Abstract Metallic yielding dampers (MYDs) can effectively improve the seismic performance of structures and are used in many practical engineering applications. In this paper, a simple elastic–plastic design method of a structure with MYDs is proposed based on the elastic–plastic response reduction curve (EPRRC). In widely used traditional design methods based on the elastic response reduction curve, the elastic–plastic behavior of the main structure is neglected. However, such methods may overestimate the vibration control effect of MYDs, especially their effect on acceleration reduction, which is demonstrated in this study. The EPRRC, which can directly reflect the relationship between MYDs’ characteristic parameters and the responses of the structure with MYDs in the elastic–plastic range, is proposed to improve the reliability of a structure with MYDs. Then, the corresponding design procedures are presented. To illustrate and verify the effectiveness of the proposed design method, a six-story reinforced concrete frame is analyzed by time history analysis. In conclusion, the proposed design method for the structure with MYDs can adequately satisfy the seismic performance targets under different seismic levels.