This Keto Beef Stew tastes just like your favorite classic recipe just low-carb with no potatoes! We sub in turnips in their place making this a tasty gluten free and Keto comfort food recipe.
Who here loves beef stew, raise a hand?! If you do then well, you’re going to really love this recipe for Keto Beef Stew! We’ve taken the super classic recipe we grew up eating and made it low-carb by swapping out turnips for the potatoes. The result? A delicious bowl of stick-to-your ribs style beef stew that won’t literally, stick-to-your-ribs.
What’s in Keto Beef Stew?
- oil – we used avocado but you could use tallow, ghee, algae oil, or coconut oil (be sure to use refined coconut oil to skip the coconut flavor)
- salt – we use sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
- freshly ground pepper
- beef stewing meat
- red wine vinegar
- red wine – we used a local Pinot Noir but Merlot will also work great! You just want a dry red wine
- beef bone broth – we use Pacific Foods
- unsalted butter
- bay leaves
- pearl onions – you can use regular onions but pearl onions are fun and don’t breakdown as much as normal onions would in the stew.
- carrots – don’t freak out, we’ll discuss carrots below
- turnips
That’s it! It really is a super easy recipe!
How to make Keto Beef Stew?
You’ll start by heating up the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. This is our favorite enameled Dutch oven and this one is our favorite traditional cast iron Dutch oven.
After the oil is hot you’ll season the beef with the salt and pepper and add it to the oil. Working in batches so that the beef doesn’t get overcrowded and just steam, brown the beef for a few minutes per side then remove them to a small bowl or plate.
After that you’ll deglaze the pot using the red wine vinegar and the red wine. Be sure to scrape up all of the browned bits as that’s what adds a ton of flavor to the stew.
Next, you’ll pour in the broth and add the beef stew meat back into the pot along with the Bay leaves. Bring the Keto Beef Stew to a low simmer, cover and cook for an hour.
As the last step you’ll add in the onions, carrots, and turnips. Bring the stew back to a simmer, cover and cook another 40 minutes until the carrots and turnips are tender.
If the beef stew is a little dry at this point add in another cup or so of beef bone broth. Taste for salt and pepper adding more if necessary. Serve!
Are carrots Keto friendly?
Yes, they definitely can be! Keto is a metabolic state, not a food group. Carrots add a few net carbs to this recipe but tons of other nutrients. Don’t fear the carrots!
Does this recipe need xanthan gum?
Nope! This recipe does not need xanthan gum. While we don’t have anything against xanthan gum (we use it sometimes for thickening) this recipe just doesn’t need it.
Can I freeze this Keto Low Carb Beef Stew?
You can! Be sure to use freezer-safe containers like Stasher Bags or Mason Jars.
What are the nutritional information and carb count for this beef stew?
As always, you can find the complete nutritional breakdown for this recipe at the bottom of the recipe card. This Keto Beef Stew has just 9g net carbs per serving.
Can I make this low carb Keto recipe in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?
We haven’t tested this recipe in an IP or slow cooker but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Be sure to still brown the beef first, either in the IP or on the stovetop if you’re using a slow cooker.
What to serve with this Keto Beef Stew:
Duh, our Keto Dinner Rolls are perfect for dunking into this tasty stew! Now that’s one delicious dinner!
Keto Beef Stew
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil or tallow, coconut oil, or ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 ½ pound beef stewing meat trimmed and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups beef bone broth we use Pacific
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pearl onions peeled (165g)
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (235g)
- 1 lb turnips cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the beef with the salt and pepper then arrange the beef in a single layer in the pot a few pieces at a time. Cook, flipping each piece until the beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch.
- Remove the beef from the pot and add in the vinegar and red wine to deglaze the pan and scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the beef, broth, butter, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Uncover, and add in the onions, carrots, and turnips and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Add additional broth if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I have never made beef stew before, but this? This is it!! My local grocery store was out of turnips so I ended up using some bite-sized potatoes. Which sort of defeated the purpose keeping it low carb. However, I only ate 4 potatoes and managed to keep it around 18 carbs. All in all, I will be using this recipe in the future! Thank you!
Carrots are not good for Keto and/or Diabetics. They are a root vegetable and are loaded with sugar.
This isn’t true, at all. The number of carrots in this recipe adds very little carbs but a host of nutrients. As always, if an ingredient doesn’t fit your specific diet plan by all means leave it out.
Could you use frozen pearl onions?
You can!
“Ketosis is a metabolic state, not a food group.” I love this and you hit the nail right on the head. So often ketogenic eating can verge on disordered, very black or white eating and it’s nearly impossible to see past the macros. I will tell you that this recipe is FANTASTIC *with* the carrots. Really, it was my first stew ever and it totally blew me away. Thank you for the wonderful recipe and grounding perspective!
Forgot to include my rating 🙂
Can this be cooked in something other than a dutch oven?
Sure, any soup pot will work!