The Definitive Aldi Steak Ranking

Steak is a big deal in our household. Rarely do we buy it without planning an entire day for its prep, so we tend to seek the highest quality cuts from the best butchers in town. It's a luxury dinner for us, and we treat it as such, dry-aging the beef before smoking and searing it to a perfectly pink medium-rare. It's something everyone knows we take very seriously, so when I shared with a few friends that we'd be cooking up all of Aldi's steak selections, I was met with some confusion — not necessarily at the fact that we'd be buying steaks from Aldi, but that Aldi had steaks at all.

Aldi is known for many things, but steak is not necessarily one of them. A no-frills store by design, everything is meant to be budget-friendly, which is a term rarely used in conjunction with steak of any kind. The truth, though, is that Aldi sells many kinds of steak with a quality far higher than you'd expect given the low prices. To find out exactly what cuts are worth getting at Aldi versus a specialty butcher, I bought all 12 steaks the grocer currently offers and ranked them from worst to best, reviewing each for marbling, tenderness, flavor, and most of all, value.

Thin-sliced ribeye steak, such as this one from Aldi, isn't really meant to take the place of full-sized ones, but rather, is used for applications where the size is beneficial to the dish, like in beef bulgogi or country-fried steak. You wouldn't buy it to eat for steak night because the thin size makes for a relatively lackluster cut on its own. Being a ribeye, though, the expectation is that it'll be flavorful and tender when used in recipes where thin cuts are required. Unfortunately for Aldi, its thin-sliced ribeye misses the mark in a big way.

Two things a steak shouldn't be are tough and flavorless. You could argue that some steaks are better in a marinade, but I believe any cut should taste good on its own when cooked correctly. This steak, which we seared quickly to a pink medium, was chewy as though it were well done, and it tasted bland instead of rich or savory. Coming in at $10.99 per pound (or around $20 for six thin slices you'd presumably use for one meal), I also consider this cut overpriced for its quality. Choosing the thicker steak is definitively better in most cases, as it is here.

Before diving into the grocer's USDA Choice beef eye of round steak, it's important to understand the highest quality of beef you can buy at Aldi and how it compares to other brands. There are eight quality grades of steak determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture based on the age and maturity of the animal and the amount of intermuscular fat and marbling present in the fibers. The top three that you're most likely to see in stores are Prime, Choice, and Select, with Prime being the highest quality. The next highest quality is Choice, which is the grade of beef Aldi uses in many of its nicest cuts. Being Choice doesn't automatically make a steak better, though, as I found out by trying this USDA Choice eye of round steak.

Eye of round isn't a steak you'll see on restaurant menus for a reason; it's a budget cut taken from the back leg or rump of the cow, which is a muscle used frequently and results in very lean steaks. As such, the steak is never destined to be buttery and tender. What you should expect, though, is rich beef flavor, which I found to be lacking in Aldi's cut. Since it isn't a steak you'd regularly marinade, the lack of flavor left me puzzled at what I'd use this steak for. Though the value is great at just $7.99 per pound, I'd skip this for something more flavorful, which at Aldi can be found for a very similar price.

Grass-fed beef (which is different from grain-fed beef) provides an interesting lesson on the complicated digestive systems of cows. If a cow is entirely grass-fed, meaning it spends its whole life roaming and eating low-calorie grass, the resulting beef will be lean with very little of the marbling usually caused by a buildup of fat. Grass-fed is often valued for its ethical qualities but also for its unique, high quality flavor despite the lack of marbling, which is why a grocery brand may be eager to label its steaks as such. 

Grass-fed steak has an earthy, almost gamey flavor and a lean, sometimes chewy texture that can be off-putting to lovers of buttery, mild-flavored steaks. This discrepancy can allow for some bias when ranking, so I invited several friends to try the steaks side-by-side to minimize the variance. Many, including myself, ranked this steak low for its tough, chalky texture and bland flavor — qualities that normally should stand out in this particular cut. Especially for the higher price per pound, I'd skip the grass fed and opt for the marbling of the choice ribeye instead.

This is where the ranking starts getting tricky because each cut is worth getting but may be valuable to you for different reasons. The thin-sliced sirloin tip steak, labeled online as being for carne asada, is meant for marinating and quick-searing for use in tacos, stir-fries, fajitas, or even Philly cheesesteaks. Like an eye of round, the top sirloin is taken from the rear leg of the cow and, as such, can be quite lean. It's intentionally a budget-friendly cut that requires manipulation for the best flavor, but with just a marinade (which you can invent on your own by following a simple steak marinade formula) and a quick sear, this steak is a good way to get a lot of flavor for a low cost.

