Find out what is a good price for a ribeye steak. Is it really an expensive steak that most people can afford or can you source a good deal? See list of what popular grocery stores charge for Ribeye steaks.
I think it's safe to say John Wayne ate steak.
These are the famous first words uttered by Mr. Alton Brown in the very first moments of television's greatest show of all the times - Good Eats.
OK. I know a lot of you are rolling your eyes and thinking of a handiful of shows that better belong among the greatest. For me, Good Eats has had the biggest impact of any show on my life. I may not be writing a food blog right now if it wasn't for Alton and his cast of characters and puppets.
Back to the point. Today we are talking about steak.
The very same steak that was the topic of that first ever Good Eats episode - the Ribeye. I love a Ribeye steak. Ribeyes are flavorful, tender, and juicy. Very hard to beat good rib eye steaks.
I don't eat Ribeye a lot. Why? They aren't cheap eats. It's more of a special treat thing - the kind of meal I save for a day like father's day, the first cook-out of the year, bringing home a baby from the hospital, any kind of momentous day can be a Ribeye day.
Jump to:
🏆 How to Find a Good Steak
As mentioned, Ribeye are not cheap. Well unless you buy them from Dollar Tree:
This post will be your guide to finding a Ribeye steak for a good price. Notice I didn't say the cheapest price - we already know who won that one. I am defining a good price as being the price you pay for a good, not necessarily top of the line steak.
🥩 What is a Ribeye Steak?
Before we get into talking prices, I want to take time to describe what you are getting in a Ribeye. Time to pull out the cow diagram.
🍖 Bone-In or Boneless
Ribeye comes either boneless or bone-in. Which is better? I love the look of the bone in the steak. But does it really make a difference in taste. Research has been thoroughly done on this topic. Check out Steak University for the result. The results may surprise 🙂
💲 Prices
To give you an example of what a good price for a Ribeye steak is let's look at the price of Ribeyes at different stores. This prices are taken from January/February 2022.
The first list will have choice graded steaks. And the second prime. We aren't really considering the lower grade select steaks. Walmart carries select Ribeye steaks for $10.97/lb.
My thought is that is a ribeye steak is a steak you don't want to buy on the cheap. The flavor won't be there. The goal is get the best fat content for the lowest price. Fat equals robust flavor!
USDA Choice
| Grocery Bargain Outlet | $16.48/lb (8oz for $8.49) |
| Vons Bone-In | $16.99/lb |
| Vons Boneless | $17.99/lb |
| Winco | $16.47/lb |
| Gelson's Bone-In | $39.99/lb |
| Gelson's Boneless | $40.99/lb |
| Walmart Boneless | $11.47/lb |
| Walmart Thin Boneless | $14.97/lb |
| ALDI Thin Boneless | $10.99/lb |
| Trader Joe's Boneless | $12.99/lb |
| Trader Joe's Angus | $18.99/lb |
| Costco Boneless | $12.99/lb |
| Kroger Bone-In | $14.29/lb |
| Kroger Boneless | $13.99/lb |
| Meijer Angus Boneless | $16.99/lb |
| Meijer Angus Bone-In | $15.99/lb |
| Whole Foods Bone-In | $18.99/lb |
| Whole Foods Boneless | $19.99/lb |
| Whole Foods Grass Fed Organic | $25.98/lb (8 oz for $12.99) |
| Sam's Club Boneless Angus | $11.98/lb |
| Sam's Club Boneless Angus Thin | $13.98/lb |
| Food 4 Less Boneless | $12.99/lb |
As you can see some of the options are thin cuts. I don't like having a thinner cut for a steak, I like something to bite into.
You also see that some of the beef is labelled as angus beef. This is a particular type of cow. Is it better? I have never really noticed any significant difference between beef that is labelled angus and beef that isn't. So it's not a factor for me when looking for the best steak.
USDA Prime
The main difference in prime beef is that it has more intramuscular fat.
| Sam's Club Boneless | $19.98/lb |
| Costco Boneless | $22.99/lb |
| Gelsons Prime Bone-in | $49.99/lb |
| Gelsons Prime Boneless | $50.99/lb |
If you can get a whole prime ribeye you will be getting prime rib.
