Follow this ultra-simple carnivore diet bone broth recipe so you can add nourishing broth into your monthly food prep routine and get all the benefits of pure animal foods without any potential irritants from plant-based ingredients or fibrous foods.
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Is Bone Broth Allowed on Carnivore Diet?
Bone broth is an easy carnivore diet recipe that is warm and comforting any time of the year.
A carnivore diet, in the purest form, consists of nothing but animal foods.
Recipes like my Traditional Homemade Bone Broth Recipe and Slow Cooker Beef Bone Broth, usually use some added plant-based ingredients such as onion, garlic, celery, and aromatic herbs like rosemary and thyme for flavor.
Omitting those ingredients is easy, just leave them out!
The basic process of making broth doesn’t change much.
Bone broth is a delicious drink while on a carnivore diet.
There are different ways to use bone broth on a carnivore diet:
- Sip it hot any time of the day
- Use it in braised meat, like I do in this Braised Beef Shank Recipe
- Add it to Carnivore Beef Stew or Slow Cooked Organ Meat Stew
- Make a quick and easy, carnivore friendly Low-Carb Egg Drop Soup or any kind of soup you like
If you’re wondering what else to eat on a carnivore diet, we have lots of resources for you and can walk you through a nice and easy transition.
Can I Eat Bone Broth While Fasting?
By definition, fasting is “voluntarily not eating food for varying lengths of time”. (1)
Various medical therapies employ the practice of fasting because it has a wide range of potential benefits (2). Many spiritual practices also incorporate fasting into their rites.
Personally, I have found fasting to be a useful tool to decrease inflammation (3) and lose weight (4).
Setting the purpose aside, the main point to note is that fasting means the absence of food. If you want to fast, fast for real. Drink water, have a pinch of salt if needed. Then, use broth to break your fast as desired.
How to Make Carnivore Bone Broth Recipe
We will use beef bones in this carnivore bone broth recipe. Lamb, mutton, goat, or other ruminant animal bones can be substituted if you want to use those instead. Pork is another option.
Did you know bone broth for dogs is also good? Since there isn’t any salt, onion, or garlic in the recipe, this is a pet-friendly meal topper you can share with your four-legged friend too.
Simmering bones at a low temperature over a long period of time makes the best broth. In a very basic sense, we put bones in a pot, cover them with water and simmer for about 24 hours.
If you want to make chicken broth, follow the same procedure, but simmer it for only 12 to 18 hours.
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What Bones Are Best?
Ideally, you want a mixture of meaty bones, marrow bones, and knuckle bones as they provide a nice selection of marrow, cartilage, sinew, and connective tissue. If you can get a foot, have the butcher cut it into smaller 2-3 inch sections and throw that in as well.
Is Vinegar Necessary?
The thought behind using apple cider vinegar is that an acidic medium is needed to break down the bones and extract the vitamins and minerals. If you are sensitive to ACV, replace it with lemon or lime juice.
I make broth both with and without the acid and do not notice a difference in quality. If you prefer to omit it entirely, it will not be to the detriment of your broth.
Roasting is Optional
The step for roasting bones is optional. It changes the flavor a bit. Experiment to see if you prefer one way over the other.
Can You Put Meat in Bone Broth?
Want to hear a carnivore meal prep tip? Put meat in your bone broth!
Adding meaty bones or collagen rich meat to your carnivore diet bone broth recipe gives you a quick and easy protein source to eat later.
Not only do you get a few liters of delicious golden liquid, but also nutrient-dense slow-cooked meat. It’s easy to pull from the pot and serve hot or reheat after separating from the broth and storing it in the fridge.
Ask your butcher for meaty bones, beef cheeks, or shanks. Any tough cut of meat will do well for slow cooking.
I’ve created an Endless Bone Broth Recipe for those of you who get really into this meal prep strategy. Cycling slow-cooked meat into your menu multiple times throughout the week is a great time saver!
Carnivore Broth in the Slow Cooker
Making carnivore broth in the slow cooker isn’t that much different than this stove-top version. Follow my directions on How to Make Bone Broth in a Crockpot but simply omit the vegetables and herbs to make it 100% carnivore.
In most cases, adapting recipes to be carnivore diet-friendly is easily achieved by removing all the plant-based ingredients that don’t suit you.
