Best Meats for the Carnivore Diet: A Complete Ranking

The best meats for the carnivore diet are those with the highest fat content, best nutrient density, and most practical versatility — with ribeye steak and 80/20 ground beef leading the ranking. Choosing the right cuts matters because the carnivore diet relies entirely on animal foods for nutrition. A diet built around lean chicken breast will feel very different from one centered on fatty beef. This ranking evaluates the top meats across five categories: nutrient density, fat content, price, versatility, and taste.

How We Ranked These Meats

Each meat is evaluated on five criteria, scored 1 to 5:

• Nutrient density — vitamins, minerals, and amino acid profile
• Fat content — higher fat scores higher (fat is fuel on carnivore)
• Price — affordability and value per pound
• Versatility — ease of preparation and variety of cooking methods
• Taste — subjective but based on broad carnivore community consensus

1. Ribeye Steak

The undisputed champion of the carnivore diet.

Ribeye delivers the perfect combination of fat and protein for the carnivore diet. The marbling provides roughly 50 percent of calories from fat — exactly where most carnivore dieters want to be. The flavor is rich, beefy, and satisfying without any additions beyond salt.

Nutrient highlights: High in B12, zinc, iron (heme), selenium, phosphorus, B6, niacin, and creatine. The fat content provides fat-soluble vitamins and serves as your primary energy source.

How to cook it: Pan sear in butter or tallow over high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Reverse sear in the oven at 250F until 10 degrees below target temp, then sear. Grill over direct heat. Salt generously before or after cooking.

Budget tip: Buy whole ribeye roasts (rib primal) and cut your own steaks. This can save 30 to 50 percent per pound compared to pre-cut steaks. Costco and wholesale clubs often have the best prices.

2. Ground Beef (80/20)

The daily workhorse that makes carnivore affordable and sustainable.

Ground beef scores the highest overall because it excels everywhere except taste (which is still very good). At $4 to $7 per pound for conventional 80/20, it is the most cost-effective way to eat carnivore. One pound provides 77 grams of protein and 92 grams of fat — nearly perfect macros.

Why 80/20 specifically: The 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio provides approximately 60 percent of calories from fat, which aligns with carnivore macro targets. 90/10 is too lean (requires adding fat). 73/27 is excellent if you prefer even more fat.

How to cook it: Brown in a skillet with salt (5 minutes). Form into smash burgers (2 minutes per side). Slow cook as meatballs in bone broth. Season with salt only.

Budget tip: Buy in bulk (10+ pound tubes) from wholesale clubs or directly from local farms. Freeze in one-pound portions. Ground beef from a local farmer often costs $5 to $6 per pound for grass-fed quality.

3. Lamb

Premium nutrient density with unique flavor.

Lamb is nutritionally outstanding — rich in B12, zinc, iron, selenium, and uniquely high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid associated with anti-inflammatory benefits. Lamb fat has a distinctive flavor that many people love.

Best cuts: Lamb chops (quick cooking, high fat), leg of lamb (large roast, feeds a family), ground lamb (versatile like ground beef), lamb shanks (slow braised, incredibly tender).

How to cook it: Lamb chops seared in a hot pan (3 minutes per side). Leg of lamb roasted at 325F for 20 minutes per pound. Ground lamb browned like ground beef.

4. NY Strip Steak

Leaner than ribeye but still excellent.

NY strip has less marbling than ribeye but more than sirloin, placing it in a sweet spot. It has a firmer texture and beefy flavor with a satisfying fat cap along one edge. The leaner profile makes it a good choice for those who find ribeye too rich or who are slightly reducing fat intake for body composition goals.

How to cook it: Same methods as ribeye. The fat cap renders beautifully when seared — start with the fat cap pressed against the pan for 2 minutes to render, then sear flat sides.

5. Bison

Lean but exceptionally nutrient-dense.

Bison is leaner than beef, which means you need to add fat when cooking it. However, its nutrient density is exceptional — higher in iron and B12 per ounce than conventional beef. Bison is almost always grass-finished, making it one of the cleanest meats available.

Important note: Because bison is lean, always cook it with added tallow or butter and avoid overcooking. It dries out faster than fatty beef.

6. Chuck Roast

The budget king of carnivore slow cooking.

Chuck roast is one of the most underrated carnivore foods. At $5 to $8 per pound, it delivers excellent fat content and transforms into incredibly tender, flavorful meat when slow-cooked. A three-pound chuck roast in a slow cooker with salt provides meals for two to three days.