🚫 Ungraded
Not all beef is graded as select, choice, or prime. It's an extra service that isn't required. The USDA inspection is required but it's extra money to get the grading. You will find ribeye steaks that aren't graded at all in some grocery stores. But that doesn't mean they are bad.
For example, Walmart carries a grass fed ribeye steak for $15.97/lb. When selecting these steaks look for the one with the most intramuscular fat as you should with any steak.
I found a pack of grass fed ribeye steaks at ALDI. They were graded but one had some really nice marbling (the other did not) that made it so good. At $9.99/lb, it was the best price I ever paid for a great ribeye. Keep in mind to examine the steaks you are looking to buy, you mind find that diamond in the rough.
💸 What is a Good Price
A good price on average of a ribeye steak will be between $12.99/lb to $14.99/lb. Not too cheap to be good. Always look out for sales and stock your freezer when you find one.
I prefer to buy my meat where there is an actual butcher you could talk with. Sorry Trader Joe's, you and your pre-packed meat are out. I have never had a steak from Trader Joe's I thought was any good.
Whole Foods Market does indeed have some good meat people, however that price tag is too hard to shallow.
Costco comes in at $12.99/lb. Costco cuts their beef in house. The quality is better than what you get for a little more money at a store like Kroger.
RELATED - Guide to buying beef at Costco
🐄 Dry Aged Ribeye from Porter Road
Sometimes you may want to treat yourself or loved one to the best.
If you are looking for a truly delicious ribeye experience, might I suggest you check out the dry aged steaks (at least 14 days) from my good friends at Porter Road. I got to meet one of the co-founders James Peisker in Nashville and loved his passion for offering the best meat while making an impact in the life of small farmers.
Their ribeye comes from pasture raised cows and has great marbling and a beautiful fat cap. I couldn't imagine a finer looking ribeye.
This is THE steak you want to splurge on for your special occasions. The one with the "wow" factor. Choose bone-in for $36/lb or boneless for $39/lb (price may vary).
♨️ How to Cook
I like to cook it in a cast iron skillet just as Alton Brown did in that first episode of Good Eats. All you need is some oil, pepper, and salt. As just he recommends:
- Cook it for 30 seconds. Flip. Cook for another 30 seconds
- Place the whole skillet and steak in a 500 degree oven.
- Cook for two minutes. Then flip and cook another two minutes.
- Allow 5 minutes to rest before eating
Ribeye steaks don't need a lot of fancy seasonings just salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
🐮 Other Steaks
Wondering about some other steak cuts? Check out these ones.
🍴 Resources
When it comes to cast iron, I always opt for Lodge. They are American made and are a very good value. You don't need to spend over $100 for something really fancy. Here are the Lodge cast iron cooking vessels I recommend for Ribeye steaks
- I cook my Ribeye steaks in a Lodge 12-inch cast-iron skillet. It's enough space to fit 2 steaks in it (one for me and one for my wife).
- Lodge also has a cast iron skillet now that comes with a silicone handle so you to protect your precious mits. Or if you already own one, you can just buy the just the handle for like 5 bucks. It comes in 7 colors for more fun.
Catherine
Once, I made a batch of gorgeous chocolate chip cookies using Alton's "The Chewy" - followed the recipe to the letter - & took a photo. They were, hands down, the best cookies I've ever made. I took a photo & tweeted it, and guess what! HE HEARTED THAT TWEET. I felt pretty special, man. Check it out: https://twitter.com/ccnomad/status/873061198836531200
I was late to the Good Eats party, but when I discovered it on Netflix, I binged it. Couldn't get enough. You have good taste in great teachers/chefs. 🙂
Catherine
*delete mark through one or the other of those reports that I took a photo. Prob the second one. 😛
Eric Samuelson
That is so awesome. I wrote a couple things on his wall on facebook but never got a response. Maybe one of these days 🙂
Nancy
Almost every cooking debate in our house ends with "Alton says" End of discussion LOL
I may have a slight crush on him.
Eric Samuelson
It's a great discussion ender!
Rob Hack
WOW! Your prices are high,especially 2017. Here in Oregon Safeway has ribeye on sale often. Tomorrow it's 8.99 boneless 7.99 bone-in. For 4th of July (I call it "Ribeye month") it's under 6.00 bone-in.
Eric Samuelson
Yeah those are definitely better prices than what I see. Thanks for sharing what you are seeing in your part of the country.