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Is bone-in steak better than boneless?

Not for flavor. The bone adds little or no flavor, juiciness or tenderness to a grilled or seared steak, and taste tests found only small differences. What it changes is cooking: meat by the bone heats more slowly, so bone-in steaks take longer and can be less done along the bone. You also pay for bone you don't eat.

By Gene · Updated November 12, 2026

Illustration of a raw bone-in rib steak next to the same steak without the bone

Does the bone add flavor to a steak?

Very little. The bone adds little or no flavor to a grilled or seared steak. Marrow cannot seep through solid bone into the meat during a short, dry cook, and in controlled taste tests the differences between bone-in and boneless steaks were small.

Does meat near the bone cook more slowly?

Yes. Meat right next to the bone heats more slowly than the rest of the steak, so bone-in steaks take longer to cook, and the meat can end up a little less done along the bone, even after resting.

Where do you put the thermometer in a bone-in steak?

In the thickest part of the meat, with the probe away from the bone. See where to put a thermometer in a steak for the rest of the method.

Can you pan-sear a bone-in steak?

You can, but as the meat shrinks, the bone can hold the steak off the pan, so it browns unevenly in a skillet. Grilling or broiling suits it better; see how to grill a steak.

Is boneless steak better value?

Often. Steak is sold by weight, so with a bone-in steak you pay for bone you do not eat. Boneless cuts give more edible meat per pound, so compare the cost of the edible portion, not the price per pound.

How do you carve a T-bone or porterhouse?

Take the meat off first: cut the meat off the bone, then slice it. The strip and the tenderloin come off separately, and each piece is sliced crosswise.

Common questions

Does bone-in steak taste better?

Not by much. In controlled taste tests the differences between bone-in and boneless steaks were small, and marrow cannot seep through solid bone into the meat during a short, dry cook.

Why does bone-in steak take longer to cook?

Meat right next to the bone heats more slowly than the rest of the steak, so the steak takes longer to reach temperature, and the meat along the bone can stay a little less done.

Should I pan-sear or grill a bone-in steak?

Grill or broil it if you can. As the meat shrinks, the bone can stick out and hold part of the steak off a pan, so it browns unevenly in a skillet.

Keep reading

Sources

Every fact on this page is checked against at least two independent sources. How we check facts.

Show all 20 sources
  1. AmazingRibs.com (Meathead Goldwyn), Myth: The Bones Make The Meat Better
  2. AmazingRibs.com (Meathead Goldwyn), Myth: The Bones Make The Meat Better
  3. AmazingRibs.com (Meathead Goldwyn), Better-Than-Steakhouse Grilled Steak Recipe
  4. America's Test Kitchen, The Basics of Thick-Cut Steaks
  5. America's Test Kitchen, How to Use a Digital Thermometer and Never Overcook Meat Again
  6. America's Test Kitchen, Porterhouse vs. T-Bone Steak: What's the Difference?
  7. America's Test Kitchen, Thick-Cut Porterhouse Steaks
  8. America's Test Kitchen, Grilled Porterhouse or T-Bone Steak (2011)
  9. America's Test Kitchen, Grilled Bone-In Steaks (2011)
  10. America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated), Does Bone-In Meat Taste Better? Ask Paul
  11. Kansas State University (Beef Bulletin), Consumer Sensory Evaluation of the Impact of Bone-In Versus Boneless Cuts on Beef Palatability
  12. Kansas State University (Farmer, O'Quinn et al.), Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Consumer Sensory Evaluation of the Impact of Bone-In Versus Boneless Cuts on Beef Palatability (2023, KAES Research Reports 9(1))
  13. Kansas State University (Meat and Muscle Biology, American Meat Science Association), Evaluation of the Impact of Bone-in Versus Boneless Cuts on Beef Palatability (Farmer et al. 2022)
  14. Ohio State University Extension, Factors Impacting Total Pounds of Meat from Food Animals
  15. ThermoWorks, Grilled Ribeye: Bone-In or Boneless?
  16. ThermoWorks, How to Temp a Steak: Getting Meat Temperature Right
  17. ThermoWorks, Porterhouse Steak Perfectly Done
  18. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Hillan and Peñuela), Compare the Cost per Serving (FCS8718)
  19. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension (Annhall Norris), How to use a meat thermometer (2019)
  20. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension (Dennis E. Burson), G89-947 Buying Meat by the Serving