What's the number one salt that takes your carnivore diet meals from bland to bold? Sea salt is hands down the best and healthiest salt option to flavor your carnivore dishes and make them super savory and delicious.
The carnivore diet, also known as the all meat diet, focuses on eating only animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and small amounts of dairy. While this diet eliminates sugar, grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, it doesn't have to be boring or tasteless.
Adding the right high-quality salts can provide that flavor boost your carnivore meals need without compromising the diet. Let's look at the best salt options and how to use them to make your carnivore diet anything but bland.
Not All Salts Are Created Equal
Table salt, sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, Celtic sea salt – when glancing at the salt section of your grocery store or browsing online stores, the options can seem endless. However, not all salt is the same in terms of nutritional content and how it impacts flavor.
When determining the best salts for a carnivore lifestyle, two key factors come into play:
Mineral Content
Unlike highly processed table salt, minimally refined salt contains traces of various minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Choosing a salt packed with natural minerals helps you obtain micronutrients that may be lacking from an all-meat diet.
The takeaway: Seek out salts that retain minerals from their natural source rather than being heavily processed.
Flavor Profile
While salt generally enhances and deepens the flavor of food, subtle taste differences exist between salts from various sources. The texture also impacts how quickly and evenly a salt dissolves to coat your food.
The bottom line: Find a salt with a taste and texture that complements the bold, savory flavors of meat and animal foods.
By keeping these two factors in mind, you can identify the ideal salts to use in your carnivore kitchen that add valuable minerals and tantalizing flavor.
The Best Salts for Cooking Carnivore
Ready to step up your salt game and make your ribeye, brisket, or lamb chops even more crave-worthy?
Here are my top recommendations for salts that pair perfectly with meat-based meals:
1. Himalayan Pink Salt
Known for its signature rosy hue, Himalayan pink salt is a go-to seasoning for many carnivores. This salt is harvested from ancient sea salt deposits in the Punjab region of Pakistan. It contains trace amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. The minerals add subtle but complex flavor notes.
Due to its coarse grains, Himalayan pink salt grinds nicely to coat meat before cooking. Sprinkle it on just before searing a steak or burger to bring out the juicy, savory notes. The hearty crystals also create excellent texture when used to finish a dish.
Pro Tip: Add a cracked Himalayan salt crust to your next roast for finger-licking results.
2. Redmond Real Salt
If you're sourcing from sustainable American companies, look to Redmond Real Salt. This salt is made by evaporating sea water harvested from Redmond, Utah.
With its mild, smooth taste, it integrates seamlessly with the star of the show – your meat. It contains over 60 trace minerals to support a carnivore diet, including zinc and iron that you may not get enough of from muscle meats alone.
Redmond makes various convenient salt grinds perfect for finishing pork chops, chicken wings, meatballs, and more. It dissolves remarkably quick, making it a great salt for general cooking and sauteing.
3. Smoked Sea Salt
For carnivores who crave bold, smokey flavors, smoked sea salt is sure to satisfy. These salt flakes are cold smoked over a wood fire, infusing them with potent smoky flavor and aroma.
Smoked salt comes in a range of woods like hickory, applewood, alder, and mesquite. The choice comes down to your particular preference. Applewood tends to be milder, while mesquite has a more prominent smoke punch.
A little bit of smoked sea salt goes a long way to add that quintessential barbecue essence.
Insider Tip: Lightly sprinkle smoked salt on steaks before grilling, bacon before cooking, and burgers just after forming the patty.
4. Celery Salt
While celery salt isn't pure salt, it's an auto-include in my carnivore diet seasoning arsenal.
It's a blend of salt and dried ground celery seed. The addition of celery seed provides a distinctive flavor that I think pairs perfectly with beef.
I love sprinkling it on top of my famous carnivore chili recipe or rubbing it into a tri-tip before grilling. It provides a tasty pop of flavor.
Just be sure to check the label for additives and opt for celery salt without anti-caking agents. It should just contain salt and celery seed.
5. Black Lava Sea Salt
Made from sea salt crystals blended with activated charcoal, black lava salt brings visual appeal and exotic flavor. These dramatic black flakes pair perfectly with a nicely marbled ribeye or strip steak.
