Baby food with meat recipes

Basic Beef Baby Food Puree (6+ Months)

This homemade Basic Beef Baby Food is a great addition to your baby’s favorite purees for extra protein and flavor! It’s an incredibly simple recipe with big flavor and nutrition! It’s perfect as a Stage One Baby Food – 4-6+ months.

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

Beef Baby Food

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

This beef puree is loaded with so many great nutrients that your baby needs in order to thrive – protein, iron, calcium and folate.

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 beef puree has a somewhat intense flavor, a few spoonfuls added to your baby’s favorite veggie or fruit puree should be enough.

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. The detailed article goes over all the essential information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, knowing when your baby is ready for solids, introducing purees, making the best first foods for baby, and more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes.

Beef Puree Video

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your baby homemade Beef Puree!

Reasons to Love this Beef Puree

simple yet flavorful
packed with protein
great to add to any other fruit or veggie puree that baby loves
baby food for 4-6 months and up
stage 1 baby food
freezer-friendly
homemade

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.

Grass-Fed Beef: I recommend using grass-fed beef for this recipe, if possible. Grass-fed beef will have more healthy fats, more free Omega-3 fatty acids (healthy fats), vitamins A, E, and B as well as more antioxidants.

Health Benefits of Beef

Protein: Beef is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for proper growth and development of all organ systems and maintaining and repairing tissues. It is considered a complete protein, meaning it has all of the amino acids that are needed to make protein.
Iron: Beef is a good source of iron, needed for making red blood cells, neurodevelopment and preventing iron deficiency anemia, and zinc, needed for growth and development and supporting the immune system.
B12: Beef is also high in B12, which is essential for brain development and healthy red blood cells.
Choline: can also be found in beef, which is also important for brain growth and development.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring the cubed beef, broth, and oregano to a boil over medium heat.
Simmer: Turn the heat down to low and cover the saucepan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the beef is just cooked through. Let it cool slightly.
Puree: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a blender or food processor and puree until you reach your desired consistency, adding broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed.
Eat: Serve to your baby plain or added into another puree.
Freeze: Store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal.

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to make this healthy Beef Puree. For more of my favorite kitchen tools make sure to check out my shop.

Saucepans
Blender or Food Processor
Freezer Tray
Storage Containers for Fridge
Stasher Bag
bib with catch pocket
Saucepans

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.

How to Store Beef Puree

Refridgerator

You can store this puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 2 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.

Need more information on how to store your baby foods? Head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!

Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name of the puree and the date you made it. Take it from me; by the end of the week, you will completely forget what is in your freezer and how long it’s been there. 😉

Great Beef Combination Purees

While this beef baby food is great by itself, it can be a little intense for some babies. I recommend mixing it into one of your baby’s favorite purees as an introduction to the rich taste of beef. Here are some great purees to mix with the beef puree:

Apples
Sweet Potato
Pear
Carrot
Broccoli
Pea
Mango

PUREE FEEDING TIPS

Follow your baby’s lead – when feeding purees from a spoon, sometimes there’s a tendency to keep offering bites past the point of your baby being full. Always follow your baby’s cues for when they are done eating. Turning away from the spoon, closing her mouth, or pushing food away are all signs that your baby is finished with the meal.
Try adding a little seasoning or spice to purees – babies like flavor! Or consider changing the temperature of purees from time to time, to slightly warmed or slightly chilled. Varying these aspects adds to the sensory experience!
Throwing spoons is a common phase that all babies go through at one point or another. One of the best ways to handle spoon throwing is to ignore it and keep feeding your baby as usual (with an extra spoon you already have at the table). If your baby ends up also throwing back up spoons #2 AND #3, simply encourage your baby to eat with their hands until they appear to be finished with the meal. ***Give baby plenty of opportunities to practice putting items in and taking items out of containers outside of mealtimes.

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.

Recipe

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

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.

Age: 4-6 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.

Saucepan

Blender

Bumkins Baby Bowl

Freezer Tray

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Meat Baby Food Recipe

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process

Updated on 05/21/22

Catherine Delahaye / Getty Images

You may know that making baby food is pretty easy, if you've pureed steamed carrots or peas, or even just made applesauce from scratch. But have you ever tried making homemade baby food with meat? It may seem harder, but it's not tough. It's also incredibly flavorful for your baby's tastebuds, and you can control the ingredients as needed.

This recipe is designed for beef, but you can make meat baby food using pork, lamb, chicken, or turkey. In the case of this meat puree, it also includes potatoes, carrots, and peas and is basically a simple recipe for beef stew that's pureed in a food processor. However, if you have a baby food blender you can use that instead, as they tend to puree things incredibly finely and smoothly.

