Classic Keto Beef Stew (2024)

Why you will love 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
• Easy to make ahead for keto meal prep

Ingredients you need

• 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

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.

Expert Tips

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.

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