Forty Angus steers (278 ± 21.4 kg) were used to evaluate the effect of feeding strategy during stocker (P1) and finishing (P3) phases on the relative mRNA expression of lipogenic enzymes. Steers were randomly assigned to 2 feeding treatments during P1 (111 d): high-concentrate diet (cracked corn, corn silage, and soybean meal) or high-quality pasture (winter annuals, alfalfa, and non-toxic fescue). An intermediate phase (P2) consisted of 98 d where all steers grazed high-quality pastures. At the start of P3 (until 568 kg BW), each group from P1 was randomly divided into 2 groups that received either a high-concentrate diet or grazed high-quality pastures resulting in 4 treatments (FPF, FPP, PPF, PPP). At slaughter, s.c. adipose tissue samples were collected from each steer and flash frozen for later analysis. No differences were observed for the relative expression of Acetyl CoA carboxylase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A, or glucose transporter type 4 mRNA (P > 0.162). An interaction between P1 and P3 (P = 0.048) was observed for stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) mRNA with 107-, 140-, 10-fold increases for FPF, PPF, FPP, respectively, compared with PPP. Steers on a high-concentrate diet during P3 had greater relative expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) mRNA (P < 0.001) with 59- and 21-fold increases for FPF and PPF treatments, respectively compared with PPP. Similarly, elongase-5 (ELOVL5) and elongase-6 (ELOVL6) mRNA expression increased (P < 0.001) when finished on a high-concentrate diet, with FPF and PPF treatments having 18- and 10-fold increases, respectively, for ELOVL5, and 8 and 5-fold increases, respectively, for ELOVL6, when compared with PPP. Adiponectin receptor 1 adipocyte protein 2, and lipoprotein lipase expression were all downregulated when cattle received a high-concentrate diet during P1 (P < 0.018). Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase was highly upregulated when steers were finishing on a high-concentrate diet (P < 0.001; 56- and 33-fold increase for FPF and PPF, respectively, when compared with PPP). Feeding high-concentrate diets upregulates key lipogenic genes that enhance MUFA content of beef.