If you use poultry, you can reduce the meat cooking time by half. May be frozen if desired. This recipe is designed for babies six to 12 months old.

2 tablespoons fat, or oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups water, vegetable or fruit juice
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into pieces
5 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into pieces
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, or any other green vegetable

Heat fat in a large-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
Coat the meat in the flour and brown in the fat. Add the liquid and cover tightly.
Simmer over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours.
Add potatoes and carrots. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen peas, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree stew into a smooth consistency.
Store in refrigerator up to two days; freeze for two to three months. Serve the baby food cold or at room temperature.

Source: "The Complete New Guide to Preparing Baby Foods," by Sue Castle (Bantam Books)

Tip

It's better to err on the side of what may look like too much when pureeing this stew: it's baby food. If you find that you're having a hard time reaching the consistency you need, add a little more water to the ingredients while pureeing them, until it's thin and smooth enough.

Variations

Any meat can be substituted for beef, but chicken and pork work very well.
Use canned white beans instead of beef. It will cook a lot more quickly, the beans will puree easily, and flavors will still be good.
Swap 1/2 cup of uncooked rice for the potatoes.

How to Store and Freeze Homemade Meat Baby Food

You can keep this baby food, once it's prepared for 2 or 3 days, tops, in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

However, it works really well if you freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen food into a zip-close freezer bag. Some types of ice cube trays are designed specifically for baby food and come with lids, which makes it very easy to portion out into sizes for your baby as they grow. You can safely freeze this for up to 3 months.

The 6 Best Food Mills for Making Smooth Purées With Ease

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Baby Food Recipes - 10 Answers

For dads and moms who are in awe of their children, nutrition is one of the main parental instincts, and it's great that advanced technology allows you to cook healthy and tasty with minimal time. For example, I often cook in the oven from ready-made Tyoma children's meat purees. I’m not a chef, to be honest, but I can watch Jamie Oliveira or Hell’s Kitchen with inspiration, flip through books about how French children don’t spit food, and even tried delivery of grocery sets with step-by-step recipes. nine0003

But most of the time we have simple, idle food on our table, which I try to give a little "raisin". If you have favorite recipes with baby food, please share))))

There are a few of our dinners in the picture.

In the summer they have become more satisfying, in the winter after dinner we have an hour and a half after dinner, and now they walk for another three hours, so calories are consumed, and at night we eat milk and pastries, or a sandwich with raspberry tea.

These are the foods I often cook with:

Cutlets from children's puree - beef and oatmeal.

You will need:
50 gr. milk
½ can of mashed meat (I use Tema, but it's up to you)
½ carrots
¼ onions

3 tbsp. Spoons of oatmeal

½ egg

salt to taste
sometimes chopped parsley or dill

Preparation:
Grate onions and carrots, on a coarse grater, add oatmeal, meat puree, then add milk and beaten egg, mix. Then I put cutlets on a silicone pizza mold with a spoon (I get 3 things from these products), bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Potato casserole with meat.

Boil potatoes, smash them into puree, add milk and an egg, then send them to a silicone mold in the same way, laying out: a layer of potatoes, a layer of meat) I bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. nine0003

Meat puree and semolina soufflé

You will need:

1 jar of any homogeneous baby meat puree

2 tbsp. spoons of semolina

4 tbsp. spoons of milk

1 egg

Preparation:

I mixed the puree with semolina, poured in milk, beat the egg and added it in the same way, mixed everything, leave it to infuse for 15-20 minutes, then pour it into silicone molds I can add broccoli or cauliflower for baking (after boiling it), and you can add whatever your heart desires) we just now have our cabbage ripened, before that I added a piece of carrot. nine0003

Pate with vegetables.

You will need:

BANK MAREM with an offal
½ carrots

½ zucchini

½ egg 9000 900 Preparation:

Cut carrots and zucchini into pieces, grated onions, add vegetables to canned meat, add salt to your taste, add olive oil and also on a silicone mold and in the oven for 10-15 minutes. nine0003

These are seemingly unpretentious dinner recipes, but if you alternate, you get a variety that pleases the baby.

5 delicious meat recipes for babies from one year old

When a little gourmet grows up at home, the list of homemade recipes inevitably grows. After all, the baby is interested in new combinations, textures and aromas of various dishes. And it is important for parents that the baby receives all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Meat is one of the most important products that provide the growing body with strength and vitality. Small children are usually very picky about meat dishes, as chewing too tough meat is hard and boring. During this period, a meat grinder, blender and mother's ingenuity help out. We decided to help a little and put together 5 simple meat recipes that are suitable for babies from a year old. nine0003

Baby Nuggets
Meatballs with Gravy
Hamé Rice with Meat Puree
Lazy Stuffed Cabbage
Pasta with Chicken

Baby nuggets

Fragrant pieces of tender fillet in crispy breading. Comfortable, easy and kids love it! A safe alternative to fast food with the right ingredients!

