Classic Keto Beef Stew

This keto beef stew is made in the classic style, with hearty chunks of beef and vegetables in a rich and savory broth. It’s the kind of comfort food that keeps you warm all winter long.

On the search for a truly delicious and comforting keto meal? Look no further than this keto beef stew recipe. It’s the real deal and tastes almost too good to be low carb and grain-free.

Serve it on its own or serve overtop creamy mashed cauliflower for a hearty and healthy keto family dinner.

What you’ll love about this stew

• Meltingly tender chunks of slow cooked beef
• Hearty vegetables that add flavor and texture
• A rich and thick broth with no grains or flour
• Deep flavor that gets even better as it sits
• A easy keto freezer meal

Inspiration for keto beef stew

I’ve got so many wonderful and popular beefy recipes, such as keto stuffed peppers and mexican cauliflower rice. But I recently realized I was lacking a proper beef stew.

Okay, so that’s not strictly true, as I have a few delicious stew recipes in my cookbooks – Easy Keto Dinners and Keto Soups and Stews.

And I have a delicious low carb Hungarian goulash, which is definitely stew adjacent. But I was simply craving a stew with classic techniques and flavors. And when that craving for comfort food strikes, you’ve got to give in to it!

Ingredients

• Beef stew meat – I like to keep the chunks 1 inch for more even cooking.
• Oil – to brown the stew meat.
• Onion
• Celery
• Fresh herbs – rosemary or thyme
• Tomato paste
• Garlic
• Red wine – you can sub more broth
• Beef broth
• Low carb veggies – I favor turnip and zucchini
• Glucomannan – to thicken the broth

How to make keto beef stew

Everything I learned about making beef stew, I learned from my friends at America’s Test Kitchen. Theirs isn’t keto friendly, of course, but I employed the same basic methods with some major changes.

1. Use a Dutch oven. Stew meat needs to cook low and slow to tenderize. A large heavy-duty pot with a tight fitting lid is the best way to ensure proper braising.
2. Brown the beef in batches. Unless you have a really large Dutch oven, you won’t be able to fit all the beef at once. To brown properly, the each piece of stew meat should be touching the bottom of the pan. Make sure to brown them all on each side for the best flavor.
3. Sauté the onion and celery. Remove the beef to a bowl and add the onion and celery, stirring until tender.
4. Whisk in the herbs and tomato paste. I favor fresh rosemary in keto beef stew but thyme is delicious as well.
5. Add the wine. A little dry red wine really deepens the flavor of stew like this, and most of it cooks off. But you can sub in another ½ cup beef broth if you prefer.
6. Keep the broth to a minimum. Many keto stews suffer from being too soupy. Add only enough broth to allow the meat to cook slowly. 1 to 1 ½ cups is usually enough.
7. Transfer to the oven. I like the stovetop-to-oven method as it allows you to keep the heat at a constant low temperature.
8. Add the veggies toward the end. Low carb vegetables like zucchini and turnip tend to soften much faster than potatoes, so add them only in the last 30 to 45 minutes.
9. Thicken the broth. I like to use glucomannan to thicken the stew, as I find it has a better texture than xanthan gum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Information

Store your keto beef stew in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I swear it gets even better as it sits!

You can also freeze the stew for up to two months in an airtight container.

Classic Keto Beef Stew Recipe

This keto beef stew is made in the classic style, with hearty chunks of beef and vegetables in a rich and savory broth. It's the kind of comfort food that keeps you warm all winter long. 

5 from 14 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto beef stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 444kcal

Equipment

• 1 large Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef stew meat cut into 1 inch chunks
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoon avocado or olive oil divided
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary or thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 medium zucchini chopped
• 1 small turnip cubed
• ½ small carrot chopped (optional)
• ½ teaspoon glucomannan

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Pat the beef dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once hot, add half of the the beef and cook, stirring a few times, until nicely browned on all sides. Remove to a bowl and repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining beef.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the onion and celery until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rosemary, tomato paste, and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
• Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 more minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, then add the beef and any accumulated juices back into the pan.
• Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, transfer to the oven and let cook for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven, add the zucchini, turnip, and carrots, and stir to combine. Return to the oven and cook another 30 to 45 minutes, until tender.
• To thicken the broth, push the meat and vegetables to the side and whisk the glucommanan into the liquid. It will continue to thicken as it sits.

Nutrition Facts

Classic Keto Beef Stew Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = ⅙th of recipe)

Calories 444 Calories from Fat 291

% Daily Value*

Fat 32.3g50%

Carbohydrates 5.8g2%

Fiber 1.6g6%

Protein 30.4g61%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.