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Sweet T Makes Three

Home » Chuck Eye Steak Recipe: The Poor Man’s Ribeye

March 1, 2019 By Jenn

Chuck Eye Steak Recipe: The Poor Man’s Ribeye

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: keto

This chuck eye steak recipe has stood the test of time and remains one of my family’s favorite meals. 

I’d never heard of beef chuck eye steak but since you can’t beat the price (especially compared to ribeye) I bought it anyway and relied on the internet to present me with a delicious recipe (that happens to be quick and easy as well. Winning!)

Chuck eye steak recipe with french fries and peas

Cheapskate that I am, we eat pretty much whatever goes on manager markdown at our local grocer. In addition to saving money, this has allowed me to explore different cuts of meat that wouldn’t normally make it onto my grocery list. Exploring different beef cuts and cooking methods is how I discovered how much we love this beef chuck eye recipe.

Bull Shit Steak Seasoning, Net Wt 12ozBull Shit Steak Seasoning, Net Wt 12ozSteak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of BeefSteak: One Man’s Search for the World’s Tastiest Piece of Beef

What is Chuck Eye Steak?

Chuck eye is a steak that is derived from the Chuck Eye Roll. The “eye” is an anatomical name meaning the “Eye” of the Chuck. It comes from the shoulder area of a cow and is known for its rich beefy flavor. If you’ve enjoyed flat-iron steak in the past then you’ve sampled chuck meat before and I’m confident you’ll be a fan of chuck eye steak too.

chalkboard beef chart chuck

Make sure your chuck steak is boneless. If there are bones present and it’s a little thicker than a steak, you might have yourself a chuck roast which is best prepared in a slow cooker rather than an iron skillet.

*Note that just because a cut of beef is no longer bright red, that doesn’t necessarily make it spoiled. Your grocer uses dioxide among other things to give beef that appetizing, unnatural, candy apple red color.

This may look pretty but it’s not natural nor is it an indicator of freshness. It’s purely psychological.

raw chuck eye steak meat

Use the sell-by date as a guide as well as your nose to determine whether or not a piece of meat is safe for consumption rather than going by color. 

Knowing this fact and realizing it’s a marketing technique will help you find all sorts of beef cuts on markdown that others are passing over. Go forth and save money, my friends.

Chuck Eye Steak vs. Ribeye

Foodie forums let me in on the secret about how to cook chuck eye steak that is just as tasty as ribeye and a whole lot cheaper. Thus its nickname “The Poor Man’s Ribeye.”

Since it isn’t a cut that requires the slow cooker I decided to try a restaurant-style steak recipe using the oven. Preparing your chuck eye steak with a hot iron skillet and an oven makes this budget meat cut taste like a cut above the rest! 


Let’s learn how to cook chuck eye steak properly, shall we? Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll be scouring the meat section at the grocery store to load up your freezer with this inexpensive cut that tastes as good as a ribeye steak.

Chuck Eye Steak Recipe Ingredients

Keto eaters, scroll down to the recipe card to check out the macros on these bad boys. I think you’ll be happy! 

Ingredients

  • 2 Chuck eye steaks
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Chuck eye steak recipe

How to Cook Chuck Eye Steak

Remove the boneless chuck eye steaks from the refrigerator and bring them up to room temperature.

raw chuck eye steaks on a plate

 

Season both sides with salt and pepper. I used coarse Celtic sea salt. Kosher salt work as well.

seasoned chuck eye steaks

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1/2 stick of butter and 1Tbsp coconut oil in a cast iron pan on the stovetop as hot as you can get it!

You want it boiling lava hot. Make sure your kitchen exhaust is on high. Since I’m not lucky enough to have a kitchen exhaust that actually vents outside, I even open a kitchen window for this part.

There will be some smoke, but I promise it’s worth it for that delectable sear that you just can’t get any other way. 

butter in a hot skillet for chuck eye steak recipe

Since I learned how to cook chuck eye steak, this iron skillet has been on my wishlist just for the silicone holder. It’s cheaper to buy the skillet with the holder than without (go fig) and it’s a nice option to have since you’ll be handling the skillet quite a bit from stovetop to oven.

Update: I feel a little ignorant for not know this but you can order the silicone hot pan covers by themselves without having to buy a new pan. 

