Group · Condiments & sauces
Beef broth
Beef broth is an aromatic liquid made by slowly cooking beef meat, bones and vegetables (carrot, onion, leek, celery) flavoured with a bouquet garni. It comes in several forms: homemade broth, dehydrated stock cubes, powder or ready-to-use cartons. Very low in calories, with only 6.14 kcal per 100 g, it delivers intense flavour for very little fat. It is a valuable ally for tasty, light cooking, and the base of soups, potages, risottos, sauces and stews. Its richness in aromas lets you lift dishes without excess fat, which makes it useful in a balanced diet that keeps an eye on the waistline.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 6 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 26 kJ |
| Protein | 0,9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0,4 g |
| Fat | 0,2 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Copper0,04 mg4 %
- Vitamin B30,63 mg4 %
- Vitamin B120,07 µg3 %
- Manganese0,03 mg1 %
- Iron0,17 mg1 %
- Vitamin B20,02 mg1 %
- Vitamin B91,75 µg1 %
- Calcium5,5 mg1 %
See the other 9 nutrients
- Vitamin B60,01 mg1 %
- Magnesium2 mg1 %
- Zinc0,05 mg0 %
- Vitamin B50,02 mg0 %
- Vitamin B10 mg0 %
- Vitamin E0,01 mg0 %
- Omega-6 LA0,01 g0 %
- Phosphorus0,01 mg0 %
- Potassium0,01 mg0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Beef broth is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. Its nutrition facts are minimal (6.14 kcal, 0.85 g of protein, 0.36 g of carbohydrate and 0.15 g of fat per 100 g), which makes it an excellent way to add flavour without weighing down your dishes. It serves as a liquid base for cooking rice, quinoa, starchy foods or vegetables, but also for deglazing a pan or building a sauce.
How to use it? Choose a homemade version or a low-salt product. The main thing to watch is the sodium content of commercial stock cubes and powders, which is often high. Check the labels if you are careful about your salt, and compare it with the table salt you already use. To lift flavour without adding more salt, play with herbs and spices, pepper, bay leaf or thyme.
- Soups and potages: an ideal base for comforting, light dishes;
- Stews: pot-au-feu, bourguignon, flavoursome risottos;
- Cooking: use it instead of water to cook grains and give them character;
- Sauces: deglaze and bind without excess fat.
Storage: homemade broth keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or several months in the freezer (handy in ice cube trays for easy measuring). Stock cubes and powders keep for a long time at room temperature.
For active people: beef broth is a useful rehydrating and remineralising hot drink, notably thanks to its sodium content after intense, sweaty exercise. Low in calories, it can go with a savoury snack or start a recovery meal without weighing on your total energy intake. For muscle gain, combine it with sources of protein and carbohydrate; to find out more about balancing your intake, see our guide to fitness nutrition.
For weight control, its very low calorie density is a plus for adding volume and flavour to plates without weighing down the total. You can find it among the other condiments and sauces, or compare its calories with those of chicken broth. Just stay vigilant about the salt and the quality of processed products.