INGREDIENTS (for 3 servings):

Chicken fillet - 200 gr
nine0027
Breadcrumbs for breading - 150 gr
Hard cheese - 2 tbsp. spoons
Garlic granules - ¼ teaspoon
Paprika - ½ tsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
Salt, pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Prepare the ingredients. Cut the chicken fillet into small pieces, sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic. Cover and leave for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. nine0027
In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and grated hard cheese. Dip the chicken pieces in the mixture.
Place the nuggets on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.

Kids love sauces! Try serving nuggets with red tomato sauce or white low-fat yogurt sauce with herbs.

Meatballs with gravy

These juicy, tender meatballs for the little ones will be appreciated even by adults! Such meatballs can be cooked with a margin and frozen. Try pan-cooking, oven-baking, steaming them and see what works best for you. nine0003

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):

Minced meat - 400 gr
Egg - 1 pc
Onion - 1 pc.
Carrot - 2 pcs
Tomato - 1 pc.
Rust. oil - 30 ml (2 tablespoons)
Meat stock or water - 1 cup
nine0002 Salt, pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Put the minced meat in a bowl, add the egg and half the onion grated on a fine grater. Mix thoroughly.
Rinse and peel the carrots, then grate on a coarse grater. Remove the skin from the tomato and cut into small cubes, cut the remaining half of the onion in the same way. Fry the onion and carrots in a deep frying pan, then add the tomato and simmer over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Then add a glass of water or broth and bring the gravy to a boil. nine0003
Blind medium-sized meatballs from minced meat, carefully place in gravy. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to medium, simmer for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer for another 15 minutes so that the sauce is well soaked.

Serve meatballs with mashed potatoes, buckwheat porridge and any other side dish that your baby loves.

Rice with meat puree Hamé

Very quick recipe for a simple dinner for a baby. The beauty of Hamé baby meat puree is that it is versatile, varied and kids love it. If you have a delicious side dish, a full-fledged dish is obtained without difficulty! nine0003

INGREDIENTS (serves 2):

Meat puree Hamé - 100 gr
Rice - 80 gr
Butter - 2 tbsp. spoons
Onion - ½ small onion
Meat broth - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 1 teaspoon
Dill - 1 sprig nine0003
Salt, pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Fry dry rice until golden brown in butter with onions. Add 2 tablespoons of broth, lower the heat and when the broth is absorbed, add more until the broth is gone.
Stir the tomato paste into the cooked rice, add a jar of mashed meat and simmer for another 5 minutes over low heat. Sprinkle with finely chopped dill when serving. nine0003

Try this dish with different types of mashed meats, such as Hamé Veal mashed meat or Hamé Beef mashed meat with tongue. We recommend stocking up on saving jars in case there is not enough time to prepare a complex children's dinner or the baby needs to be fed quickly. Then any side dish can be served with perfectly balanced Hamé baby meat puree!

Lazy cabbage rolls

Children's version of favorite cabbage rolls is always a great choice! Minced meat seasoned with sour cream and herbs, combined with juicy stewed cabbage, is guaranteed to bring back nostalgic memories to parents and will definitely be remembered by your little eater. nine0003

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):

Minced meat - 400 gr
Egg - 1 pc
White cabbage - 200 gr
Carrot - 1 piece
Onion - 1 pc.
Rice - 100 g
Rust. oil - 1 tablespoon
Tomato paste - 2 tbsp nine0003
Sour cream - 3 tablespoons
Dill - 1 bunch
Water - 200 ml
Salt, pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Boil and cool the rice. Cut the cabbage, put in a saucepan and pour boiling water for 10 minutes.
Cut the onion into small cubes, grate the carrots on a coarse grater and fry them together until softened. nine0003
Drain the water from the pan, add the minced meat, carrots with onions, rice and egg to the cabbage. Mix very well.
Put the formed cabbage rolls (small oblong-shaped meatballs) in a single layer in a baking dish.
Mix sour cream, tomato paste and water, add your favorite spices if desired. Pour lazy cabbage rolls with the resulting sauce and put in the oven to bake for 45 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. nine0003

Serve lazy cabbage rolls with a sauce of sour cream and finely chopped dill.

Pasta with chicken

In the children's menu of almost all restaurants, you can find pasta or pasta with meat or tomato sauce. This is no accident. Kids love pasta, because it is convenient to take them with a spoon, fork and even hands, they taste good, and they come in different, completely unimaginable shapes. Therefore, feel free to take note of the recipe for this pasta, choose the most beautiful and healthy pasta, and then the matter is small. nine0003

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):