Beef Heart Steaks (Pan-Seared)
By Tomás Reyes · Texas Rancher · Updated 2026-05-08
Beef heart sliced into ¾-inch steaks, seared 2-3 minutes per side. Salt only. Iron-rich (5mg per 4 oz), $4-6 per pound, lean and clean-tasting.
Carnivore beef heart steaks are sliced from the trimmed heart muscle into ¾-inch slabs, salted, and pan-seared in butter for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the exterior is deeply browned and the interior remains medium-rare at 130°F. Salt is the only seasoning. Beef heart is denser and leaner than skeletal muscle (only 4g fat per 100g cooked) but tastes remarkably similar to a lean steak — most blind tasters identify it as 'tougher sirloin' rather than organ meat. A 4-ounce serving delivers 28g protein, 5g fat, and 160 calories, plus 35% DV of iron and 280% of B12. Whole beef hearts cost $4 to $6 per pound at most grocery stores and ethnic butchers — among the cheapest beef cuts available — and a 3-pound heart yields 8 to 10 steaks. Trim the connective tissue (white tendons inside the heart chambers) before slicing; what remains is solid muscle that cooks like any other lean steak.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 oz beef heart cooked (per serving) | 28g | 4g | 140 |
| ¼ tbsp butter (per serving) | 0g | 3g | 25 |
| Coarse salt | 0g | 0g | 0 |
| Per serving | 28g | 5g | 160 |
Macros per serving (after cooking and any fat draining). Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Instructions
- 1
Trim the white connective tissue from the inside of the heart chambers — these are tendons that won't tenderize during the brief cook.
- 2
Trim the white pad of fat from the outside of the heart. Slice the heart into ¾-inch thick steaks across the grain.
- 3
Pat slabs dry with paper towels. Apply 1.5 tsp coarse salt across all sides.
- 4
Heat 2 tbsp butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat until foaming.
- 5
Place heart steaks in a single layer. Sear 3 minutes without moving.
- 6
Flip and sear 2.5 to 3 more minutes until the exterior is deeply browned. Internal target is 130°F for medium-rare.
- 7
Transfer to a cutting board. Rest 3 minutes (heart is dense and benefits from a brief rest).
- 8
Serve whole as steaks, or slice across the grain for thinner portions.
Nutrition per Serving
Frequently Asked Questions
Does beef heart taste like organ meat?
Less than you'd expect. Beef heart is 100% muscle (the heart is a continuously-working muscle, denser than skeletal muscle but otherwise structurally similar). Most blind tasters identify it as 'a tougher cut of beef' rather than as organ meat. The mineral-iron flavor that defines liver and kidneys is much milder in heart. For carnivore eaters easing into nose-to-tail, heart is the gentlest entry — closer to a sirloin than to liver in flavor profile.
Cooking it medium-rare like a steak?
Yes — heart is muscle and benefits from the same medium-rare treatment as any lean steak. Pull at 130°F internal. Higher temperatures (145°F+) push the dense muscle into chewy territory because there's no fat to render. Heart's natural leanness (4g fat per 100g) is the inverse of ribeye: the same overcook curve that makes ribeye dry above 145°F kicks in 5 degrees lower for heart. Use a probe thermometer for first-time cooks.
Where do I find beef heart?
Most US grocery stores sell beef heart but it's rarely on display — ask the meat counter. Halal and Latin American markets reliably stock heart year-round. Online specialty butchers (US Wellness Meats, White Oak Pastures) ship heart at premium prices for grass-fed quality. Cost ranges $4 to $7 per pound at standard stores; grass-fed runs $9 to $14. A whole 3-pound heart serves 8 to 10 adults at roughly $1.50 to $4 per serving.
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