Keto Traditional Beef Stew has this melt-in-your-mouth chuck meat and nicely cooked veggies. You’ll have a hard time believing this is a low-carb stew. This will surely make your keto diet a whole lot better. When the temperature drops, this simple keto beef stew dish will keep you toasty warm!

Keto Traditional Beef Stew Recipes

Amazing Keto Beef Stew Recipe by Kim Hardesty

Traditional Beef Stew

Most traditional American style beef stews are thicken-ed with flour or cornstarch and are often overly thick and gloppy. Except for celery, traditional stew vegetables are starchy and sweet: potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and peas. Root vegetables feature heavily which is why we see stew recipes in the Fall.

This Gluten-free stew recipe is perfect for those on a low carb keto diet. Making beef stew without flour or thickeners reduces carbs while intensifying the overall flavor. To make it truly low carb, choosing low carb vegetables is a must. But properly cooking the stew is equally important.

The ideal low carb stew should feature fork-tender beef and tender (not mushy) vegetables in a meaty tasting broth.

Low Carb Vegetables For Traditional Keto Beef Stew

The best low carb vegetables for beef stew are celery, mushrooms, green beans, celery root, turnips, rutabaga, and radishes. Some people like to add zucchini and summer squash.

When making keto beef stew:

  • choose low carb vegetables
  • replace potatoes with less starchy root vegetables
  • use onions and garlic judiciously
  • small amounts of colorful vegetables add visual appeal
  • add the vegetables at the last 40-60 minutes of cook time

Food should be appealing, so I include one medium (3 oz) carrot. “Rolling” the carrot while slicing, produces small irregular-shaped chips which provide a pop of color throughout. Green beans are a great sub for peas and add color and variation in shape. Replacing starchy potatoes with better choices like radish, turnip, rutabaga, and celery root (celeriac) is a great low carb trick. (I used celery root in this stew recipe, that I cut to mimic the shape of potatoes.)

TIP: To have the vegetables look and taste their best before serving, add them to the stew at the last 40 – 60 minutes of cooking. They will soften and cook-through but keep their integrity. To me, that’s the hallmark of a perfect keto beef stew.

Other recipe you might like to try: Low Carb Taco Tomatoes, Smoked Salmon Frittata Recipe, Paleo Dairy-Free Cornbread Recipe

Keto Traditional Beef Stew

Keto Traditional Beef Stew

A hearty keto beef stew with melt-in-your-mouth chuck meat and nicely cooked veggies. You'll have a hard time believing this is a low-carb stew. Your ketogenic diet has just gotten a whole lot better. When the temperature drops, this simple keto beef stew dish will keep you toasty warm!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 288 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ lb trimmed beef chuck roast cubed (1 inch)
  • 8 oz whole mushrooms quartered
  • 6 oz celery root peeled and cubed into 3/4 inch pieces (or sub turnips or radishes)
  • 4 oz pearl onions trimmed and peeled (or regular onion, large dice)
  • 2-3 pcs ribs celery sliced
  • 3 oz carrot roll-cut (or sliced)
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil,avocado oil, or bacon grease
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Optional Flavorings to change it up:

  • Marjoram, winter savory, oregano, summer savory, juniper berries, clove, orange peel, red wine, balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

  • Remove the chuck roast from the refrigerator to come to temperature.  Quarter the mushrooms and set aside. Wash and chop the vegetables, including the garlic, putting them together in a bowl for later. Trim the excess fat off of the chuck roast (pot roast) and cut into 1-inch cubes. (I used 1 1/4 pounds of meat, but you may use more if you wish.) Thoroughly mix two teaspoons of oil into the beef.

Method:

  • Place a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on the stove over medium heat. When hot, add the rest of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat. Do not disturb them for 2 minutes. Stir and let them cook for two minutes more. Remove the mushrooms from the pot and add them to the other vegetables.
  • Brown the beef in the pot in batches, adding more oil as needed. Place all of the beef into the pot and stir in the bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste making sure to coat the beef. Let it cook for less than a minute, then slowly add 1 cup of broth while scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the broth and bring the stew up to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low-ish and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. 
  • Insert a fork into a piece of meat to check for tenderness, it should meet little to no resistence. If tough, let it cook another 20 minutes. When tender, add the vegetables and turn up the heat until it simmers. Turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes to an hour or until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Makes 11 cups with approximately 1 3/4 cups per serving. 

Notes

It’s important to get nice color on the beef and in the bottom of the pot. The fond (browned bits on the bottom of the pan) should be dark in color (not black) and dry. This caramelization is what gives a nice depth of flavor to the stew.
Other ways to add more flavor is by adding 1/2 cup of red wine after adding the tomato paste and letting it reduce by half, or adding 1 teaspoon of beef base, and also making sure that the broth is seasoned appropriately with salt and pepper. I find that adding more pepper makes the stew nice and savory.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 2g
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