Silicone Iron Skillet Handle CoverSilicone Iron Skillet Handle CoverSilicone Iron Skillet Handle Cover

 

This is good news for your wallet and for those of us who have heirloom cast iron that we love to use. I just ordered one!

 

chuck eye steaks cooking in an iron skillet

 

chuck eye steaks searing in a skillet

Once both sides are seared, place the skillet in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. I misunderstood the original directions and transferred the steaks before placing them in the oven. They turned out delicious either way. It’s easier just to place the skillet in there though.

seared chuck eye steaks ready to place in the oven

 

Bake 6-8 minutes depending on steak thickness and desired degree of doneness. I’ve been eating steak since Kindergarten and personally think it’s a crime to eat any steak cooked more than medium-rare, but especially with a chuck roast steak. The best way to cook a chuck eye steak is cooking it a little less done than you normally prefer due to the cut. Trust me on this!

Hubs is a medium well kind of guy but he eats his chuck eye medium-rare. If you need a guide to determine steak doneness, check out the video below:

Steak Temperature Guide

If you want to be precise and use a meat thermometer, here is the temperature guide for steak doneness. Once you’ve make chuck steaks a few times though, you’ll probably be able to tell when they are just right from the “springiness” alone without cutting into your chuck steaks or using a thermometer.

  • Rare – 130 to 135°
  • Medium Rare – 140°F to 145°F
  • Medium – 155°F to 160°F
  • Well Done – 165°F to 170°F

And that is how to cook chuck eye steak to perfection. I served my chuck roast steak recipe with herbed butter. This chuck eye steak recipe tasted as good as a steak from our favorite local steak restaurant for a fraction of the price. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chuck Eye Steak cooked and plated

 

Yield: 2

Chuck Eye Steak Recipe

Enjoy ribeye for half the price with this chuck eye steak recipe!

Simple yet gourmet, this chuck eye steak recipe will have you staying in instead of going out!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Chuck eye steaks
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Remove the boneless chuck eye steaks from the refrigerator and bring up to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  3. Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. I used coarse Celtic sea salt
  4. Heat 1/2 stick of butter and 1Tbsp coconut oil in an iron skillet on the stovetop as hot as you can get it!
  5. Sear steaks for 1-3 minutes on each side until brown crust forms.
  6. Once both sides are seared, place the skillet in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Amazon Basics Silicone Hot Skillet Handle Cover Holder, Black
    Amazon Basics Silicone Hot Skillet Handle Cover Holder, Black
  • Dapper&Doll Cast Iron Cleaner - Chainmail Scrubber for Cast Iron Pans - Skillet Pan Pot Scraper
    Dapper&Doll Cast Iron Cleaner - Chainmail Scrubber for Cast Iron Pans - Skillet Pan Pot Scraper

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 502Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 22g
© [email protected] T Makes Three
Cuisine: Keto / Category: Recipes

Where to find Chuck Eye Steak

This continues to be one of our favorite dinners. I’ve yet to find a great chuck eye steak price anywhere locally but Kroger, so if you’re struggling to make your “poor man’s ribeye” poor enough, check there.

I just loaded my freezer with 5 twin packs of boneless chuck steaks that were marked down for clearance. Best of luck!

Update: I’ve since found chuck eye steaks at our local Walmart, though not as often as I find them at Kroger. I’m guessing the secret is out about this cut, and with good reason. “The first rule of chuck steak is you don’t tell people about chuck steak.” OOPS!

The good news is that your new favorite cut of beef will be more readily available at more grocery stores. The bad news is you may have trouble finding them on clearance anymore since they’ve increased in popularity. We may have to change the “poor man’s ribeye” moniker to “budget ribeye” if we can’t find them for such low prices anymore. It doesn’t have quite the same ring to it though, does it?

Tips for Making This Low Carb Dish

If you’re eating keto, you’ll be happy with the amount of fat and protein in this beef cut. (If you’re not eating keto, then look away!) With 46 grams of fat, 22 grams of protein, and zero sugar or net carbs, this steak is made for low-carb, high-fat diets like keto.

Slathering your chuck steak in butter is another way to add even more fat to your protein just in case this steak cut didn’t deliver enough for you. Gotta get those macros in!

Serve this Southern Style Cabbage recipe with your chuck eye steak for a complete keto meal.

 

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