Grass-Fed vs Corn-Fed Beef: What’s the Difference?
Updated: May 04, 2020
Can't decide whether to pick up grass fed vs corn fed beef? Here's what we know.
It used to be that a steak was a steak was a steak. Today, it’s not that simple. A quick glance at the butcher’s counter will reveal all kinds of cuts you never knew about along with fancy breeds like Angus, Wagyu and Kobe. Then, just when you thought you came to a decision, you’re faced with grass fed vs corn fed beef. Is there actually a difference between these two types of meat, other than the obvious price difference?
Grass-Fed vs Corn-Fed Beef
Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed beef is exactly what it sounds like: cattle that have grazed on grassy pastures their entire lives. The first thing you’ll notice about this type of beef is its price tag: at my local grocery store, the grass-fed ribeye steak was just shy of $4 more per pound than the corn-fed ribeye. Why is it so much more? Well, it takes longer for grass-fed cattle to reach their processing weight, and they weigh less without grain or corn to bulk up their diet. Raising beef this way is thought to be more sustainable, but it’s also more expensive for the rancher.
Are those extra dollars worth it? When it comes to nutrition, grass-fed beef is higher in key nutrients, including antioxidants and vitamins. It also has twice as many omega-3 fatty acids as regular beef. As far as flavor goes, this leaner beef has a slightly gamey taste. Because it has less intramuscular fat, it tends to eat a bit meatier than the corn-fed kind, too. Some people describe the texture as chewy, but it’s all about how you cook it! Since it has less fat content, it tends to cook faster than regular beef and can easily overcook if you’re not careful.
We recommend letting grass-fed beef come to room temperature before cooking it to increase the chances of even cooking. Read up on the common mistakes almost everyone makes when cooking steak to cook grass-fed beef like a pro. If you’re more into ground beef, simple ground beef recipes will make any meal easy.
Corn-Fed Beef
All cattle are started on grass, but most of the industry finishes their beef on corn or grain. This bulks the cattle up, increasing the fat to muscle ratio. While this type of diet adds a ton of flavor to your steaks, it’s also sort of like feeding candy and cake to cattle; they’ll eat their greens if they have to, but they also love filling up on junk food! Since these foods aren’t typical feed for cattle, many feedlots end up using preventative antibiotics to keep the herd from getting sick.
Most people love the flavor of corn-fed beef, with its buttery, slightly sweet flavor and a texture that most people describe as melt-in-your-mouth tender. It’s also more forgiving to cook with its higher fat content. If you love the flavor of corn-fed beef but don’t love the additives the cattle are given, look for beef labeled as antibiotic- and hormone-free.
Whether you go grass-fed or corn-fed beef, the basic cooking principles apply. Salt it generously before cooking it, and always let your steak rest at least 15 minutes before slicing it. If you end up with a super thick steak, learn how to cook it and it will turn out juicy every time.
Tenderloin Steak Diane
For this classic skillet steak dinner, just sear the steaks in butter and top with a gorgeously silky mushroom cream sauce. It’s elegant and effortless all at once.
Cast-Iron Skillet Steak
You definitely don’t have to keep steak for special occasions. One of the easiest ways to cook it is seared in a cast-iron skillet with or without butter. All you need after that is a nice leafy salad to complete the meal.
Steak with Chipotle-Lime Chimichurri
Chimichurri is a piquant herb sauce that complements steak perfectly. Once you learn how to make the sauce, you'll want to serve it all summer long.
Asian Slaw with Steak
You won’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen with this dish as both the Asian-inspired coleslaw and the grilled steak come together quickly. Just the thing for breezy nights, the colorful combo is perfect for summer gatherings of any size.
Steaks with Mushroom Sauce
By using top sirloin, this dish is great for a weeknight dinner for two or four. The rich mushroom-wine sauce brings out the best of the beef-forward flavor, and it tastes great with sides like roasted potatoes and green beans.
