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    Home » Keto Dinner Ideas » Classic Keto Beef Stew

    Published: Jan 6, 2022 · Modified: Jan 13, 2023 by Carolyn

    Classic Keto Beef Stew

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    2.8K shares
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    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.

    A ladle full of keto beef stew being lifted out of the Dutch oven.

    Why you will love this 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.

    That’s not strictly true, as I have a few delicious stew recipes in some of my cookbooks, including Easy Keto Dinners and Keto Soups and Stews.

    I also 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!

    And it has all the hallmarks of a rich and hearty meal:

    • 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
    • Easy to make ahead for keto meal prep

    What readers are saying!

    “I made this beef stew tonight and my husband says it is a keeper. He swears no one would guess it is a keto recipe. He has tried many keto dishes in the last 2 years and this is by far his favorite. It was so good. Thank you Carolyn for making this a lifestyle that I can live with. I have not had to use insulin in almost 2 years.” — Cathy

    “I’ve made this 3 weeks in a row it’s that good!!!” — Jess

    “Carolyn, I love your blog, you are my go to for many keto recipes. This beef stew was excellent. I have made it 4 times now and everyone has loved it. Thank you!” — Nancy

    Ingredients you need

    Top down image of ingredients for Keto Beef Stew.
    • Beef stew meat: I like to keep the chunks 1 inch for more even cooking. I use chuck steak, but you can also use London broil. I get good grassfed stew meat from Wild Pastures.
    • Onion: Keep the onions to a minimum, as they add a surprising amount of carbs. I use half a cup for this keto stew to add flavor.
    • Celery: Celery is not only a low carb staple vegetable, it also adds a great flavor for soups and stews.
    • Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are so aromatic. I recommend fresh rosemary or thyme.
    • Garlic: Choose fresh garlic over garlic powder for the best flavor.
    • Red wine: If you don’t drink wine, substitute with another ½ cup of beef broth, but take the time to reduce it as you would with the wine. It will help deepen the flavor overall.
    • Low carb vegetables: I favor turnip and zucchini, but you can also add mushrooms and celery root (celeriac).
    • Carrots: I only use a small amount of carrots because they add nice colour to the stew. Feel free to sub in some red pepper for colour instead.
    • Glucomannan: This is my favorite way to thicken broth, but you can also use xanthan gum instead. If using xanthan gum, remove some broth to a bowl. Sprinkle the xanthan gum overtop and whisk in quickly. Then return to the pot and stir in to combine.
    • Pantry staples: vegetable oil, tomato paste, beef broth, salt and pepper.

    How to make keto beef stew

    A collage of 6 images showing how to make Keto Beef Stew.

    1. Brown the beef: Pat the beef dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 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.

    2. Sauté the aromatics: Remove the beef to a bowl and add the onion and celery, stirring until tender. Stir in the rosemary, tomato paste, and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.

    3. Add the wine and broth: 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.

    4. Transfer to the oven: Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, transfer to a 325ºF oven and let cook for 1 hour.

    5. Add the veggies: 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.

    6. 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.

    Top down image of a white bowl filled with keto beef stew beside a striped grey napkin.

    Expert Tips

    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. So I am passing these tips on to you!

    Brown the beef in batches. Unless you have a really large Dutch oven, you won’t be able to fit in all the beef at once. To brown properly, each piece of stew meat should touch the bottom of the pan. Make sure to brown them on each side for the best flavor.

    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.

    Transfer to the oven. You could cook the stew entirely on the stovetop but the oven saves time and energy. When it’s on the stove, you have to turn the element up and down frequently to achieve a constant low simmer. The oven at 325ºF is better for maintaining a constant temperature.

    More ways to prepare this keto stew recipe:

    • Slow Cooker: I highly recommend browning the beef properly first. Use a pan over the stove to brown in batches before transferring to the slow cooker. It will need 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
    • Instant Pot: Brown the beef using the Sauté function and cut back the liquid even more. Pressure cookers force so much liquid out of meats and veggies, it will end up soupy if you add more than ½ cup of broth. Cook it for 20 minutes on the stew function, then add the veggies and cook another 15 minutes or so.
    A blue Dutch oven filled with hearty keto beef stew.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you eat carrots on the keto diet?

    Carrots are not the lowest carb of veggies but they do add a nice pop of color to soups and stews. I only used about ¼ cup of sliced carrot, which adds less than half a gram of carbs per serving. Feel free to sub in some red pepper for color instead.

    How can I thicken my stew without carbs?

    Glucomannan is the best way to thicken recipes like soup, stew, or keto gravy.
    It has a better texture than xanthan gum and doesn’t have that slimy quality. However, if you do use xanthan gum, the best thing to do is to remove some of the broth, whisk it quickly into that, and then stir it back into the stew.

    How many carbs are in keto beef stew?

    This keto beef stew recipe has 5.8g of carbs and 1.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.2g net carbs per bowl of stew.

    Serve this fabulous beef stew with:

    • Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
    • Coconut Cauliflower Rice
    • Easy Keto Biscuits
    • Easy Keto Breadsticks
    • Keto Focaccia Bread
    • Spaghetti Squash Casserole
    Two white bowls filled with classic keto beef stew.
    Graphic for Wild Pastures deal.

