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Need a quick broth (stock) that’s full of flavor and convenient? Look no further than affordable and easy to grab ground beef! Make this wonderful Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef on the stove top or in your Instant Pot. And you’ll love how rich and delicious it is. Plus, how fast — less than 20 minutes!
With just 2 ingredients!, this recipe is great for most whole food and wellness diets, but is even great for people who aren’t used to eating healthy because it’s just good, flavorful meat stock.
Perfect for Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Whole30, VAD and Keto or Low Carb. Also fitting for more extreme wellness protocols like low oxalate, low lectin, Low FODMAP etc.
Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef ingredients
Beef Stock is usually made by simmering bones, stew meat, carrots, onions, celery, spices and herbs together for hours. The bones, meat and veggies are oftentimes first roasted. And when the stock is done, the pound of meat, plus all the other solids, are thrown away. Agh! Such waste: SO much time, so much effort and one batch of expensive stock!
AMAZING that you can get even better flavor from this simple 2 ingredient recipe (I don’t count water) that takes just 20 minutes to make! For this recipe, you’ll need just:
- ground beef — choose grass-finished (instead of grass-fed) to be sure your beef is finished on pasture (not grain): Here‘s a good source if you’d like to order online.
- water — filtered is best
- sea salt
Leftover beef ready to eat
And when your Meat Stock is ready, you’ll also have 1 pound of ground beef leftover to use and enjoy in other recipes! No discarding of expensive ingredients!
Affordable, delicious, fast and easy, this Beef Stock recipe is truly the best.
How to make Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef
You’ll never find an easier stock recipe. Here I share how to make this quick Beef Stock on the stove top. In the main Recipe below, I also give the Instant Pot instructions.
- In large deep frying pan or saucepan, cook up beef with sea salt. Break up meat into small pieces with the spatula as it begins to cook. Reduce heat to medium as needed. Cook about 7 minutes, until beef is mostly cooked on the outside, but some pink is still visible in places.
- Add water and additional sea salt (amount dictated in Recipe below), and bring to a simmer. Cover and slow-simmer 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh colander, and your Meat Stock is done!
Store broth in 4 cup mason jar, or preferred storage container, or use immediately.
Store ground beef separately, or use immediately.
How to store Meat Stock
Meat Stock from Ground Beef has a nice layer of fat that will rise and set when chilled. This fat seals in the stock, keeping it fresh. As long as the seal is not broken, Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef lasts in the fridge 3 weeks, or possibly a couple of months.
To freeze it, store in a larger container so it has room to expand when frozen.
Ground beef lasts in the fridge 4 to 5 days.
How to use Meat Stock made from Ground Beef
Use Meat Stock anywhere you’d use broth or bone broth. It’s gentle to digest, nourishing and delicious.
Having ready-to-go Meat Stock is great for use in:
- soups
- sauces
- stews
- or, drink by the mugful
And, how to use the ground beef that made the meat stock …
After straining the Meat Stock from the Ground Beef, the texture of the beef is still good! It’s ready to enjoy in recipes; the only thing it’s lacking is salt: most of that has cooked into the stock.
So I recommend you re-season your meat. This can be with just sea salt (sprinkle, stir and taste), or you can season with spices or sauces, as you wish.
Use Ground Beef leftover from making Meat Stock in these places:
- soups
- salads
- bowls
- burritos or tacos
- wraps
- sauces, such as spaghetti sauce
- with Mexican spices, Mediterranean spices (like za’atar and garlic), Italian spices, Asian condiments like coconut aminos, ginger and garlic etc.
Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef
Equipment
- saucepan with lid, deep frying pan with lid, pot with lid, or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (15% fat or not super lean preferred)
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon + ¼ to ½ teaspoon additional sea salt divided, or Potassium Salt
Instructions
- Stove top: In large deep frying pan or saucepan, cook up beef: Start at medium high heat. Add beef to pan with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Break up meat into small pieces with a spatula as it begins to cook. Reduce heat to medium as needed (if it's cooking up too hot and fast). Cook about 7 minutes, until beef is mostly cooked on the outside, but some pink is still visible in places.Instant Pot: Place meat and sea salt in IP insert. Press "Saute" button. Once it starts sizzling, cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with spatula, 5 to 7 minutes, until mostly cooked but some pink is still visible in places.
- Add water and remaining ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (amount based on if you want a lower salt broth or not; I use the full ½ teaspoon). Stove top: Increase heat to medium-high, and bring water to a simmer. As a steady simmer begins, reduce heat to the lowest temperature setting that will maintain a slow simmer when covered: low or medium-low. Instant Pot: Secure lid. Choose High Pressure, Manual setting for 5 minutes. When timer sounds, do a QPR. (Photo below shows Stove top version.)
- Stove top: Simmer 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh colander.
- Store broth in 4 cup mason jar, or preferred storage container, or use immediately. Store ground beef separately, or use immediately.How long it lasts - Meat Stock from Ground Beef has a nice layer of fat that will rise and set when chilled. This fat seals in the stock, keeping it fresh. As long as the seal is not broken, Meat Stock Recipe from Ground Beef will last in your fridge 3 weeks, or possibly a couple of months. You may also freeze it, only if it's stored in a larger container: It needs room to expand when frozen. Ground beef lasts in the fridge 4 to 5 days.
Dorothy says
This is a great idea, and sure beats store bought meat stock for freshness and quality!! I’m glad to have the detailed directions, as always. Thank you for another great tool for making meals easier and healthier. I’ll probably use the instant pot version, and look forward to trying it.
Megan says
Great, Dorothy, so happy it’s helpful! Thank you for your sweet comments, and yes, I do think you’ll love it. 🙂
Heather W. says
The ground beef is basically fat-free after the meat stock is made, correct? With a dear-one having the ApoE3/4 gene, I have to really monitor his saturated fat. Thank you, Megan 🙂
Megan says
Hi Heather, yes! In fact, I almost included that detail but somehow left it out. Yes, it’s actually another plus that I love, too. We eat a lot of leftovers, and it’s so nice to have cold ground beef without any fat on it for a variety of uses. So glad it’s helpful for your needs! 🙂
Tanya says
Thanks for the recipe I think I will try it today ! Does yours gel?
Megan says
Hi Tanya, if I remember correctly, I think it gels around the meat itself in the fridge, but the top liquid is not gelled. So extra gelatin emerges from the meat itself as it cools.