If you think that the best beef broth is whatever beef broth is closest to your cart as you roll down the soup aisle, think again. There are a lot of very bad beef broths out there. If you want to make the best soup or stew or beefy risotto, you need only the best tasting beef broth. Lucky for you, we tasted through 16 different boxes and cans and found the six best store bought beef broth brands.
I would argue that finding the best beef broth at the store is more useful than finding the best chicken broth or the best vegetable broth. Because making your own veggie broth or chicken broth is, while time consuming, easy and accessible. Making beef broth is tougher. You can easily ask the butcher for some leftover chicken back bones and wings—but beef bones are harder to come by and beef itself is expensive. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, you’re welcome.
When it came to judging the best store bought beef broth (and best beef bone broth), we looked for actual flavor. While stock can get away with being fairly bland—it’s more about texture—broth needs to have flavor. It doesn’t need to taste like ready-to-eat soup, but it does need to taste like something—preferably beef. And a little seasoning doesn’t hurt. If I’m buying broth, it’s because I want to add liquid that enhances the flavor of a dish. If it doesn’t have any flavor, then I might as well just use water.
Here’s the best tasting beef broth (and the best beef bone broth) you can buy at the store.
- Zoup! Bone Broth Seasoned with Beef
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If you are looking for a basic beef bone broth that is both a good base for a soup or stew and acceptable to drink straight, look no further. Zoup! is the best beef broth brand for you. The ingredients are beef bone broth, natural flavor, yeast extract, and sea salt. It’s earthy, beefy, rich, and just salty enough. It’s a blank slate for you to layer on your own flavors.
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- Epic Jalapeño Beef Bone Broth
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Don’t worry, even though there’s jalapeño in the mix, this bone broth isn’t too spicy. It’s subtle. But the broth itself is anything but. This hearty bone broth is flavored with garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and mushroom (which add even more umami depth). This is the best beef broth to sip straight, because it’s that flavorful.
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- Kettle & Fire Lemongrass Ginger Beef Bone Broth
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If you’re looking for a shortcut for homemade pho, this is the best store bought beef broth out there. In our best bone broth ranking, Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo wrote that, “The lemongrass and ginger complement the savory beef flavor of this broth in a lovely way.” It’s citrusy, it’s herbaceous, it’s complex, and if you throw some noodles into it, it’s dinner.
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- Swanson 50% Less Sodium Beef Broth
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You’d never know this beef broth had 50% less sodium than Swanson’s classic beef broth. It’s still salty and savory with a good beefy flavor and a hint of sweet carrot. If you’re making a brothy soup and don’t want a ton of sodium, this is the best beef broth for your pantry.
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- Fond Tomato Thyme and Garlic Beef Bone Broth
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Yes, there’s tomato in here, but this bone broth is all about the beef. The tomato actually helps accentuate the beefy flavor. It’s an intensely beefy beef broth that would be totally perfect as a base for French onion soup. It’s much more versatile than you might think, which is good because it’s not cheap!
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- College Inn Beef Broth
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What can I say? I’m a sucker for super savory flavors. This broth smells like Top Ramen. It’s extremely well seasoned and you can taste a ton of veggies in the mix, as well—celery is particularly present. A cup of this will instantly amp of the flavor of any recipe. Use it for braising. Use it to deglaze a pan. Definitely use this as the base for a super-simple soup. Beef and barley? Beef noodle soup? Borscht? All better thanks to this beef broth. It’s the best beef broth we tried in this taste test, hands down. And it’s way cheaper than any bone broth.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best Basic Bone Broth
Best to Drink Straight
Best for Pho
Best Lower Sodium
Best Umami
Best of the Best
Other beef broth brands we tried: O Organics Low Sodium Beef Broth, Sam’s Choice Beef Bone Broth, O Organics Beef Bone Broth, Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth, O Organics Beef Broth, Kettle & Fire Beef Broth, Pacific Foods Beef Broth, Campbell’s Beef Broth, Great Value Unsalted Beef Broth, Kettle & Fire Low Sodium Beef Broth
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!