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What to eat in Spain? Top 10 Spanish Beef Cattle Breeds

Last update: Sat Mar 22 2025
Top 10 Spanish Beef Cattle Breeds
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Spanish Beef Cattle Breed Types

01
Ternera Asturiana
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Ternera Asturiana is fresh beef from the Asturiana de Los Valles and Asturiana de la Montaña cows that are born, reared and fattened in the Principality of Asturias. Depending on the age of the animal at slaughter, two categories of this meat can be found on the market.


One category is Ternera meat from cattle slaughtered at a maximum of 12 months old and Añojo, from cattle slaughtered at between 12 and 18 months of age. Ternera Asturiana meat is valued for its superior flavor and tenderness.

02

Veal

GALICIA, Spain
4.1
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Ternera Gallega is veal of the indigenous Rubia Gallega and Morena Gallega breeds that are born, raised and slaughtered in Galicia. The meat that is sold under the yellow-labeled Ternera category comes from calves bred in small family farms fed on fodder of vegetable origin and cereals.


The meat sold under the pink certification label of the Suprema category comes from calves bred in traditional farming that are fed exclusively with their mother's milk until they are seven months old. Characterized by its light pink to pale red color and creamy light yellow fat that has, the meat of Ternera Gallega is exquisitely soft, succulent and flavorful.

03

Beef Cattle Breed

CASTILE AND LEÓN, Spain
3.8
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Carne de Ávila beef comes from the Iberian Black Avileña breed or a cross breed between cows of the Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed and breeding bulls of the integrated Charolais and Limousin breeds.


The animals fall in one of three categories depending on their age; calf, yearling or young bull. This beef is highly valued due to its bright red color and intense flavor. Meat fibres are intertwined with white fat that gives this meat very juicy flesh with a firm consistency.

04
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Ternera de Navarra is fresh beef from the Pirenaica, Pardo alpina, Blonde d'Aquitaine and Charolais cow breeds, reared and slaughtered in the Navarra area. The first four to six months of their lives they suckle their mother’s milk and later roam freely on the pastures.


Their feed mostly consists of cereals, soy beans and legumes as defined by the Regulating Authority. The animals are slaughtered in a controlled environment, and their meat is immediately labeled and refrigerated. In order to make the meat more tender and succulent, it is matured for seven days before being put on the market. 
05

Beef Cattle Breed

PROVINCE OF SALAMANCA, Spain
n/a
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Carne de Salamanca is beef from the Morucha breed traditionally pastured in the province of Salamanca. The herbs and plants found in the mountains and in the meadows where animals graze freely give this beef its characteristic taste and texture.


This highly valued meat is bright pink to red in color and has very fine muscle fibres with evenly distributed fat. All this contributes to this meat being juicy and tender with a distinctive taste and flavor. There are three categories of Carne de Salamanca depending on the time of the slaughter; Ternera, Añojo and Cebón.

06
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Carne de Cantabria is beef that comes from the Tudanca, Monchina, Asturian, Highland Brown and Limousin breeds grown in the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. There are four categories of this beef depending on the age when slaughtered; Ternera, Añojo, Novilla and Buey.


Whenever possible, the animals graze on the meadows and mountain pastures. The grasses, pulses, and other plants found there, give this meat its intense and characteristic flavor. This beef is highly valued because of its bright red color and intense flavor, and the balance between lean meat and fat provides this meat with a certain juiciness and firmness.

07
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Ternera de Extremadura is the fresh veal produced exclusively from meat of the indigenous Retinta, Avileña-Black Iberian, Morucha, Berrendas and White Caceres breeds, raised in the autonomous community of Extremadura.


There are three variants of this veal depending on the age of the animals: heifer (Ternera)- animals between seven and 12 months, whose meat is bright red, firm and slightly moist; yearlings (Añojo) – animals between 12 and 16 months whose meat is light red to purple and has a fine texture; and bullocks (Novillo) – animals between 16 and 36 months whose meat is cherry red, moist and has a medium amount of intramuscular fat. 
08
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Ternera de Los Pirineos Catalanes is veal obtained from the Pyrenean Brown, Aubrac, and Gascon breeds that adapted to the climate conditions of the region and were reared in the open air. The area of production includes both the Spanish and the French part of the Catalan Pyrenees that is a culturally and geographically homogeneous area.


The animals graze freely in the mountains and are fed on a mixture of cereals and ground leguminous grains. No chemicals or by-products can be added to the feed. The animals are slaughtered in a controlled environment using traditional methods to ensure the superior quality. 
09
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Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama is beef or veal from the Avileña-Negra Ibérica, Limousin, and Charolais breeds produced in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. The animals are left to graze freely on the mountains and in the meadows, consequently making the meat more flavorful and tender.


Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama is highly valued because of its bright red color and intense flavor, and the balance between lean meat and fat provides this meat with a certain juiciness and firmness. The cattle for this beef falls into one of these three categories, depending on the time of the slaughter; Ternera, Añojo and Cebón, slaughtered before their 14th, 16th and 18th month of life, respectively.

10
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Ternera de Aliste is the veal of cattle aged between 8 and 12 months, raised in Castilla y Leon. Depending on the production method, a distinction is made depending whether they are milk or pasture fed. Ternera de Aliste is characterized by its evenly distributed, pearly-white fat and a firm, slightly moist muscle tissue.


Its color ranges from light pink in the case of milk-fed animals to bright red in the case of the pasture-fed animals. The minimum maturation period for the meat is four days. Ternera de Aliste is very tender and juicy, with a delicate taste and smell. 

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Spanish Beef Cattle Breeds