What It Means When Your Steak Tastes Fishy

For one reason or another, non-seafood items that taste like fish are often deemed to be red flags and not ideal to eat. In fact, even some fish itself can taste a bit too fishy for us to enjoy. However, the question of just how suspicious you need to be about a steak that tastes like fish is one we discovered to be slightly more complicated than you may think. Generally speaking, if you find that your home-cooked steak seems overly fishy, you probably shouldn't eat it due to potential spoilage. However, if you're eating steak at a restaurant, a subtle fishy taste could also be a deliberate and intended flavor included in your steak, and is perfectly safe to eat.

We got this insight into fishy-tasting steak from Douglas Keane, chef and co-owner of the renowned, Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus, who explained why a steak that seems fishy is typically a total no-go. "Most likely it is unsafe if there is a fishy taste — it most likely means it's spoiled and/or has been aged inappropriately," Keane explains. "If you aren't sure, just throw it out." As for how to avoid buying steak that tastes fishy, you can get the best cut of meat by asking your butcher for guidance. After that, look out for a few clear signs of spoilage. "It will be a little slimy-feeling and will smell bad, like fish," Keane advises. "Ask to inspect the meat if you aren't sure."

While you'll still want to take ample precaution when it comes to eating a steak that you think tastes vaguely fishy at a restaurant, it is possible that the taste isn't as harmful as it seems. "Sometimes, however, grass-fed beef can have a flavor that is similar to a fishy taste, which is not dangerous," Keane acknowledges. "But it's mild and it should be obvious if the meat is spoiled."

Nevertheless, before you send your food back due to this perceived fishiness, you might want to inquire with your server about whether or not it was an intended aspect of the dish. "Ask them if it's grass-fed, [and] if it is, ask them if that's the taste they want. If it is, then that's their style," Keane reminds us. One more reason you might notice a subtle fishiness in your steak could be the result of the most difficult-to-pronounce condiment in the world, Worcestershire sauce. "If it's not grass-fed then it's most likely spoiled. Unless it was marinaded in Worcestershire sauce — which has anchovy in it," Keane concludes. Considering many of the best steak marinades do feature Worcestershire sauce, it isn't uncommon for that taste to break through and potentially give your dish a slightly peculiar — and piscine — flavor.