In a method for producing, from a cast or forged blank, a connecting rod intended for a reciprocating-piston engine and having one little and one big connecting-rod eye, the big connecting-rod eye is split, in a pre-machining step, along a parting plane running through the axis of the eye, the place side faces of the blank being ground beforehand in a first clamping station. After the plane faces of the blank have been ground, first the contour of the big connecting-rod eye and then the split in the parting plane are produced by laser cutting while the blank is held in a second clamping station.