Newsflash! Comfort food does not have to mean carb-heavy meals! This Keto Beef Stew captures all the cozy, savory goodness of the original without the unnecessary carbs. The slow simmered beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and the hearty low carb vegetables soak up all the rich flavor. The velvety broth brings the whole dish together.
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.
Reader’s Thoughts
“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
Over the years, I’ve made countless versions of this stew, tweaking it a little here and there until I got it just right. I wanted something that was rich and flavorful enough to satisfy everyone in my family, even the keto-skeptics. And while one of my kids tends to eat around the zucchini, they all adore this hearty keto dinner recipe.
Oh and the fragrance that emanates through the house while it’s simmering away is pure heaven. It is one of my favorite high protein meals during the cold weather months. It’s nourishing, easy to make, and guaranteed to please everyone at the table.
Why you will love this keto beef 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.
- Easy to make ahead for keto meal prep.
- Cook in the oven, slow cooker, or instant pot.
- 30 grams of protein and only 4.2 grams net carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef stew meat: I typically use chuck steak, but you can also use London broil.
- Onion: Keep the onions to a minimum, as they add a surprising amount of carbs.
- Celery: Celery adds a great flavor to keto soups and stews.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs add wonderful flavor and aroma. 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 half cup of beef broth, but take the time to reduce it as you would with the wine.
- Low carb vegetables: I favor turnip and zucchini, but you can also add mushrooms. celeriac, or rutabaga.
- Carrots: A small amount of carrots adds nice color to the stew. Feel free to sub in some red pepper for color instead.
- Glucomannan: This is my favorite way to thicken broth, but you can also use xanthan gum instead. See the Tips for Success for more information on this substitute.
- Pantry staples: vegetable oil, tomato paste, beef broth, salt and pepper.
Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Brown the beef: Season the meat with salt and pepper then brown all sides in a hot Dutch oven.
- Sauté the aromatics: Remove the beef to a bowl and add the onion and celery. Stir in the rosemary, tomato paste, and garlic, and cook until fragrant.
- Add liquids: Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, then add the beef and any accumulated juices back into the pan.
- Transfer to the oven: Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
- Add the veggies: Add the zucchini, turnip, and carrots, and continue to cook until tender.
- 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.
Tips for Success
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.
Xanthan gum. To use this thickener, you want to remove about half a cup of broth from the stew at the end. Place in a bowl and sprinkle the surface with xanthan gum while whisking continuously. Then add the thickened broth back into the stew and mix to combine.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker Method. 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 Method. Brown the beef using the Sauté function. Cut the broth back to half a cup, as pressure cookers force a lot of liquid out of meats and veggies. Cook it for 20 minutes on the stew function, then add the veggies and cook another 15 minutes or so.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 1/4 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.
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.
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.
What to serve with keto beef stew
Keto Beef Stew Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup (80 g) diced onion
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary or thyme
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 g) red wine
- 1 cup (240 g) beef broth
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 small turnip, cubed
- 1/2 small carrot, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) glucomannan
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
Nutrition
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.
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My go-to soup right now since it’s been so cold! I love how hearty and healthy this is.
Made this a couple of weeks ago and it was SOOOOO good! First time I’ve used fresh rosemary in beef stew. It really added something to the flavor profile. Next time I may try fresh thyme to see which I like better.
This was soooooo good! I made it in the instant pot and instead of adding the veggies at the end I added everything together and I added the full amount of liquid. I cooked it for 45 mins on the stew setting (my IP isn’t the best). By the time it was done the meat was so tender and the veggies were cooked down so they made the stew thick! I did add 1/2 tsp of xantham gum but didn’t really need it. My kids approved and had seconds. It was so satisfying. Thank you so much!
Hi. Did you just put it all in the IP. Do I have to brown the meat first? I am new to IP.
I highly recommend browning the meat first for better flavor but you can do that with the sauté function on the IP.
Yes I used the sauté function on the IP to brown the meat first which I did in batches. Just made it again today. This is deff a favourite!
I am making this stew for supper right now smells amazing I make something of yours almost every day all your recipes are so good so easy love all your recipes ❤️????????
The BEST stew I have ever made ~ thank youCarolyn for another amazing recipe!
Wow, I am so happy to hear that!
It was what’s for dinner tonight. Beef…. melted in our mouth. Broth…. savory and delicious. Next time I will cut veggies larger but they were still good. Had some mushrooms that needed to be used so added those. Have leftovers to freeze for another day. Love that. Topped it off with the lemon pudding cake. The meal was perfect for a chilly winter evening. Thank you.
Made today. Delicious. Rich and savory. Very satisfying. I’ve never like turnips growing up but, the combo of all these flavors made them delicious. I followed directions to a T Exceptions: Added mushrooms (because I love them) Used Xanthum gum because I had it on hand.
So glad to hear it!
I made this with what I had on hand on this very bitter winter day. I used hamburger, a bag of frozen zoodles and a small bag of baby carrots and pretty much followed the rest of the recipe except I used about 3 cups beef broth and let it bake covered in the oven for 3 1/2 hours. The house smells amazing! I used 1 teaspoon of glucomannan to thicken. The zoodles broke down and helped thicken the stew. Thank you for sharing this recipe that warmed the tummy!
Not quite the same recipe but a great way to use up what you have on hand! 🙂 So glad it worked well!
Can I use xanthum gum as a thickener if I don’t have the other?
Yes… but 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.
Is xanthan gum a workable thickener here? I have copious amounts of that. Haven’t located glucommanan close by yet.
Yes… but 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.
What cut of beef do you use for this stew? Thanks!!!
Chuck steak is usually what’s used for stew meat, if you aren’t purchasing it cut up already.
Can I use cornstarch instead of the glucomann?
You have to use cornstarch very differently and mix it with a liquid before adding it. Feel free to experiment but it will add carbs.
Can I use Arrowroot instead of Glucomann?
You need to dissolve arrowroot in water first, like cornstarch. It will also add some carbs.
Hi I want to make this but can we really have turnip
I am not sure what you’re asking. Do you mean are turnips high carb? No, very much not, they are quite low in carbs.
I love beef stew. I also add chopped daikon. Very similar to potatoes but need to add to the stewnear the start as needs to cook longer to soften.
Sounds delicious! Has anyone tried this in a crockpot or pressure cooker?
Did you read the FAQ?
Thank you for not being a Keto Clone. I have seen so many new Keto sites and advice it’s ridiculous. So again thank you doing what I need most keeping it simply delicious.
Well thanks!