Quick Pepper Steak
With a simple sweet and savory sauce, sliced sirloin and fresh bell peppers, this skillet supper comes together in a flash. Serve it with steamed white, brown or cauliflower rice for a fuller meal.
Beef Steaks with Blue Cheese
Broil, grill or quickly sear these steaks in a cast-iron pan to get a nice caramelized crust on the outside while keeping the meat tender inside. The size of the steaks, blue cheese topping and croutons can easily be cut in half for smaller portion sizes.
Flank Steak Pinwheels
Butterfly and flatten a flank steak so there’s a large surface area for this savory red pepper and spinach stuffing. Roll it up, wrap in bacon (yes!) and grill for a few minutes. Once sliced, serve with a delicious creamy blue cheese sauce.
Key West Flank Steak
Flank steak is great for the grill, especially with this lime and garlic marinade, and it cooks quickly, just a few minutes per side. After letting it rest, slice against the grain. Need more ideas for this economical cut of beef? Check out some of our other flank steak recipes.
Zesty Steak Salad
Cook marinated top sirloin steak for this zesty salad, or feel free to use leftover steak from another meal. While the base is leafy romaine lettuce, add anything else you love to the bowl, from cucumbers and mushrooms to cheese.
Air-Fryer Steak Fajitas
Of course you can make steak in the air fryer! This marinated flank steak takes less than 10 minutes. While you let it rest, slice avocado, onion and lime wedges for serving.
Mushroom Steak Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
This steak salad is a great date night steak recipe because it’s impressive but easy to throw together for any night of the week. Serve with some crusty bread and a great bottle of wine.
Grilled Onion & Skirt Steak Tacos
Skirt steak is usually a pretty tough cut with lots of connective tissue. That’s why you want to use something like this beer and lime marinade to tenderize it and add flavor. Like other grilled steak recipes, a quick sear over the fire is all it takes.
Beef Filets with Portobello Sauce
These steaks with a rich and savory portobello mushroom sauce are a perfect meal for two. Complete the meal with zesty potatoes, a leafy salad and a hunk of great bread.
Flank Steak with Cilantro & Blue Cheese Butter
Once you learn a great steak marinade recipe, you’ll be able to turn even the toughest cut of meat into a delicious dinner. This sweet citrus marinade transforms flank steak into a tender flavorful cut.
Garlic Grilled Steaks
Elevate your grilled strip or ribeye steaks with this amazing garlic mixture. Have extra? Learn how to repurpose last night’s dinner into one of these amazing leftover steak recipes.
Citrus Steak Salad
There are so many wonderful flavors in this salad, thanks to fresh greens, mandarin oranges, strawberries and a citrusy vinaigrette. The only thing you need to cook is the steak, and dinner is on the table in no time.
Flank Steak with Couscous
For this recipe, use sirloin steak if you prefer it over flank steak. Both take only minutes to broil and have lots of beefy flavor. Make sure to cut against the grain for the most tender pieces.
Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream Cheese
The sharp peppery flavor of horseradish has always been a great foil for a rich, juicy steak. Blend it with cream cheese, parmesan and parsley for a delicious steak topper, and serve with a classic baked potato.
Teriyaki Steak Skewers
These teriyaki steak skewers will be the hit of your next backyard barbecue. The aroma alone will get everyone’s attention, but once they taste the sweet and savory marinade, they’ll be hooked. You can easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
Southwest Steak & Potatoes
Make this whole meal on the grill for your next cookout. The steak gets a brush of vinegar and Worcestershire before a rub of zesty spices, and the potatoes taste great with a little char from the fire.
Maple & Blue Cheese Steak
A marinade of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon adds a ton of flavor to this steak, and it complements the sharp blue cheese topping. Any cut that you’d grill works here, including sirloin, strip or ribeye.
