Here's Exactly How Long Texas Roadhouse Ages Its Famous Steaks

Texas Roadhouse, a popular southern-style chain restaurant, keeps customers coming in through its affordable prices and family-friendly environment. But when most people think of a casual dining chain, they might not associate it with high quality. However, when it comes to Texas Roadhouse steaks, the chain has strict standards for its meat sourcing, and all of its steaks are aged between 14 and 25 days — one of those Texas Roadhouse secrets you probably didn't know.

In 2022, Texas Roadhouse revealed the aging process for its steaks to WBRC News. The restaurant's tenderloin is aged for the least amount of time at just 14 days, but all other steaks served at Texas Roadhouse are aged for anywhere from 22 to 25 days. The chain also uses high-quality Choice beef, which means it has more marbling and more flavor than other meat types, such as Select beef. The aging process is important to give steak the best flavor possible.

Aging beef is integral to making it more tender and flavorful. As meat ages, its muscle fibers break down, helping it achieve that melt-in-your mouth texture. Plus, the longer it sits, the more intense its flavor gets. But it's more than just keeping a steak in the refrigerator for days or weeks — actually, you never want to do that. Steaks can either be wet-aged or dry-aged, and the process must be done in a controlled environment.

Wet-aged steaks are vacuum-sealed and generally kept at a temperature between 28-35 degrees Fahrenheit. While sealed, they age in their own juices, protected from oxygen and bacteria. Dry-aged, on the other hand, is beef that's hung in an oxygenated, humidity-controlled environment, where it can grow a layer of mold that helps deepen its flavor (but no, you don't eat the mold). As for length of time, wet-aged steaks tend to age between 32-48 days, while dry aged steaks can be aged for anywhere from several weeks to several months, though most are within the 28-45 day range. Although Texas Roadhouse didn't reveal which aging process it uses, wet-aged is the more common method.