    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 29 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.

    Video

    Notes

    Storage Information: Store 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.
    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.
    2.8K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

    Reader Interactions

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Margaret says

      March 17, 2023 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, my goodness! It’s cooking now in my slow cooker for tonight on St. Patrick’s Day. The aroma is wonderful. I had to sample it. 😋

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 17, 2023 at 1:37 pm

        Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Valerie Ingersoll says

      March 05, 2023 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      This was sooo good. My husband said it was the best beef stew he gad ever eaten.

      Reply
    3. Lisa S says

      January 29, 2023 at 2:02 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious! I would not have tried turnips until I found your blog – and now we LOVE them!! The only thing I change in this is that I use beef tallow instead of vegetable oil. I have found that vegetable/seed oils are very inflammatory for me nad have learned that animal fats are actually quite nutritious and healthy. So very delicious! Thank you for all your recipes!!

      Reply
    4. Kristy says

      January 14, 2023 at 8:38 am

      This stew looks amazing! While reading I noticed a link to Hungarian Goulash that just leads right back to the Classic Stew page. Can you repost the link to the goulash or is it a modification of the classic stew that I’m missing? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 15, 2023 at 3:14 pm

        I have removed that recipe from my website for now.

        Reply
        • Rhonda says

          January 29, 2023 at 12:09 pm

          5 stars
          This stew is amazing and hearty! I also love a good Goulash– I patiently await the return of your recipe for the Hungarian Goulash🙌😊

          Reply
    5. Tammy says

      January 08, 2023 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! I made this delicious beef stew today and we all loved it. I modified it slightly, using what I had on hand (venison for example), but stayed true to the recipe overall. Thanks for the comments on using an Instant Pot. I followed the usual cooking under pressure guidelines for the venison, kept the liquid to 1/2 cup as you suggested, and it cooked up just super. Thanks Carolyn!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 08, 2023 at 8:06 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    6. Kathie says

      December 31, 2022 at 2:17 pm

      I have tried roasted radishes as a good sub for potatoes. I don’t understand why roasting takes away their sharp flavor. I thought you might, so my question is- do you think the same would happen if cooked in the way this recipe calls for? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 02, 2023 at 10:25 pm

        Yes, probably.

        Reply
    7. Brenda says

      December 22, 2022 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      very tasty even with my mistake of pulling my lamb stew meat out of the freezer instead of the beef. slightly different flavor. Can’t wait to try it with the beef instead!

      I’ve been watching your blog forever but I’ve finally realized with an auto immune disorder that keep its going to need to be a total way of life for me. your blog is going to be my go to place when I start making my own dinners.

      thank you Carolyn.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 23, 2022 at 8:28 am

        Lamb stew is fabulous!

        Reply
    8. Samantha Whitson says

      December 21, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful, classic & could not be more straightforward ~ thanks so much!

      Reply
    9. Catherine Paterson says

      December 13, 2022 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      So so so so good. This is the recipe to use.

      Reply
    10. Cathy Warren says

      December 08, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      I made this beef stew tonight and my husband says it is a keeper. He swears no one would guess it is a keto recipe. He has tried many keto dishes in the last 2 years and this is by far his favorite. It was so good. Thank you Carolyn for making this a lifestyle that I can live with. I have not had to use insulin in almost 2 years.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 08, 2022 at 10:15 pm

        So glad to hear it!

        Reply
    11. Sarah G says

      December 03, 2022 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      My husband is newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic. Your web site has been so helpful as we learn to navigate a new lifestyle. We’ve tried many recipes so far, and this is by far the favorite! I’ve printed it to add to our family favorites album. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 05, 2022 at 7:51 pm

        I am so glad to help!

        Reply
    12. Jennifer Summerall says

      October 24, 2022 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      THIS IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!
      My husband said this has to be the best meal I have ever made, he loved it that much.
      Thank you Carolyn, for this amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 25, 2022 at 7:52 am

        Wow, that’s such a lovely comment, thank you!

        Reply
    13. amyh says

      September 15, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      Now that I am cooing Keto, every corner I turn there is a new supplement or ingredient that I’ve never heard of. Can you give anymore info on the glucommanan? Is it a good supplement for fiber and prebiotics? Is it used as a thickening agent? If you have other supplements or such that add to or work with the Keto diet that are beneficial in cooking or otherwise, please inform away? Love the information and recipes:)))

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 15, 2022 at 4:41 pm

        I do not take it as a supplement. As I point out in the post, it’s to thicken the broth. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-205/glucomannan

        Reply
    14. Chenoa says

      May 27, 2022 at 2:17 am

      Hi. Is there anything you can substitute for the Glucomannan?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 27, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        Xanthan gum

        Reply
    15. Beverly Harper says

      February 06, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Really fast, easy and good.

      Reply
    16. Nancy Knowles says

      January 30, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      Carolyn, I love your blog, you are my go to for many keto recipes. This beef stew was excellent. I have made it 4 times now and everyone has loved it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 30, 2022 at 2:27 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    17. Jess says

      January 29, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this 3 weeks in a row it’s that good!!!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 29, 2022 at 6:52 pm

        Wow!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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