Carnivore Diet Meal Prep: A Weekly Guide

Carnivore diet meal prep comes down to three things: pick 2-3 proteins, batch cook them on one day, and portion them into containers for the week. Because the carnivore diet involves a limited ingredient list, meal prep is actually simpler than any other dietary approach. No chopping vegetables, no complicated sauces, no measuring seventeen different ingredients. You cook meat, season with salt, and store it.

Why Should You Meal Prep on the Carnivore Diet?

The biggest reason carnivore dieters fall off track is convenience. When hunger hits and there is nothing ready to eat, the temptation to grab non-carnivore food is real. Meal prep eliminates that problem entirely.

Other benefits include:

• Cost savings: Buying in bulk and cooking at home is significantly cheaper than eating out or buying pre-made options
• Consistent nutrition: You know exactly what you are eating and how much protein you are getting each day
• Time savings: Cooking once or twice a week frees up 30-45 minutes every other day
• Portion awareness: Pre-portioned containers make it easy to track your daily intake without weighing food at every meal

What Are the Best Meats for Carnivore Meal Prep?

Not every cut of meat preps and reheats equally well. Here are the best options ranked by how well they hold up after refrigeration and reheating:

Tier 1: Ideal for Meal Prep

• Ground beef (80/20 or 73/27): The king of meal prep. Stays moist, reheats well, and is incredibly versatile. Cook 5 pounds at once in a large skillet or sheet pan. Ground beef is a carnivore diet staple for good reason.
• Chuck roast: Slow cook for 6-8 hours and it shreds into tender, juicy meat that reheats beautifully. One 4-pound roast provides 3-4 days of meals.
• Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on thighs stay moist much better than breast meat. Bake a sheet pan of 10-12 thighs and you have protein for days. Learn more about chicken on the carnivore diet.
• Hard-boiled eggs: The ultimate grab-and-go carnivore snack. Prep 2 dozen at once and keep them in the fridge.

Tier 2: Good for Meal Prep

• Pork shoulder: Another excellent slow cooker cut. Shreds well and reheats with good moisture retention.
• Bacon: Pre-cook a full package in the oven on a sheet pan. Keeps well for a week and can be eaten cold or quickly reheated.
• Smoked sausages: Already cooked, just need reheating. Check ingredients for minimal additives.

Tier 3: Best Eaten Fresh

• Steaks (ribeye, NY strip): Steaks lose their magic when reheated. Save these for fresh-cooked dinners.
• Scrambled eggs: Become rubbery and unappetizing after refrigeration.
• Fish: Most fish does not reheat well and develops strong odors. The exception is canned salmon or sardines, which need no prep at all.

What Does a Sunday Meal Prep Routine Look Like?

Here is a proven 2-3 hour Sunday routine that sets you up for the entire week:

Hour 1: Start the Slow Cooker and Oven

Slow cooker (start first since it takes longest):

1. Season a 4-pound chuck roast generously with salt
2. Sear all sides in a hot skillet with tallow (3 minutes per side)
3. Place in slow cooker with 1 cup of bone broth
4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours

Oven (start simultaneously):

1. Place 10-12 chicken thighs skin-side up on a sheet pan
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Bake at 425°F for 40-45 minutes until skin is crispy

Hour 2: Stovetop Cooking

Ground beef:

1. Break 5 pounds of ground beef into two large skillets
2. Season with salt and cook over medium-high heat
3. Break into crumbles, drain excess fat (or keep it for extra calories)
4. Total cook time: 15-20 minutes

Hard-boiled eggs:

1. Place 18-24 eggs in a large pot of cold water
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat
3. Let sit for 12 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath
4. Peel when cool

Bacon (optional):

1. Line a sheet pan with foil
2. Lay bacon strips in a single layer
3. Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes

Hour 3: Portion and Store

Divide everything into glass containers (6-8 containers for the week). Each container should have roughly:

• 8-10 oz ground beef or shredded roast
• 2 chicken thighs or equivalent protein
• 2-3 hard-boiled eggs on the side

This gives you approximately 150-180g of protein per container, which is a solid meal for most people on the carnivore diet.

How Do You Store and Reheat Carnivore Meal Prep?

Storage Tips

• Glass containers over plastic: Glass does not absorb meat odors, is microwave-safe, and lasts longer
• Refrigerator (3-4 days): Store Sunday’s cook in the fridge for Monday through Wednesday
• Freezer (up to 3 months): Freeze Thursday through Saturday portions in freezer-safe containers
• Label everything: Write the date and contents on masking tape

Reheating Without Ruining Your Food

The microwave works in a pinch, but it can dry meat out and create uneven hot spots. Better options:

• Skillet with butter: Add a tablespoon of butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add pre-cooked ground beef or shredded roast. Stir for 3-4 minutes. This adds moisture and flavor back.
• Oven at 300°F: Place portioned meat in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm for 15-20 minutes. Best for chicken thighs to re-crisp the skin.
• If using a microwave: Add a small pat of butter on top of the meat and cover the container. Heat in 60-second intervals, stirring between.

How Much Should You Prep for One Week?

For a single person eating a standard carnivore diet, here is a weekly prep guide:

This provides roughly 2,000-2,500 calories per day with 150-200g of protein. Adjust quantities up or down based on your personal goals and body size.

If you are working on weight loss, you may find you naturally eat less as the weeks progress. If you are focused on muscle gain, increase ground beef and egg quantities.

What Are Common Carnivore Meal Prep Mistakes?

Cooking too lean. If you buy 93/7 ground beef or skinless chicken breast, your reheated meals will be dry and unappetizing. Always choose fattier cuts for meal prep. Fat equals moisture and flavor after reheating.

Prepping too much variety. You do not need seven different proteins for seven days. Two to three proteins prepared simply is the sweet spot. Variety is overrated when the food is satisfying.

Skipping seasoning. Even on strict carnivore, salt is essential. Season generously before cooking. Under-seasoned meal prep is the fastest path to diet fatigue.

Not freezing half. Cooking for a full week but only refrigerating means food quality degrades by day five or six. Always freeze at least half of your batch.

How Do You Keep Meal Prep From Getting Boring?

Even with a limited ingredient list, you can rotate your prep every week:

• Week 1: Ground beef, chuck roast, hard-boiled eggs
• Week 2: Ground beef, pork shoulder, chicken thighs
• Week 3: Ground beef, brisket, bacon and eggs
• Week 4: Ground beef, lamb shoulder, salmon

Change your cooking methods too. Smoked, grilled, slow-cooked, and oven-roasted versions of the same cut taste completely different. If you are a beginner, start with the simplest methods and expand from there.

Using an app like Vore to log your meals makes it easy to see your weekly protein and calorie totals, so you can adjust next week’s prep based on real data rather than guesswork.

Meal prep is one of the most practical skills for long-term success on the carnivore diet. For more lifestyle strategies and tips, visit our Carnivore Diet Lifestyle hub.