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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Tried this recipe tonight and it was so good! I really liked the turnip…I didn’t even miss the potatoes. The wine was a nice touch and made the broth really rich…This is my new go to beef stew recipe!! Do you have a French Onion or Broccoli Cheddar soup recipe? Thanks again!!!
This is definitely on my list of favorites! It is absolutely delicious. Reminds of the stew that my mom made when I was growing up! Will be making this stew this weekend.!
I made this recipe today and my non-keto friends loved it. I used rutabaga instead of turnip because that’s what was available. Will definitely make this again.
Nice!
So, made this for supper tonight, it’s a hit. I do plan to try it with my Jerusalem Artichokes (sunchokes) in place of the turnips for a try. ( Of course my husband would prefer potatoes, so this is a stretch for him)
I’ve made this both in the slow cooker and instant pot. My favourite it the slow cooker, put it in before I leave for work and it ready when I get home. My non keto family loves this. As usual your recipe is the first I check out and try. Always a winner. Thank you.
Very tasty! The turnips are a good substitute for potatoes in this stew. Next time, instead of cooking it on a stove tope, I will try it in my crock-pot instead.
my nonketo husband requests this. made it over the weekend since it was cooler. made enough to freeze extras.
Love this simple recipe!! I sauté some mushrooms with the meat while browning and add a bay leaf when adding herbs. I have made this stove top and in the slow cooker(my preferred method)
This stew look’s comforting and deliciously amazing. I am putting it on my list for this weekend. Thank you.
Can I use hamburger instead of beef chunks? Maybe make meatballs?
I think it will cook very differently with ground beef. Stew meat benefits from long slow braising. meatballs do not.
Is using red wine absolutely necessary?
I find I don’t care for the taste of cooking with wine… drinking a glass is differnt🤓
Please read the blog post, I always offer alternatives.
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. 😋
Enjoy!
This was sooo good. My husband said it was the best beef stew he gad ever eaten.
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!!
Hi Lisa S.. It’s not vegetable oil. The recipe calls for avocado or olive oil – both are fruit oils and are anti-inflammatory. I don’t want others to be mislead.
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!
I have removed that recipe from my website for now.
This stew is amazing and hearty! I also love a good Goulash– I patiently await the return of your recipe for the Hungarian Goulash🙌😊
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!
Wonderful!