Beef heart has a milder flavor than beef liver, so it's a good way to venture into eating internal organs. Here are two delicious ways to prepare it.
I cook beef heart about once a month, alternating between two preparation methods. I love making a stew, where the heart is slow-cooked and seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano. Alternatively, I slice the heart, season it, and quickly pan-fry the slices in butter. Both methods are delicious!
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Beef heart: You can't typically find it in supermarkets in the United States. I usually order it online.
- Beef stock: Store-bought is fine.
- To season: Kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Smoked paprika is a good substitute for regular paprika. I like the smoky flavor it adds.
- Butter: I use it to thicken the cooking juices into rich gravy.
- Cornstarch: A small amount to help thicken the cooking liquids.
- Chopped parsley: Used as a garnish. Sometimes, I use cilantro instead of parsley. I enjoy its peppery flavor.
For the pan-fried version, in addition to the heart, you will need salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and butter for frying.
Instructions: Slow-Cooked Version
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cut the heart into 1-inch cubes and place the cubes in your slow cooker pan. Add beef broth and spices. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to temporarily transfer the cooked heart to a plate, and strain the cooking liquids into a saucepan. Return the meat to the slow cooker, cover, and set to warm. Cook the liquids with butter until they reduce into a rich gravy. You can add cornstarch to speed things up.
Serve the stew with the gravy, garnished with parsley.
Instructions: Pan-Fried Version
Clean the heart, slice it, and season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
Heat butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the heart slices and cook them over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side. Don't overcook (though the USDA recommends cooking beef organ meats to 160°F).
Pour the pan juices on top and serve.
I tried this recipe as is, except I added a can of mushrooms. It was delicious! It's my first time cooking heart, and hopefully not my last.
Tina
Read more comments
I tried this recipe as is, except I added a can of mushrooms. It was delicious! It's my first time cooking heart, and hopefully not my last. Recipe Tip: Trimming the Heart
Beef heart is huge - it can weigh as much as 2 pounds. When you buy it at the butcher's or order it online, you'll typically get it cut into two halves and trimmed. As you can see in the photo below, the heart you get will likely have a fat layer. You can trim some of it before cooking if it's very thick.
When I pan-fry the heart, I also trim the veins, shown in the photo below. You can cut them off with scissors. But slow cooking softens the tough parts, so trimming them is unnecessary, although it doesn't hurt.
Recipe FAQs
Both are really good. I make them both regularly. The advantage of the slow-cooked version is that the beef becomes very tender. The pan-fried version is not tough, but it's a little chewy.
However, a big advantage of the pan-fried version is that it's super fast- it's ready in 15 minutes, compared with several hours for the slow-cooked version.
Yes. You can add mushrooms and onions during the last hour of cooking.
Yes. Beef stock is darker, richer, and better suited to a beef dish, but chicken stock will work.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
The slow-cooked version is saucy, so I like to serve it over something that will soak up those yummy juices. Here are some great options:
- Mashed cauliflower
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini noodles
- Baked spaghetti squash
- Mashed butternut squash
- Shirataki noodles
- Hearts of Palm pasta
I also add a green side dish, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted green beans, or oven-roasted broccoli.
The pan-fried version is ready so fast that I usually serve it with a salad. The photo below shows pan-fried heart slices served with mixed greens dressed with ranch dressing.
Recipe Card
Beef Heart Recipe: Slow-Cooked or Pan-Fried
Video
Ingredients
- 1 beef heart - 1.5 pounds
- 1 cup beef stock
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Slow-Cooked Version:
- Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the heart into 1-inch cubes. If they have a thick fat layer, you can trim some of it. Place the cubes in the slow cooker pan.1 beef heart
- Add the beef stock. Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano.1 cup beef stock, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Use a slotted spoon to temporarily transfer the heart to a plate, and strain the cooking liquids into a saucepan. Return the meat to the slow cooker, cover it, and set it to warm.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water. Stir this cornstarch slurry and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter into the liquids in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Transfer the stew to plates. Top with the sauce, garnish with parsley and serve.2 tablespoons parsley
Pan-Fried Version:
- Trim the fat and veins, slice the heart into ½-inch thick slices, and season them.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. When the butter starts foaming, add the heart slices in a single layer. Cook them for about 2 minutes per side. Don't overcook (however, the USDA recommends cooking beef organ meats to 160°F).
- Transfer to plates, pour the pan juices on top, and serve.
Notes
- Adjust to taste: Seasonings, especially salt, are guidelines. Adjust to taste.
- Add veggies: You can add mushrooms and onions during the last hour of cooking.
- Trimming the heart: The heart will likely have a fat layer. You can trim some of it before cooking if it's very thick. When I pan-fry the heart, I also trim the veins. You can cut them off with scissors. But slow cooking softens the tough parts, so trimming them is unnecessary, although it doesn't hurt.
- Thickening the cooking liquids: Instead of steps 4-5, you can thicken the cooking liquid by adding a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water directly to the slow cooker pan at the end of cooking. Mix in this slurry, cover, and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
- Storage: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Pan-fried version ingredients: 1.5 pounds beef heart, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons butter.
- Pan-fried version nutrition for ¼ recipe: 243 calories, 1 g carbs, 30 g protein, 12 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 358 mg sodium.
Nutrition per Serving
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Carnette says
I want to slow cook my beef heart all day. Could I slow cook it on low? If so, how many hours is recommended?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Carnette,
You can use the slow cooker version and cook the heart for 7-8 hours on LOW, but it might be ready (fork-tender) after 7 hours, and if cooked for too long, it will disintegrate.
Most modern slow cookers automatically switch to "Warm" after a set time. If yours has this feature, set it for 8 hours on Low, and then let it sit on Warm.
Because the meat will be more tender after 8 hours on low, be extra gentle when using the slotted spoon to move it to a plate. It may be more prone to breaking apart than the 4-hour version.