How to cook it: Slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours with salt. Dutch oven at 300F for 3 to 4 hours. Instant Pot for 60 to 90 minutes. It should be fall-apart tender.

7. Pork Belly

Maximum fat content for those who need more fuel.

Pork belly is essentially uncured, unsliced bacon. It has the highest fat content of any common cut — roughly 60 percent fat by weight. For carnivore dieters who struggle to eat enough fat or need maximum caloric density, pork belly is unmatched.

How to cook it: Score the skin and roast at 450F for 30 minutes, then 325F for 2 hours for crispy crackling. Slice and pan-fry like thick bacon. Slow cook until tender.

8. Chicken Thighs (Skin-On)

The affordable protein-dense option.

Chicken thighs with skin deliver a good fat-to-protein ratio at the lowest price point of any meat on this list. At $1.50 to $3 per pound, they make carnivore accessible on any budget. The key is always choosing skin-on, bone-in thighs — skinless chicken breast is too lean for carnivore.

How to cook it: Season with salt, pan-sear skin-side down for 6 to 7 minutes until crispy, flip and finish in a 400F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The rendered skin becomes a crispy, fatty shell.

9. Salmon

The omega-3 powerhouse.

Salmon is the most nutrient-dense fish and one of the richest food sources of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Wild-caught salmon provides approximately 2 grams of omega-3s per serving. It is also one of the best food sources of vitamin D and astaxanthin (a potent antioxidant that gives salmon its color).

Wild vs farmed: Wild-caught (sockeye, king/chinook) is nutritionally superior with a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Farmed Atlantic salmon is still good but has more omega-6 from feed.

How to cook it: Pan sear skin-side down for 4 minutes, flip for 2 minutes. Bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes. Air fry at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes. The skin should be crispy.

10. Organ Meats (Beef Liver, Heart, Kidney)

Nutrient density off the charts.

Organ meats rank low on taste for most people but are nutritionally unmatched. Beef liver alone provides more vitamin A, B12, folate, copper, and iron per serving than any other food. Heart is the richest source of CoQ10. Kidney provides exceptional selenium.

The low taste score keeps organs out of the top spots, but experienced carnivore dieters consider them essential. Three to four ounces of liver twice a week transforms your nutritional profile.

How to make organs palatable:

• Mix ground liver into ground beef (20% liver, 80% beef) — you will barely taste it
• Cut liver into pill-sized pieces, freeze, and swallow like capsules
• Start with heart, which has the mildest flavor and meat-like texture
• Cook liver with plenty of butter and salt

Read our complete guides on organ meats and beef liver.

Budget Carnivore: Best Meats by Price

If cost is your primary concern, here is the most affordable way to eat carnivore:

The budget carnivore staple meal: One pound of 80/20 ground beef ($5), three eggs ($1), cooked in butter ($0.50) = approximately $6.50 per day for 120g protein and 130g fat (1,660 calories). Add a second meal of the same and you are at roughly $13 per day for complete nutrition.

Money-saving strategies:

• Buy ground beef in bulk (10-pound tubes)
• Purchase whole chickens and butcher them yourself
• Buy chuck roasts and other roasts on sale and freeze
• Shop at Costco, Sam’s Club, or restaurant supply stores
• Buy directly from local farms (often cheaper for grass-fed)
• Freeze meat when it is on sale

Quick Reference: Choosing Your Meats

If you want the best flavor: Ribeye, NY strip, lamb chops If you want the best value: Ground beef, chuck roast, chicken thighs If you want maximum nutrition: Beef liver, salmon, ribeye If you want maximum fat: Pork belly, ribeye, 73/27 ground beef If you want easy cooking: Ground beef, eggs, chicken thighs If you want meal prep: Chuck roast, pork shoulder, ground beef

The best carnivore diet is one you can sustain. For most people, that means building a foundation of affordable staples (ground beef, eggs, butter) and adding premium cuts (ribeye, salmon, lamb) when budget allows. Add liver twice a week and you have a nutritionally complete diet that costs less than most people spend eating out.

For daily meal ideas using these meats, see our carnivore diet meal plan. And for a comprehensive list of every food that is and is not allowed, reference our complete carnivore diet food list.

For a comprehensive nutrition reference on the carnivore diet, visit our carnivore diet nutrition hub.