The charcoal is alkaline, which balances the acidity of meat. Many carnivores find it helps reduce “meat hangovers” that can come from eating lots of acidic muscle tissue. It also aids digestion.
Word to the Wise: Black lava salt contains slightly less sodium by volume compared to other salts since charcoal is lighter than salt. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
Due to its mild mineral taste, it layers nicely with other spices and herbs. Try a pat of grass-fed butter sprinkled with black lava sea salt on top of your grilled steak for a restaurant-worthy presentation.
Make Your Own Custom Salt Blends
Once you understand the unique flavor profiles of various salts, you can take your meat seasoning to the next level by making customized blends. This allows you to create the perfect medley of minerals and flavors that cater to your palette.
Some tasty carnivore-friendly salt blends may include:
Herb blend – Mixed dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) + Redmond Real Salt
Smokey mesquite – Smoked sea salt + mesquite powder + garlic powder
Lemon pepper – Lemon zest + cracked black pepper + Himalayan pink salt
Chili lime – Lime zest + chili powder + Redmond Real Salt
Get creative and find combinations that make your tastebuds sing! Adjust ratios and experiment with layering flavors. Making your own signature spice mixes ensures high-quality ingredients tailored to your nutritional needs.
How to Salt Meat Before Cooking?
A common mistake people make is adding salt too early before cooking meat. Salting well in advance draws out moisture, resulting in a drier, tougher finished product.
Here are tips on when to season with salt for tender, juicy results:
- Steaks, chops, etc. – Salt just before cooking. Pat seasoning evenly over all sides.
- Roasts, whole birds – Salt 1 hour or less before cooking. This gives time for salt to penetrate deeper.
- Burgers – Salt after forming patties. This prevents over-mixing the meat.
- Eggs – Adding a pinch of salt to scrambled eggs once they start thickening avoids watery eggs.
Remove meat from refrigeration about 30 minutes before cooking so it approaches room temp. Then apply salts to maximize even absorption.
Key Takeaway: Wait to add salt until right before cooking to keep meat moist and salty flavor distributed evenly.
Keep your salt intake Moderate
Mineral salts can certainly make your carnivore fare more palatable and nutritious. However, it’s wise not to go overboard. Too much salt may impair kidney function, elevate blood pressure, and leach calcium from bones over time.
Here are some tips for keeping salt intake moderate:
- Drink extra water to avoid dehydration and fluid retention from excess sodium.
- Focus on getting sufficient potassium from meat and organs to maintain electrolyte balance.
- Listen to your body’s signals – thirst, bloating or blood pressure changes may indicate too much salt for your needs.
- Wean off added salt gradually if moving from a higher carb to carnivore diet. As the kidneys adapt, salt needs often decrease.
Adding a pinch here and there of mineral-rich, flavor-enhancing salts can highlight the taste of fresh animal foods. Pay attention to your body’s feedback and adjust intake accordingly for optimal health.
Peter's Tips for Using Salt on a Carnivore Diet
Now that you know which salts to use, here are some tips for incorporating salt into your carnivore diet:
- Keep salt shakers on the table to sprinkle salt on food at meals. I prefer Redmond Real Salt for this purpose.
- When cooking meat and eggs, season throughout the cooking process—before, during, and after. The salt penetrates and tenderizes.
- Try mixing up flavored salts like Himalayan Salt and smoked sea salt to use when cooking different proteins. Get creative!
- Use finishing salts like flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top of meat before serving for texture and crunch.
- When making sauces, soups, or chilies let it simmer with salt in the recipe, then adjust to taste at the end.
- Salt meats before grilling, broiling, or pan-searing to boost flavor.
Flavorful Salts Take Your Carnivore Meals Up a Notch
Cooking carnivore opens up a world of possibilities – pan searing, slow roasting, grilling low and slow, pressure cooking tougher cuts until tender and juicy…
Choosing quality salts to add minerals and tantalizing taste makes this nutritious way of eating even more satisfying.
So grab some Himalayan pink salt, Redmond Real Salt, or black lava sea salt and start crafting mouthwatering carnivore creations. Your tastebuds will thank you, and your health will benefit from the natural minerals they provide.
Here’s to tasty salted ribeyes, juicy lamb chops, smoky grilled chicken and more. Let the carnivore feasts begin!