Where to Buy Bones to make Bone Broth
I recommend talking with your butcher to find the best deal on bones. You want a selection of marrow bones, knuckle bones, or joint bones. Ox-tail is also an excellent choice.
Follow my tips to find quality-food as direct as possible.
If you prefer to order online, I suggest shopping with any of my favorite grass-fed, grass-finished meat producers.
- White Oak Pastures offers grass-fed oxtail and an assorted variety of beef, lamb, and pork bones that are perfect for homemade broth. Farm owner, Will Harris went from being a “conventional” feedlot beef producer to a vocal proponent of regenerative grazing methods as a means to improve soil quality. Learn about his journey and why these choices make better quality meat in the podcast we recorded together.
- US Wellness Meats sources from various US-based farms and ships knuckle bones, marrow bones of various sizes, neck bones, oxtail, and soup bones from beef, lamb, and pork.
If you’re looking for pre-made broth, read my Kettle & Fire Bone Broth review to learn why I recommend it in the list of carnivore and keto emergency foods.
Otherwise, try this recipe and add it to a Carnivore Beef Stew crockpot meal for dinner!
Carnivore Diet Bone Broth Recipe
Equipment
- Stock pot
Ingredients
- 6 pounds beef bones
- ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar optional
Instructions
- Arrange the bones in a single layer in a large roasting tray and place them in the oven at 450 °F (232°C) for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. NOTE: This step is optional and followed to affect the end flavor of the broth.6 pounds beef bones
- Place all the bones in a large stockpot. Fill with enough water to fully cover the material.
- Pour in optional vinegar.¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. Adjust the flame and pot lid to maintain a low simmer.
- Cook for at least 18 hours, and up to 72 hours. I tend to pull my batch after about 24 hours. Check periodically to ensure the water remains over the bones. Add extra water as needed.
- Let the broth cool slightly. If a layer of scum or film appears over the top, skim it off with a slotted spoon. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store in glass jars in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for longer.
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
Do you need meal ideas? Try these 30 Easy Carnivore Diet Meal Ideas.
This post was originally published on June 1, 2018 and later updated with new images and information on Sept 30, 2020.
Can you add any seasonings to the broth?
Hi Donna, If you want to, you can. That’s a personal choice. Typically people on a carnivore diet prefer to omit seasonings and herbs. I have a homemade bone broth recipe with herbs and vegetables too, maybe that will be a better guide for infusing more flavor.
I make my bone broth with a mix of all types of bones. Whatever meat I have been eating and filling the bag in my freezer. And I have decided not to strain it. Instead I cool it after cooking and remove each bone and take any remaining meat and even the by now super softened cartilage off and put it back in the liquid. I put the broth meat bit concoction in small containers in the freezer. It is amazing for the first meal after a long fast.
Thanks for sharing your tips, Susan!
Might be a stupid question. But do you leave this cooking overnight? If leaving for 24 hours? New to this diet.
TIA.
Hi Sophia, No stupid questions here! It’s good to ask, and chances are someone else has the same question. Yes I leave this on over night. Typically I start it in the morning, then cool and strain the following morning. That’s what works best for me and my prep, you might prefer another time of the day. Hope this helps!
Hello, I am going to be using lamb bones mixed with marrow. Can I still follow this cooking method if I am not using beef bones? Thanks!
Hi Angela, Yes, the process will be the same for beef and lamb bones. Sounds tasty! Enjoy.
Just an idea that I do…I can my bone broth. I also use chicken bones to can my own bone broth/ chicken stock.
Great idea, Judy! I love it! Thanks for sharing.
I highly recommend the basic verision of Instant Pot pressure cooker (you can choose different sizes). Just use ‘slow cook’ option, set for 18 hours and go to sleep. Doesn’t get any easier :p
I got this and Philips air fryer not long ago and they’re both great for a carnivore diet (90% of my diet is meat).
Thank you for the recommendation! I’m sure this will be helpful for people interested in an Instant Pot. I’ve heard great things about an air fryer too but don’t have personal experience with them yet.
So if I only have pork rib and steak bones, is it not worth it?
Hi Audrey, I think you can still make a broth, although it might not be very thick and gelatinous. There will still be benefits from it and it’s good to use the resources you have available to you. Save up until you have around 3-4 pounds.
