Understanding What Kind of Beef Can You Eat on a Carnivore Diet?

October 8, 2025 •

5 min read

According to Healthline, proponents of the carnivore diet emphasize fatty cuts of meat to fuel the body with energy. Understanding what kind of beef can you eat on a carnivore diet? is crucial for maximizing satiety, nutrient density, and flavor on this all-animal-product eating plan.

Quick Summary

This article details the ideal beef cuts for the carnivore diet, focusing on the importance of fatty portions like ribeye and brisket for energy. It also covers the nutritional powerhouse of organ meats, the benefits of choosing grass-fed beef, and how to balance your fat and protein intake.

Key Points

Prioritize Fatty Cuts: For optimal energy and satiety on the carnivore diet, focus on fatty cuts like ribeye, brisket, and 80/20 ground beef.
Include Organ Meats: Incorporate organ meats such as liver, heart, and kidney to ensure you get a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals not found in muscle meat alone.
Consider Grass-Fed Beef: Grass-fed beef often has a healthier fat profile with more omega-3s and antioxidants, although it can be more expensive.
Utilize Tallow and Marrow: Supplementing with beef tallow for cooking or consuming bone marrow can increase fat intake and provide additional nutrients.
Mix and Match Cuts: To prevent dietary boredom and ensure a wider range of nutrients, rotate between different cuts, from steaks to ground beef and slow-cooked options.
Keep it Simple: The best preparation often involves just salt and pan-searing or grilling, which allows the natural, rich flavors of the beef to shine.

The Importance of Fat on a Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet is built on the principle of consuming only animal products, which means your body relies on fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. For this reason, prioritizing fatty cuts of beef is a foundational strategy for success. Fatty cuts provide the satiety needed to feel full for longer, helping prevent cravings for non-compliant foods. They also offer a rich source of calories to power your body throughout the day. Beyond basic energy, fat is essential for hormone production and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are abundant in quality animal fats.

Top Fatty Beef Cuts for Carnivores

When stocking up for your carnivore diet, focus on cuts known for their generous marbling and fat content. These cuts are not only packed with flavor but also deliver the high-energy fuel your body needs.

Ribeye: Often called the king of the carnivore diet, ribeye is a top choice due to its high fat content and exceptional marbling. The intramuscular fat melts into the meat as it cooks, resulting in a juicy, tender, and incredibly flavorful steak.
Brisket: This cut is known for its rich flavor and tenderness when slow-cooked. It has a significant fat cap that renders down, adding moisture and collagen. Brisket is perfect for slow cooking or smoking, making it a great option for meal prepping.
Chuck Roast: A more affordable, fattier cut from the shoulder area, chuck roast is excellent for stews and slow cooking. When cooked low and slow, the connective tissues break down, leaving a tender, juicy piece of meat that's rich in collagen.
Ground Beef (80/20 or Fattier): A versatile and budget-friendly staple, fattier ground beef is perfect for burgers or simply pan-searing. It’s an easy way to get a balanced fat-to-protein ratio and is a foundational food for many carnivore diet followers.
Short Ribs: These bone-in cuts have a high fat content and are incredibly flavorful when braised or slow-cooked. The meat becomes fall-off-the-bone tender and provides a rich, satisfying meal.
T-Bone and Porterhouse: These steaks offer a combination of tenderloin and strip steak, both with good marbling. The bone adds extra flavor during cooking.

The Power of Organ Meats: Nose-to-Tail Nutrition

While muscle meat is the core of the carnivore diet, organ meats are the nutritional powerhouses that complete the picture. Eating nose-to-tail, as our ancestors did, provides a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that are less concentrated in muscle meat.

Beef Liver: Often referred to as nature's multivitamin, beef liver is exceptionally dense in essential nutrients. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin A, B12, folate, iron, and copper, all of which are crucial for energy production, immune function, and overall vitality. Even a small serving a few times a week can provide a significant nutritional boost.
Beef Heart: Rich in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), beef heart supports cellular energy and cardiovascular health. It has a texture similar to muscle meat but is packed with unique micronutrients, making it a great entry point for those new to organ meats.
Beef Kidney: A great source of selenium and B vitamins, kidneys help support thyroid function and protect against oxidative stress.
Bone Marrow: Often roasted and scooped out of the bone, marrow is a dense source of healthy fats and collagen, supporting joint health and skin elasticity. It's a simple way to add restorative compounds to your diet.

Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef: A Carnivore's Consideration

For carnivore dieters, the source of their beef is a frequent topic of discussion. The differences between grass-fed and grain-fed beef lie in the cattle's diet, which directly impacts the meat's nutritional profile.

Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef Comparison


Feature	Grass-Fed Beef	Grain-Fed Beef
Diet of Cattle	Primarily consists of grass and foraged plants.	Finished on a grain-heavy diet of corn and soy in feedlots.
Fat Profile	Higher in omega-3 fatty acids and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid).	Higher in total fat and omega-6 fatty acids.
Nutrient Density	Richer in antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene.	Can be less nutritionally diverse compared to grass-fed.
Flavor Profile	Leaner, with a richer, earthier, and sometimes more gamey taste.	Milder and fattier, with a buttery flavor due to extensive marbling.
Cooking Time	Tends to cook faster due to its leaner nature.	Cooks slower due to higher fat content.
Cost and Availability	Generally more expensive and less widely available.	More widely available and typically more budget-friendly.

For those who prioritize a healthier fat profile and are able to budget for it, grass-fed beef is the optimal choice. It also aligns with more sustainable and ethical farming practices. However, grain-fed beef is still a viable option, providing all the essential protein and fats needed for a carnivore diet. Adding rendered beef tallow can be a simple way to increase fat content when eating leaner cuts, regardless of the beef source.

Cooking Methods and Practical Tips

Keeping your meals simple yet delicious is a key part of the carnivore diet. The natural flavor of high-quality beef means you don't need complex seasonings or marinades. Salt is the primary—and often only—spice you'll need.

Pan-Searing: For steaks like ribeye and tenderloin, pan-searing in a hot cast-iron skillet with a generous amount of tallow or butter creates a perfect crust while keeping the inside juicy.
Grilling: Grilling works well for most steak cuts, bringing out a smoky flavor. Just be mindful of cooking times, especially for leaner grass-fed cuts, to avoid overcooking.
Slow Cooking and Braising: Use a slow cooker or Dutch oven for tougher, fattier cuts like brisket, short ribs, and chuck roast. This method breaks down connective tissue, resulting in incredibly tender meat.
Ground Beef: This versatile staple can be made into patties, crumbled for skillet meals, or even mixed with organ meats for a nutrient-dense blend.

Conclusion: Your Carnivore Beef Blueprint

Navigating what kind of beef can you eat on a carnivore diet? boils down to a few key principles. Prioritize fatty cuts like ribeye, brisket, and 80/20 ground beef to meet your energy needs. Incorporate nutrient-dense organ meats, such as liver and heart, for a complete nutritional profile. While grass-fed beef offers a superior fat balance and nutrient content, grain-fed beef is also a perfectly acceptable and often more accessible option. By focusing on whole, unprocessed beef and varying your cuts, you can create a satisfying, nutrient-rich diet that supports your health goals. Remember to listen to your body and adjust your intake of different cuts based on your energy levels and preferences. For more resources on the carnivore diet, visit Doctor Kiltz's blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fatty ground beef (80/20) is an excellent starting point due to its affordability, versatility, and high fat content, which provides sustained energy. Ribeye steak is also a highly recommended option for its balance of fat and flavor.

While not strictly required, organ meats like beef liver are highly recommended as they are incredibly nutrient-dense and provide vitamins and minerals that can be low in muscle meat, such as Vitamin A, B12, and copper.

No, it is not required. While grass-fed beef offers a healthier fat profile with more omega-3s and antioxidants, grain-fed beef still provides the necessary fat and protein. The choice often comes down to budget and personal preference.

Yes, but it's important to balance lean cuts like sirloin or tenderloin with fatty cuts or added fats like beef tallow or butter. Relying solely on lean beef can leave you with insufficient energy and satiety.

Focus on fatty cuts of beef, use beef tallow or butter for cooking, and consider adding bone marrow to your meals. Some followers also eat fattier blends of ground beef to ensure a high-fat intake.

The best methods are simple and high-heat, such as pan-searing or grilling, which preserve flavor and fat. For tougher cuts like brisket or chuck roast, slow cooking or braising is ideal.

On a strict carnivore diet, the only allowed seasoning is salt. Some variations might allow for black pepper or other simple seasonings derived from non-plant sources, but many purists stick to just salt to let the natural beef flavor dominate.

Yes, ground beef, especially fattier blends (80/20 or 70/30), is a highly recommended staple. It is affordable, versatile, and provides an excellent balance of fat and protein, making it easy to prepare meals quickly.