Unlike the thin-sliced ribeye, which is too tough to use, the thin-sliced sirloin has some legs (pun intended). It's tender despite its thin size, though we found that it easily becomes overpowered by heavy-handed seasoning and quickly dries out if not careful with searing. I'd recommend this steak if your intent is to use it in thin-sliced sandwiches or fajitas. For more flavorful, higher-quality-tasting steaks, I'd look at a few other options.

The top sirloin is located in the hindquarter of the cow around the hip area, just between the loin and the round. This makes it another lean, beefy option and another budget cut that can be used in recipes for tacos, stir-fries, and salads. The top sirloin is a large cut of steak but relatively thin, so searing it quickly is key to unlocking its best texture and flavor. If overcooked, it quickly becomes chewy and dry, robbing it of its tender quality. If done correctly, though, this cut is flavorful and tender, making it a good substitute for the pricier skirt steak.

We know this steak is better medium-rare because, while waiting to serve it, we tossed it in the oven to keep it warm. After only a few minutes in a warm (not hot) oven, the steak became well-done, making it chewy and dry. Still, it ranked highly for its flavor, which was liked among guests despite being overcooked. A testament to its quality, this steak is what I'd recommend as a budget-friendly option for meal prepping, being that the flavor stands out even after reheating.

The top round comes from the upper part of the rear leg of the cow, making it another lean beef option sold at budget-friendly prices. It isn't a particularly exciting cut, being that it's not a flavorful or tender part of the cow, but with a low price tag, the top round can be a really great steak to use for creative recipes where ribeyes or strips would be wasted. In Aldi's case, the Black Angus Choice top round steak is an excellent choice for exactly this and is one I'd pick up again for using in recipes with a lot of bold flavors.

What my fellow taste-testers and I enjoyed about this steak is the thick, juicy tenderness, which is nearly as buttery as any ribeye or filet — but with half the flavor. Noticeably bland, the steak needs a bright and bold sauce to pair with in order to work. I don't consider this a bad thing, necessarily, as I wouldn't want to use a more expensive cut in recipes that cover the beefy flavor of a good steak. I'd recommend the top round steak for recipes that call for other strong flavors, like steak served under stewed tomatoes or marinated in spicy chimichurri.

Though we already covered the value (or detriment) of grass-fed steaks, this is the first strip steak to appear on the list, and it ranks reasonably high compared to the grass-fed ribeye. Called New York strip steak for its history in the New York dining scene, the cut is taken from the short loin, a little-used and very tender part of the cow. This makes the strip steak prized for its tenderness and excellent, rich flavor. Aldi offers both a Black Angus strip and a grass-fed strip, and both options are good for steak lovers, but which one you choose depends on what you are looking for in flavor.

As noted with the ribeye, grass-fed steaks tend to have a grassier, more gamey flavor and tougher quality. Though Aldi's grass-fed steaks are overall mild in flavor with a fair amount of marbling, they are still quite different from the Choice cuts, which have a more buttery, beefy quality. While all testers agreed the strip surpasses the ribeye in flavor, the chalky, lean texture couldn't beat the more tender quality of the Choice cuts. I'd still recommend this steak for its high quality and flavor but would personally opt for Choice options, as I prefer the buttery texture and rich taste.

The Cattlemen's Ranch USDA Choice applewood-bacon-wrapped top sirloin is, of course, a specialty item meant to be eaten on its own and paired with complementary sides. It's the beef cut you'd pick up for a steakhouse-style dinner at home and is an indulgent option for special occasions. Usually, though, in restaurants, bacon is wrapped around filet mignon. Using top sirloin instead greatly reduces the cost of the steak but poses the question: Does it really make a good replacement for filet?

Surprisingly, top sirloin, which is typically lean and not necessarily flavorful, works well as a budget-friendly version of bacon-wrapped filets. There are a few drawbacks to Aldi's version, however, and it may make or break the deal for you. The first is that the steaks are very small, and after cooking, they shrink to an even smaller size that, for many, would be hardly enough for a meal. The second is that the bacon falls apart on the grill, causing an unsightly mess (though this can easily be fixed by inserting a toothpick into the steaks to pin the bacon in place). We otherwise loved the flavor the bacon imparted and the crispiness it offered in contrast with the tender steak, which took on a smoky, umami-like flavor. This was a surprising winner for us and is a good alternative to the pricier filet mignon version.

