Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Beef? For Baby? Yes! This homemade Basic Beef Baby Food is an excellent addition to your baby’s favorite purees – both of my babies loved it mixed with this carrot puree – for extra nutrients and flavor! This is a wonderfully simple recipe where we simmer beef and oregano in a no-sodium beef broth before blending, which makes for an incredibly flavorful puree! Great for 6+ months.

Gray baby bowl with beef pure and a small bowl of dried oregano with hand reaching in to stir the puree.
4.98 stars (44 ratings)
“My 7-month-old loved this. I’ve had trouble in the past when my older two children were babies with making beef purée but this was so easy and had good texture to it. ” -Stacey
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Beef Baby Food

Beef, it’s what’s for baby’s dinner! Beef puree, that is. 😉

And while it may seem counter-intuitive and perhaps weird (or at least it did to me), beef puree 🥩 is a great first food for your baby.

Just because it’s a nutrient-dense puree doesn’t mean your baby needs bowls upon bowls of it. Since homemade beef puree has a somewhat intense flavor, a few spoonfuls added to your baby’s favorite veggie or fruit puree should be enough. While some babies love it as it is, both of my babies preferred it mixed into other purees. Some of their favorite purees to mix with this Basic Beef Puree were:

🍠 Sweet Potato Puree
🍎 Apple Baby Puree (with a pinch of rosemary)
🥕 Carrot Baby Food Puree
🥦 Broccoli Baby Puree (with apple puree)

#momhack – while any blender or food processor will work for this Beef Puree, a high-speed blender will give you the smoothest puree.

Beef Puree Video

Spread of ingredients needed for this recipe - beef, dried herbs and broth.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

  • Beef: Since beef is the star of the show in this puree, we are going to start with a good piece of meat. We are going to use 8oz of chuck stew meat or cubed sirloin beef. You can also easily scale up this recipe if you want more than 12 ounces of baby food.
  • Broth: To get that rich, deep beef flavor, we will cook our beef in beef broth. I recommend using a low-sodium, sodium-free, or free-range beef bone broth for this recipe. You can also use any of those variations above with a vegetable broth as well. If you don’t have any of those on hand, you can use water. 
  • Oregano: We are adding dried oregano to give the puree a little more complex taste. This can easily be omitted if you prefer or you can substitute in dried parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme or cilantro.

Is it your first time making homemade baby food? If you answered yes, then I suggest you start this journey by reading my in-depth Guide on How to Make Homemade Baby Food. You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes.

Let’s Get Pureeing

Saucepan with cooked beef inside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the cubed beef, broth, and oregano to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5-20 minutes or until the beef is just cooked through. Let it cool slightly.
Blender with cooked beef.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a blender or food processor.
Blender with pureed beef.
Turn on your machine, and puree until you reach your desired consistency, adding broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed.
Gray baby bowl with baby spoon resting on top with a teal napkin on table.
Serve to your baby plain or added into another puree

How to Store Beef Puree

Refrigerator

You can store this puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

  • Spoon puree into a freezer storage container. Do not overfill. 
  • Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap, and label with the date and recipe name. 
  • Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely — preferably overnight. 
  • Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a ziplock baggie or stasher bag. Don’t forget to relabel the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.
Freezer container with beef puree inside.

Recipe Tips

  • Use a Slotted Spoon: When transferring the cooked beef from the saucepan to the blender, make sure to use a slotted spoon so you don’t add too much broth into the puree from the start. You only want to add broth if needed while blending. I had to add a 1/4 cup of broth to the blender while I was pureeing this beef. 
  • Reheat Gently: If you are freezing some of this beef puree, reheat it in 20-second intervals. You don’t want to recook the beef.
Gray baby bowl with baby spoon resting on top with a teal napkin on table.

Get the recipe: The Best Basic Beef Baby Food (6+ months)

5 stars (44 ratings)
Beef? For Baby? Yes! This homemade Basic Beef Baby Food is an excellent addition to your baby’s favorite purees – both of my babies loved it mixed with this carrot puree – for extra nutrients and flavor! This is a wonderfully simple recipe where we simmer beef and oregano in a no-sodium beef broth before blending, which makes for an incredibly flavorful puree! Great for 6+ months.
Yield: 12 ounces
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Baby Food
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounce beef chuck stew meat, or cubed sirloin beef
  • 2 cups beef or vegetable broth, low or no sodium
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions 

  • Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring beef, broth and oregano to a boil over medium heat. Turn to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beef is cooked all the way through. Let cool slightly.
  • Transfer: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a blender or food processor, reserve broth.
  • Puree: starting on low and working your way up to high-speed, puree the beef until you reach your desired consistency, adding in broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed. I had to add in just 1/4 cup of broth to get the consistency seen in this photo.
  • Eat: serve to baby plain or added into another puree. 
  • Freeze: store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal. 

Notes

Age: 6 months and up
Yield: 12 ounces
Storage: Fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
 

Equipment

Saucepan
Blender
Bumkins Baby Bowl
Freezer Tray

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Frequently Asked Questions

When can baby eat beef puree?

Babies can have beef as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start your baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready.

Can beef be baby’s first food?
Yes, beef can 100% be baby’s first food if you want it to be. It is recommended to wait to introduce the top eight allergen foods to baby once a few other well tolerated foods have been introduced, but otherwise foods can be introduced in any order so choose whatever you are most excited for baby to have.

Is beef a common allergen for baby?
No, beef is not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it.

Does beef cause constipation for babies?
No, beef itself is not known to cause constipation in babies, however it won’t really help with constipation either since it lacks fiber. If baby is eating too much meat, it could replace fiber-rich foods, which could cause constipation.