Grilled Steaks with Greek Relish
The sharpness of tomatoes, lemon, onion and feta is the perfect foil for a deliciously rich ribeye. Serve it with this Creamy Roasted Garlic and Spinach Orzo side dish for a more authentic Mediterranean meal.
Smoky Espresso Steak
With espresso, cocoa and pumpkin pie spice, it may sound like you’re making dessert, but it’s actually a delicious rub that transforms broiled or grilled flat iron steak into a flavor bomb.
Grilled Steaks with Marinated Tomatoes
Talk about peak summer. Sometimes all you need for a perfectly grilled steak is a side of fresh garden tomatoes marinated in raspberry vinaigrette and fresh herbs and spices. A side of cheesy potatoes or sauteed green beans work, too!
Garlic-Rubbed T-Bones with Burgundy Mushrooms
Porterhouse or T-bone steaks are great on the grill, especially when rubbed with garlic and served with wine-soaked mushrooms. Take dinner to another level with creamy twice-baked potatoes and a Caesar salad.
Chili-Rubbed Steak & Bread Salad
The chili-rubbed grilled steak and fresh vegetables make this panzanella-like salad a one-bowl meal. Use thick-cut bread for the cubes so they can soak up all the flavors.
Grilled Ribeyes with Herb Butter
With Dijon and herbs de Provence, this full-flavored marinade practically takes you to the French countryside. After the steaks come off the grill, top with a savory herb butter. For something more American, try our new obsession: cowboy butter.
Chipotle-Honey Grilled T-Bones
For all the heat lovers out there, these T-bones have a spicy kick. Great on the grill or seared indoors, make these the centerpiece of a Tex Mex-inspired dinner.
Peppered Ribeye Steaks
This peppery DIY steak rub brings out all the beefy flavor of grilled ribeye steaks. Pair it with a sweet corn and tomato salad for a perfect summer meal.
Grilled Steak Pinwheels
Easy to prepare, steak pinwheels make a statement, especially with this savory mushroom filling. It’s a great summertime option when the grill (and the days and nights) are hot and you want to keep the kitchen cool.
Air-Fryer Taco Kabobs
You don’t need to fire up the grill for kabobs! Use the air fryer for this steak recipe instead. These fun steak skewers cook in just about the same amount of time without the fuss. Serve with corn or flour tortillas and pico de gallo.
Saucy Skillet Steaks
Butter, Dijon and onion turns an everyday steak dinner into something special. Ribeyes are the choice cut for this steak recipe, but you can do the same with a NY strip or tenderloin; the sauce is even great on chicken or burgers.
Bacon-Wrapped Filets with Scotched Mushrooms
You’ve seen the bacon-wrapped filet mignon at the grocery store, but it’s just as easy to make at home. This recipe is perfect for two (yay, date night!), but it can easily be doubled or tripled for a dinner party.
Merlot Filet Mignon
Remember: when you’re cooking with wine, don’t use the cheap stuff; cook with one you’d like to drink. It makes all the difference in a buttery wine sauce like this.
Chocolate-Chipotle Sirloin Steak
Cocoa powder won’t make your steak sweet. Unsweetened chocolate adds depth and color to steak. It’s also a perfect complement to smoky chipotle peppers. Here are some other surprising ingredients that take your steak from good to great.
Steak with Citrus Salsa
In the summer, this lime marinade perks up grilled steaks. In the winter, broiled or pan-seared steaks get a blast of sunshine from citrus salsa.
Skillet Steak Supper
Because everything for this quick and easy meal is cooked in one skillet, prep work and cleanup is a breeze. The delicious wine and mushroom sauce will have everyone thinking you spent hours in the kitchen, though.
Ginger Steak Fried Rice
Turn leftover rice and steak into a quick fried rice. Broccoli slaw mix and frozen peas make it an easy-peasy weeknight meal.
Spicy Flank Steak
Spice up a flank steak with red pepper flakes and chili powder, and then serve with a cool sour cream sauce. If you prefer, grill the steak over medium-high heat rather than broiling.
