This hearty keto beef stew is a filling meal that's nutritious and delicious in equal measures. Think tender beef pieces in a thick, tasty sauce! This meaty stew recipe is a hit with the whole family.
Low carb beef stew is one of my go-to comfort food dinners when it is cold outside. What's not to love about a nutritious stew to warm the tummy!
This one is so amazing that I was tempted to call it 'the best keto beef stew'. I know there are a lot of recipes out there claiming to be the best, but it is really true for this one!
The flavor is incredible and it is packed with good-for-you whole foods ingredients.
Also try my beef cabbage stew.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Filling and nutritious meal - packed with tender beef and vegetables
- Hearty beef flavor
- Thick, satisfying texture
- Gluten-free
- Keto friendly - only 6.8g net carbs
- Easy recipe - just 15 minutes prep
Ingredients
To make a keto stew, I am using lower carb vegetables:
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Zucchini
The first three in the list are part of the classic mirepoix mix. They are essential to make virtually any sauce taste good.
The zucchini makes the sauce lovely and thick - without the need for additional starches.
The Problem With Traditional Stew
Stew - a very thick soup - is a winter dish. That's why classic stew contains starchy root vegetables such as potatoes or parsnips, which are high in carbs.
What's more, traditional beef stew recipes thicken the sauce with either cornstarch or flour. In my opinion, this makes it gloopy and unpleasant. And it also adds unnecessary carbs.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
There are just 3 basic steps!
STEP 1
Brown the meat. Sear the seasoned beef in a heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and caramelised from all sides. Don't crowd the beef chunks - it may be necessary to do this in two batches. Also, leave the beef undisturbed as much as possible. No stirring!
STEP 2
Fry the vegetables. First, fry the onions, carrot, celery, courgettes and herbs, then add the garlic.
STEP 3
Combine everything and stew! Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, red wine and beef broth. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover to cook on the stove top until the beef is tender and sauce is thick and glossy.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Tips For Tender Beef
Buy chuck roast. Beef chuck roast is affordable and becomes tender very quickly when stewed. I prefer it over traditional stewing cuts like brisket (which takes MANY HOURS to become tender). It is also extremely flavourful. Get your butcher to cut it into chunks for you.
Bring beef to room temperature. Searing meat straight from the fridge causes it to seize and toughen. I take mine out an hour before cooking.
Add wine and tomato paste. The acid in both wine and tomato helps to break down the connective tissue in the meat. This way, the beef becomes more tender.
Simmer with a lid on. This way, the stew meat stays moist, tenderises quicker and you don't accidentally cook off all the liquid.
Quality counts. Lastly, I really believe it's worth investing in the best quality beef you can afford. The batch you see in the photos was organic, grass fed beef. It was melt-in the mouth tender after just 90 minutes.
Lesser quality beef will take longer to cook. But don't worry - you can just leave it in the pot for another hour or so. Eventually ALL beef becomes tender.
The Perfect Sauce - 2 Ways
You have two options to make a lovely thick stew without xanthan gum or glucomannan. It all depends on whether your beef cooks quickly or needs more time.
For beef that cooks in 90 minutes: Thicken the sauce. Remove ¾ cup of vegetables and juice and puree using a hand stick blender until smooth. Add back to pan, stir and serve!
For beef that is still firm after 90 minutes: Add an additional 1 cup / 240ml of liquid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes - 1 hour. This way, the vegetables are so soft the sauce becomes thick and glossy all on its own.
Optional: During the last few minutes of cooking, add green vegetables for a little crunch. This is especially nice if you've had to cook the beef for 2 ½ hours as the original vegetables become very soft.
Green beens are a good choice, or kale.
Variations
Here are more vegetables that taste delicious in a low carb beef stew:
- Shallots
- rutabaga
- turnip
- radishes
- celery root
- mushrooms
- green beans
All these should be added about 20-30 minutes before the stew is finished. The mushrooms need to be fried for 5 minutes in advance.
Not all of you may be able to get hold of coconut aminos, which add a lovely umami note to the sauce. You can use soya sauce instead, or a dash or Worcestershire sauce or red wine vinegar.
Upgrade your beef broth by making your own beef bone broth. I sometimes make this recipe with bones I get from the butcher. The flavor is amazing, and it's also crazy healthy.
Instant Pot Instructions
If you are making this recipe with an pressure cooker of Instant Pot, choose the sauté setting to prep your beef and vegetables as per recipe.
Then, cancel the sauté setting and choose manual and high pressure. Add the liquids and cook for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minute, then do a quick release.
If you are using a slow cooker, set it on low and cook for 6-8 hours.
Serve With
- Cauliflower rice
- Mashed cauliflower
- Turnip fries
- Green salad
- Zucchini noodles
- Keto dinner rolls
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Keto Beef Recipes
A flavor variation on this beef stew is my German goulash soup. Below are more beef dinners to try:
- Low Carb Keto Beef Burritos
- Keto Cottage Pie50 Minutes
- Keto Swedish Meatballs25 Minutes
- Beef Rouladen2 Hours 15 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lb chuck steak 700g, cut into cubes and room temperature
- 1 small onion 2.5oz / 70g, chopped
- 2 celery ribs 2.8oz / 80g, chopped
- 2 carrots 5.3oz / 150g, sliced
- 2 zucchini 14.1oz / 400g, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cup beef stock 480ml
- ½ cup red wine 120ml, or more beef stock
- 1.5 tablespoon coconut aminos or 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley and thyme to serve
Instructions
- Season the beef well with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and sear the meat for 5 minutes or until browned from all sides. Don't move around during cooking and don't crowd the pan. Do this in 2 batches if necessary. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions, carrot, celery, zucchini and herbs on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 further minute.
- Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, red wine, stock and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. (If your beef is not tender yet, see *** in the recipe notes below.)
- Adjust seasoning to taste and discard the bay leaves. Remove ¾ cup of vegetables and juice (pick out any beef) and puree using a hand stick blender until smooth. Add back to pan and stir.
- Serve with fresh parsley and thyme.
Denise
This was pretty good. I used stew meat and it was super tender after about 70-80 min of simmering. Good flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
Anne
Another winner of a recipe, Katrin, thanks so much! It reminds me of boeuf bourguignon. It's also very forgiving--I included mushrooms because I love them and also to make up for a shortfall in zucchini. And added extra stock and red wine...just because.
thanks again for this and all your wonderful recipes!
Jod
Do you mean tomato puree or paste? They are both mentioned like they are interchangeable?
Katrin Nürnberger
Tomato paste. The concentrated type.
Tammy Chambers
This was so hearty and delicious .
Linda
Not sure when you add zuchinni, does not say, do you add it with other vegetables.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Linda, I had called the zucchini "courgette" in the method (that's what we call zucchini here in the UK) - I've now changed it to zucchini so it's easier to follow.
Raewyn
Absolutely delicious Beef Stew! I double the recipe and freeze meal sized portions in the freezer for those nights that I don't feel like cooking. I love being able to go to the freezer and choose something very yummy to defrost for dinner.