I throw bones from meals we’ve eaten into the freezer, chicken, lamb, beef etc and when I need broth I throw them into my slow cooker with water & vinegar for 24hrs. I get a very good gelatinous broth from this method. Sometimes I throw in some raw bones I’ve picked up at the supermarket cheaply. I make it about once a fortnight. I sometimes add a bit of salt otherwise I season at the end. I tend to throw out everything from the cooking process. I used to try and get the nice bits of meat but decided it’s too time consuming.
I LOVE this idea! What a great way to get the most from your food and find affordable options for nutrient-dense staples like broth. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I use my ninja foodi pressure cooker to make my chicken bone broth because I do not want to babysit the process and it works awesome. Have you ever tried a pressure cooker?
It is great to hear that a ninja foodie works so well for broth. I completely understand not wanting to babysit the pot. Testing a pressure cooker is still on my to-do list. Since I don’t have that appliance, I am not familiar with the process, but thank you for the reminder to look for a good deal on the purchase!
My IP pressure cooker makes the best gelatinous bone broth!!! I usually cook it 8-12 hours…. It’s also okay to just cook 4-6 hours.. I just like to get the most out of my bones..
This is great to hear, Diana! I’m so glad you’ve found a way to make broth that you enjoy.
Will this broth be bland without any salt added or other seasoning and veggies added during simmering? Also will it be a gold color and not brown like most beef broth you buy in stores? Thanks.
I don’t think it’s bland. If you’re worried about it, I recommend roasting the bones beforehand which can add a nice flavor. While you don’t need salt to make broth, you can certainly add salt upon serving. If you tolerate other herbs, you can add those too. It all depends on your goals 🙂 As for the color, this is dependent on the types of bones you use. It’s also a bit of a subjective question, so I think it’s hard to answer. I hope the images in the post give you an idea of the possible result.
I suppose it depends on how watered down the broth is but 3 Calories seems way low. standard broth usually has about 10g of protein which alone should be 40 Cal. For what it’s worth, I have used the beef feet often and love it. I cook until very soft then scrape all the collagen off, scrape the cartillage off the bones and put it all in a blender until creamed, then mix back in with the broth, super rich and creamy.
This recipe isn’t watered down at all. Bone broth does not contain a full amino acid profile and therefore is not a source of complete protein and does not need to be counted toward daily macro intake. I’ll add a note in the recipe card so others do not get confused also. Thanks for writing in and sharing your success with the feet, that sounds awesome!
Hi, I’m new to carnivore and l love meat, all types, offal and all but… Bone broth.. I just haven’t been able to stomach it! I find that it smells disgusting. Is there anything I can do, or from your experience, am i missing something?
If it doesn’t appeal to you right now, skip it. Try again in a few weeks/months and see if your reaction has changed. When you do have it, use it in soup or pair it with something else you like. Browned ground beef is nice to add into broth for a super quick soup. You can also braise beef shank (a recipe I have here on the blog). That way, you get the broth in but it’s not the main or only feature.
I agree. Just wait a while and you will likely find your tastes have changed. I couldn’t stomach bone broth when I started eating a carnivore type diet. I choked it down knowing it was “good for me” but I didn’t enjoy it at all. Now after a few months, I actually like the taste and look forward to a warm mug of broth.
What a turn around. This is a great success story! Thanks so much for sharing.
Is it okay to cook in the instant pot?
Yes, absolutely!
Jessica
I have tried replying to your emails but they keep getting kicked back. i bought the carnivore cookbook via an e book but haven’t received that. I don’t see any general contact info. please advise
Hi John, I’m so sorry about the delay! I just resent your receipt with the download link along with an email. Do you see those now? Remember, check spam!
Yes. I do it all the time. Cuts the time and smell. I use manual setting 90 min on high pressure. Let it cool, Repeat the next day.
I make my own bone broth in am 8 qt. InstaPot. 2 hours on low pressure. I incorporate marrow bones, chicken feet, oxtail, and shank bones for a terrific broth. At times it is the only thing I can tolerate.
I’m glad you are learning what works for you! Your method sounds delicious to me
I have made beef broth before and I loved it but I have not tried the Kettle and Fire. Would like to try it.