The ranking greatly depends on your preferences from here on out, but I made an effort to remain neutral and rank as fairly as possible based on flavor, texture, and value alone. The Black Angus strip is one of Aldi's better steak options, but compared to other retailers, it would likely fall a little flat. The steak, which has a good beef flavor, is chewy and tough despite being cooked to a perfect medium. And as much as I'd love to fault the texture on our grilling technique, our favorite steak to cook regularly is strip, and the cut was perfectly pink throughout.

If you frequently shop at Aldi and find yourself without another option for USDA Choice steak, this would make a perfectly reasonable option for a nice dinner. Being that each tester I invited to try the product noted its chewy texture, though, you may find yourself choosing a more buttery, flavorful alternative, such as the USDA Choice ribeye.

I'll admit that I fully expected the Black Angus USDA Choice ribeye steak to rank, if not first, perhaps second in the lineup of Aldi steaks. This product is large, thick, and well-priced at just $14.79 per pound, beating even Walmart in price (and falling well under my local grocery store by nearly 10 dollars). It is an impressive steak for its low cost, and it tastes excellent, ranking highly among me and my fellow testers. This genuinely would be placed higher — and to be fair, it's all very close — if not for how impressive the final two steaks are.

The Black Angus ribeye is well-marbled and cooks into a deep brown color, which is a small but notable difference from the less-expensive steaks. The texture and flavor are where this steak stands out, tasting buttery and rich, with a nice beefy flavor that would likely compete well with other brands. This is the option I'd recommend if you are shopping at Aldi for a nice, steakhouse-worthy dinner.

Here's the steak that stunned us all: the Black Angus USDA Choice petite sirloin. Priced at a remarkably low $8.99 a pound, I had every expectation that this would rank around the similarly priced eye of round and top round steaks, which proved to be true budget cuts. The petite sirloin, on the other hand, is indistinguishable from higher-priced cuts, and I know this because my fellow testers weren't given the price information until after the testing.

Every tester, including myself, ranked the petite sirloin highly for its buttery texture and mild beefy flavor. Comparable in taste and texture, this steak is what I'd recommend for those who would otherwise buy filet mignon or beef tenderloin. Of course, it isn't a direct comparison for mignon and would benefit from a marinade or accompanying sauce, but for a steak that costs less than a Big Mac meal at McDonald's, this is worth considering on your next trip to Aldi.

This first-place ranking feels particularly deserving of a drum roll. Skirt steak, taken from just under the rib section of a cow, is a prized cut known for its flavor and tenderness. Though being a food that was once seen as cheap but now costs a small fortune, it's considered a premium cut of steak and often priced similarly to ribeye or New York strip, sometimes listing for as high as $25 per pound. Aldi's Black Angus skirt steak is a phenomenally low $11.99 per pound, but whether that is a good thing or not greatly depends on its quality.

There are two types of skirt steaks on a cow, and which kind you are buying might not be abundantly clear. It's impossible to know whether Aldi's skirt steak is a lower-quality inside or a higher-quality outside cut, but judging by its relatively thick size and tender texture, I'm actually convinced it's the latter. Cooked to medium, the steak is bright pink and incredibly tender, with a perfectly mild and buttery beef flavor to match. This steak would work well in a marinade but doesn't need it, making it the most versatile option in this ranking and the best quality for its value. Meal preppers and taco enjoyers, this is your reason for heading to Aldi for steak, and it's my first choice in a long list of quality beef. 

I'll be completely honest: This was an incredibly large amount of steak. In order to fairly rank the steaks without burning out, letting any go cold, overcooking, or adding bias, we cooked four of them at a time and ate them with groups of friends who agreed to share their thoughts. Each steak was cooked the same way (with time variances based on thickness). We first brought them to room temperature on wire racks, added salt, pepper, and Montreal steak seasoning, and then grilled them as close to medium as possible. Each steak was given a five-minute rest period before slicing, which allowed me to photograph and serve them while waiting for the next. 

The testers were given only the name of the steak, which they could choose to look at or test blindly. The steaks were ranked based on a zero-to-10 numbered system that factored in tenderness, beef flavor, fat content, and marbling. I then considered the value compared to the quality and arranged them into a ranked list of 12, with the highest-value steaks toward the top.