Budget Beef Cuts: Flank Steak, Skirt Steak & Grilling Guide

You don’t need a ribeye to have a great steak night. Budget beef cuts like flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron, and top sirloin grill beautifully when you understand their quirks. The payoff is real: you can serve four people high-quality beef for what one premium ribeye costs.

Match each cut with the right marinade, heat level, and slicing technique, and you’ll get tender, flavorful results every time.

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Flank Steak

Flank steak is a large, flat cut from the cow’s abdominal muscles. It’s lean, flavorful, and chewy if you don’t treat it right. The grain runs in long, obvious lines across the meat, and those fibers need intervention before they hit the grill.

Marinate for 4 to 8 hours in something acidic (lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar) to break down the surface fibers. The acid tenderizes the outer layer and adds moisture to the lean meat. A basic marinade of soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and lime juice works every time.

Don’t marinate longer than 12 hours, or the surface texture turns mushy.

Flank steak typically weighs 1.5 to 2 pounds and runs competitively priced to competitively priced per pound at most grocery stores. That’s half the price of a ribeye and feeds the same number of people when sliced thin. Costco often has USDA Choice flank steak competitively priced to competitively priced per pound in vacuum-sealed packs.

Grill over direct high heat (450°F+) for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Pull it at 130°F for medium-rare. The meat is about 1 inch thick on average, so it cooks fast.

Use a two-zone fire if you’re worried about flare-ups. Sear hard on the hot side, then move to indirect heat to finish if needed.

The critical step: let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice very thin against the grain. Cutting with the grain instead of against it is the difference between tender bites and shoe leather. Look for the direction the muscle fibers run, then cut perpendicular to those lines. Each slice should be about ¼ inch thick.

Flank steak is excellent for fajitas, stir-fry, steak salads, and rice bowls. It reheats well, so leftovers stay useful. If you’re deciding between flank and other cuts, understanding the differences between flank steak and brisket can help you choose the right option for your cooking method.

Skirt Steak

Skirt steak has more marbling than flank and even more intense beef flavor. It’s the traditional cut for fajitas and carne asada. The inside skirt is more tender than the outside skirt, so ask your butcher which one they’re selling.

Inside skirt is usually thicker and shorter, while outside skirt is thinner and longer.

Skirt steak is even leaner overall than flank, but the marbling it does have is concentrated and visible. The grain runs across the width of the steak in tight, short lines. Prices run competitively priced to competitively priced per pound depending on whether you’re getting inside or outside skirt.

Grill screaming hot (as high as your grill goes) for just 2 to 3 minutes per side. Skirt steak is thin and cooks fast. A gas grill set to high typically hits 500-550°F, which is perfect. On charcoal, build a full chimney and spread the coals in a single layer for maximum heat.

Pull skirt steak at 130°F internal. You have very little margin for error here because the meat is thin. One extra minute per side can push it from medium-rare to medium-well.

If you don’t have a thermometer, use the firmness test: medium-rare feels like the flesh at the base of your thumb when you touch your thumb to your index finger.

Slice against the grain at a 45-degree angle into thin strips. The angled cut increases the surface area of each slice and makes the meat look more substantial on the plate. A good fajita seasoning and a squeeze of lime is all you need.

Skirt steak takes well to dry rubs. If you skip the marinade, hit it with coarse salt, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder 30 minutes before grilling. The seasonings form a crust that complements the beefy flavor. Both skirt and flank work wonderfully for tacos and fajitas, though there are key differences between the two cuts that affect cooking time and texture.

Flat Iron Steak

Flat iron is cut from the shoulder (chuck) and is the second most tender steak on the cow after the tenderloin. It has excellent marbling for a budget cut, and it grills just like a strip steak. No marinade needed; salt and pepper do the job.

The flat iron gets its name from its shape: it looks like an old-fashioned metal flat iron. Each steak weighs 8 to 10 ounces and runs competitively priced to competitively priced per pound. Whole Foods and higher-end grocery stores carry it regularly; Walmart and Aldi stock it less often.

Grill over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side for a 1-inch-thick steak. Target 130-135°F internal for medium-rare. Flat iron has enough marbling that it stays juicy at medium, so you have more leeway than with flank or skirt.

Flat iron has a seam of connective tissue running through the center. Look for cuts where the butcher has removed it. If the seam is still there, you’ll notice a thin, silvery line of gristle. It’s edible but unpleasant to chew.

Some butchers sell “top blade steaks,” which is the same cut before the connective tissue is removed. Ask specifically for flat iron if you want the cleaned version.

