A few more… More people. More days. That’s the thing about this keto beef stew.
Day 1 or Day 3, (or even Day 58, but we’ll get to that…) this is my favorite stew. Listen, I love soup. But stews are what get you through the colder (or maybe just L o n g e r) days. If you’re looking for hearty, comforting keto dinners, this is it.
Did I mention soup? Check out my keto chicken enchilada soup, keto chicken soup, or this keto taco soup. But back to this beef stew…
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Stew For Two (Or A Few)
The word stew alone conjures up comfort. And for me, the layers of comfort are many.
To start, this stew is based on a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, which is comforting on its own since the science-based explanations and problem-solving are a huge resource for my (or anyone’s) style of cooking. Since I’m carb-conscious, radishes instead of potatoes (always a favorite swap) are fantastic and can also lend a little dose of color. This also freezes like a champ—so it’s even more comforting knowing that any leftovers will make easy future lunches or dinners.
This Stew Will Save Your Morning (Did I say Morning? I meant Marriage.)
We took a long and glorious and beautiful camping trip for our honeymoon. We made a big batch of this beforehand that Saved. Our. Lives. Waking up in a tent IN THE SNOW will test even the strongest of loves—-Newlyweds or Not! Having this to warm up, warmed up our bones and spirits, then and now.
So this is the stew for you. Or two. Or a few. I hope you love it as much as we do. 🍲⛺ – Linds x
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless beef chuck roast – cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
- kosher salt + black pepper to season beef
- Oil – We want a mild-tasting oil with a high smoke point — skip olive or coconut oil and opt for something like avocado or canola instead.
- Balsamic vinegar – This will help us scrape up the fond at the bottom of the pan.
- Tomato paste
- Xanthan gum is added to thicken the stew. Without it, our broth will have a soup-like texture. Traditional beef stew is thickened with flour — xanthan gum is a much stronger thickener, so we can add less and achieve the same results. It’s also gluten-free.
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Dry red wine – cab, pinot, malbec. Make sure you like the taste of the wine before adding it in, this is the base for our broth.
- Beef broth
- Seasoning + herbs: Bay leaf, paprika, thyme
- Carrots
- Celery
- Radishes – This is our favorite alternative for keto potatoes — although I know not everyone is a fan. Feel free to skip, or use cauliflower or mushrooms instead.
How to Make Keto Beef Stew
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear beef in batched in a dutch oven — making sure not to crowd the meat in the pot.
- Add balsamic vinegar and scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomato paste and xanthan gum.
- Add the onions, meat, and the juices from the meat and stir to coat.
- Add the wine, broth, water, bay leaf, paprika, and thyme. Cover and place in preheated oven for 2 hours.
- Add carrots, celery, and radishes and return to the oven to cook for another hour.
Can You Freeze Low Carb Beef Stew?
Yes! Keto beef stew is a marvelous candidate for the freezer. We portion it out and freeze it in individual resealable baggies. When we’re ready to eat, simply defrost in the fridge overnight.
What To Serve With Keto Beef Stew?
Serve your stew with a slice of buttered keto bread or almond flour bread.
FAQs
Have a different question about this keto beef stew? Leave me a comment below!
- How to thicken keto beef stew? This beef stew is thickened with xanthan gum. The trick to xanthan gum is adding it when we do — otherwise, it can clump in the broth and form a gelatin-like texture.
- What is a good substitute for potatoes in stew? Radishes and cauliflower are the 2 best substitutes for potatoes, use whichever you like the flavor of most.
- Can you eat carrots on keto? This depends on your eating plan and carb goals — as far as keto vegetables go, carrots are higher in carbs than most with 8.6g net carbs per 1 cup. They’re an ingredient in this keto beef stew, check out the nutrition information below the instructions to see if this recipe works for you, or feel free to skip them.
- How to make stew meat tender? To achieve tender beef, you’ll want to simmer it in liquid (braise) low and slow — this is why we cook this keto beef stew meat for a total of 3 hours.
More Soup Recipes
Keto Beef Stew
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 Pounds Boneless Beef Chuck cut into 1 1/2" pieces
- Kosher Salt + Black Pepper to season beef
- 3 Tablespoons Avocado or Vegetable Oil (note 1)
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum (note 2)
- 2 Yellow Onions cut into 1-inch chunks
- 8 Cloves Garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 Cups Good Dry Red Wine (note 3)
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 4 Carrots peeled. Cut into 1" chunks
- 3 Stalks Celery Cut into 1" chunks
- 1 Cup Radishes (note 4) peeled. Cut into 1" chunks
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325 F, and prepare the racks so there's a rack on the lower third portion of the oven with plenty of room above.
- Beef. Pat beef dry using paper towels and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper. Heat avocado oil (1 tablespoon) in a large, Dutch oven (note 5) over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the beef in batches -- don't overcrowd the pan. Sear each side of the meat, then set aside on a plate. Add more oil to the pan between each batch of meat.
- Combine. Add the balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons) to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of your pan. Add tomato paste (1 tablespoon), xanthan gum (1 teaspoon) and stir until the xanthan gum dissolves and the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add yellow onions (2), smashed garlic (8 cloves), the meat and its juices, and give everything a stir to coat in the paste.
- Broth. Add dry red wine (2 cups), beef broth (2 cups), water (2 cups), bay leaf (1), paprika (1 teaspoon) and thyme (2 sprigs) to the pot. Use your spoon to dislodge any additional brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir to combine. Cover the dutch oven with a lid, and place in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
- Veggies. Remove from the oven and add carrots (4), celery (3), and radishes (1 cup). Return to the oven and cook for another hour, you'll know it's done once the veggies are fork-tender and the soup has thickened to your liking.
- Enjoy! Remove the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs. Ladle into bowls, top with parsley, and enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Oil - We want a mild tasting oil with a high smoke point -- my go-to is avocado oil, however, vegetable or canola oil works as well.
- Xanthan Gum is used to thicken the stew -- without it, the broth is very thin (soup-like). There are no substitutes for this.
- Dry red wine - Think merlot, cab, pinot, or malbec.
- Radishes - You can skip the radishes, or substitute with cauliflower.
- Dutch oven - I use my 8 quart Le Crueset.
Nutrition
