein substitutes

New York Strip Steak substitute

Other new york strip steak substitutes

2Top sirloin steak

3Flat iron steak (top blade)

4T-bone or porterhouse steak

5Tri-tip steak or picanha (rump cap)

6Chuck eye steak