This cut handles high heat well. The marbling melts during cooking and bastes the meat from the inside, creating a buttery texture similar to a New York strip. Rest for 5 minutes after grilling, then serve whole or slice against the grain for tacos or sandwiches.

Flat iron works well with compound butters. Mix softened butter with garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt, then drop a tablespoon on each steak right after it comes off the grill.

Top Sirloin

Top sirloin is the everyday workhorse steak. It’s leaner than ribeye or strip, which means it benefits from a dry brine (salt generously, refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 12 hours) and careful temperature monitoring.

The dry brine pulls moisture to the surface, dissolves the salt, then reabsorbs the salty liquid back into the meat. This seasons the steak all the way through and improves moisture retention during cooking. Use ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. Pat the surface dry with paper towels before grilling.

Top sirloin runs competitively priced to competitively priced per pound, making it one of the most affordable steaks. A 10-ounce top sirloin steak competitively priced to competitively priced, compared to competitively priced to competitively priced for a comparable ribeye. Costco sells top sirloin in bulk packs (4 to 6 steaks) for competitively priced per pound.

Grill over direct heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Don’t go past medium (145°F), or the lean meat will tighten up and become tough. The muscle fibers in top sirloin are naturally tighter than in fattier cuts, so overcooking squeezes out moisture fast.

Rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain if serving for fajitas or salads. Top sirloin works well in steak and eggs, steak sandwiches, or chopped and added to grain bowls. It’s less tender than flat iron but has a clean, straightforward beef flavor.

If you’re grilling multiple steaks at once, start them over direct heat to sear, then move to indirect heat to finish. This prevents the exterior from charring while the interior catches up. Top sirloin is forgiving in terms of doneness range, medium-rare to medium all work, but going beyond medium turns it dry.

Chuck Eye Steak

Chuck eye is sometimes called the “poor man’s ribeye” because it’s cut from the same muscle group, just slightly further toward the shoulder. The marbling and flavor are remarkably similar to a ribeye at a significantly lower price.

Ask your butcher specifically for chuck eye steaks. They’re not always in the display case because each cow only produces a few of them. The ribeye muscle extends into the chuck, and the chuck eye is the continuation of that muscle. You get about four chuck eye steaks per cow, compared to dozens of ribeyes.

Prices run competitively priced to competitively priced per pound for chuck eye versus competitively priced to competitively priced per pound for ribeye. The savings are substantial, and most people can’t tell the difference in a blind taste test. The main distinction is that chuck eye has slightly more connective tissue, but grilling at high heat renders most of it.

Grill exactly like a ribeye: high heat, 4 to 5 minutes per side, 130-135°F for medium-rare. The fat marbling melts and self-bastes the steak, so you don’t need marinade or basting. Salt and pepper an hour before grilling to let the seasoning penetrate.

Chuck eye is thicker than flank or skirt, usually closer to 1.25 inches. If your steaks are especially thick (1.5 inches or more), use a reverse sear: start on indirect heat until the internal temp hits 110-115°F, then sear over high heat for 2 minutes per side. This method ensures even cooking all the way through.

Rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing. The extra rest time allows the juices to redistribute fully, especially important in a well-marbled cut where the melted fat needs time to settle.

Tri-Tip

Tri-tip is a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, popular on the West Coast and increasingly available nationwide. It weighs 2 to 3 pounds and serves 4 to 6 people when sliced. Prices run competitively priced to competitively priced per pound.

The grain changes direction partway through the cut, so you’ll need to adjust your slicing angle as you work through the roast. Start by identifying where the grain shifts, then slice each section perpendicular to its grain.

Season with coarse salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Tri-tip takes well to Santa Maria-style seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and a touch of cayenne). Grill over indirect heat at 350-375°F until the internal temp hits 125-130°F, then sear over direct high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Total cook time is 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the roast. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing thin against the grain. Tri-tip is excellent for feeding a crowd and reheats well for sandwiches and salads.

General Grilling Tips for Budget Cuts

Pat the steaks completely dry before grilling. Surface moisture creates steam instead of sear, which prevents the caramelized crust that makes grilled steak irresistible. Oil the steak, not the grate. Brush or rub a thin layer of vegetable oil or clarified butter directly onto the meat.

Let steaks come to room temperature (20 to 30 minutes out of the fridge) before grilling. Cold steaks cook unevenly because the exterior overcooks while the center is still warming up. This matters more for thicker cuts like chuck eye and flat iron than for thin cuts like skirt steak.

Always use a meat thermometer. Budget cuts have less fat, which means less room for error. A thermometer is the difference between a great steak and a disappointing one.