A great homemade beef stew recipe is a handy one to have. Hearty, healthy and loaded with flavour this is one beef casserole the whole family will love!
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Homemade Healthy Beef Stew in a black bowl on top of a grey napkin with parsley on top of the beef.

Watch Me Make It

This low carb keto recipe has been recently updated. Originally published in June 2018 under the name Buttery Beef Casserole. Originally a keto beef stew and dumplings, I have tried to make the recipe simpler and tastier with this update.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My easy Homemade (and healthy) low carb stew recipe is a family favourite one-pot meal. With just 15 minutes of preparation time let your slow cooker, pressure cooker, or thermal cooker do all the heavy lifting for you!

Low in carbs – this slow cooker beef stew recipe uses no flour, grains or potato, so it is naturally low in carbs and perfect for the ketogenic diet.

Multiple Cooking Methods – I have included how to cook a stovetop beef stew, thermal cookers (beef stew in your Thermomix®), multicookers (Ninja Foodi Beef stew or Instant Pot Beef Stew), and slow cookers e.g. Crockpot Beef Stew.

Related Multicooker Recipes – Italian Keto Meatloaf Recipe / Easy Keto Butter Chicken Recipe

Beef Stew vs Beef Casserole

What is the difference between a beef stew and a beef casserole?

Pretty much nothing. Some would say a casserole is cooked in an oven and a stew on the stovetop. But, with the rise of kitchen appliances like Crockpot, Instant Pot, Ninja Foodie, Thermomix®, Magimix®, plus more, a casserole or stew can be made with many appliances and various heating methods.

Related Keto Beef Recipes – Birria Tacos with Consommé / Sous Vide Wagyu Steak

The Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the quantity of each ingredient used in our ketogenic beef stew.

All the ingredients laid out for a Keto Beef Stew on a blue back drop.

Chuck Steak – I use chuck steak (beef chuck roast) for stewing. You can use blade steak, gravy beef, lamb neck chops or any of your preferred “stewing” meats. The quality and age of the cow before slaughter can affect the properties of the meat. More time may be required than the recipe states. If your beef is not tender after the suggested cooking then extend the time until it is. 

Bacon and Chorizo – I add these both for extra flavour. You can leave out if you prefer or even increase the amounts.

Beef Stock – I use Urban Forager beef stock paste with my recipes. You can use any beef bone broth or homemade beef stock that you prefer. You can add red wine as well if you prefer. If adding wine, I would replace half the beef broth with a red wine that you love.

Butter – Butter helps to add a silkiness to the sauce. I just use salted butter.

Vegetables – use any vegetables you prefer, add less, more, or none for a carnivore beef stew. It is up to you. My measures and vegetables used were just what I had on hand in my crisper. Other great choices for keto stew vegetables would include turnips, celery root, kohlrabi, and leek.

Seasoning –

How To Make Beef Stew in an Instant Pot

We have included a few methods to make this healthy low carb beef stew recipe. Scroll to the recipe card below to see if your preferred method is included.

The below images are to show you how the stew should look at each stage using an Instant Pot, crock pot, or multicooker.

cubes of steak inside an Instant Pot bowl.
Chopped vegetables on top of stewed meat in an Instant Pot bowl.

Step 1. Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Set to Sauté and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted add the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo and brown, stirring occasionally.

Step 2. Scrape the bottom of the bowl for any burned-on spices and add the remaining ingredients, except the thickener. Lock the lid and steam valve in place. Set to Pressure Cook/High/35 minutes. Leave to natural release for 10 minutes then quick release.

A keto beef casserol being stirred with a spatula in a stainless steel bowl.

Step 3. Turn the heat up in the slow cooker or pour the sauce into a saucepan. whisk through the thickener and simmer over high heat until thickened to your liking. It should be noted that the sauce will thicken with resting without any added thickeners.

How To Make Beef Stew on the Stovetop, Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Step 1. Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo (in batches if the pan is not big enough) until browned on all sides. Pour into the slow cooker. (See notes). If cooking on the stovetop, brown the beef in a large Dutch oven and add the remaining ingredients to the pot after browning the beef.

Step 2. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the thickener. Slow cook for 6-7 hours until beef is super tender. Extend time if the beef is not soft and tender. For stovetop, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low and stir every hour until beef is soft.

Step 3. Turn the heat up in the slow cooker or pour the sauce into a saucepan. Whisk through the thickener and simmer over high heat until thickened to your liking.

MEG’S TIP – It should be noted that the sauce will thicken with resting without any added thickeners.

Keto Cookbooks & Ebooks

How to Make Beef Casserole in the Thermomix®

Step 1. Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo (in batches if the pan is not big enough) until browned on all sides. Pour into the slow cooker. (See notes). If cooking on the stovetop, brown the beef in a large cast iron pot and add the remaining ingredients to the pot after browning the beef.

Step 2. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the thickener. Slow cook 4 hrs/98°C/reverse/stir. Extend cooking as needed.

Step 3. To thicken the stew, pour the broth into a saucepan and add the thickener. Whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat until it thickens. Add to the stew and stir to combine. (See notes).

FAQs and Hot Tips

What do you serve with Beef Stew?

I like to serve my stew with cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash, gremolata, or chimichurri and a side of chilli flakes for spicing it up a bit. For mopping up the sauce you can’t go passed our Low Carb Bread or Best Keto Buns.

What cut of beef is best for stewing and casseroles?

I like to use chuck steak. Blade, gravy beef, oxtail, and beef cheeks are also great choices.

How to thicken Keto Beef Stew?

I used 1 tablespoon of hemp flour to thicken the stew. This can be replaced with 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, 0.25-0.5 teaspoons to be used, or glucomannan powder.

A black bowl with keto beef stew in it photographed from the side.

More Recipes To Try

I know we are looking for easy keto recipes, like our healthy beef stew, which take little time to prepare. Here are a few of my favourite time-saving low carb healthy recipes.

  1. Keto Beef and Broccoli – ready in 20 minutes!
  2. Marry Me Chicken
  3. Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs
  4. Savoury Mince | Easy, Healthy + Delicious
  5. Easy Zucchini Slice Without Flour
  6. Devilled Sausages
Keto Meal Plans & Support

RAVING NEW FAN? Subscribe to our newsletter. Join our keto community on Facebook and Instagram or see all the new stuff on Pinterest.

Beef stew in a black bowl topped with chopped parsley.

Homemade Beef Stew

A great homemade beef stew recipe is a handy one to have. Hearty, healthy and loaded with flavour this is one beef casserole the whole family will love!
5 from 113 votes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Course: Lunch and Dinner
Cuisine: Australian Keto
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Calories: 297kcal
Author: Megan Ellam
Servings: 6 serves
Tap or hover over number to scale ingredients
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Ingredients 

  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) smoked paprika
  • 500 g (17.5 oz) chuck steak cubed, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) butter
  • 0.5 (1/2) onion roughly chopped
  • 2 (2) garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 (2) bacon rashers sliced into strips
  • 0.5 (0.5) chorizo sausage diced
  • 2 (2) celery stalks diced
  • 1 medium (1 medium) carrot sliced
  • 4 (4) radishes roughly chopped
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) brown mushrooms roughly chopped
  • 2 cups (2 cups) beef stock
  • 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) tomato paste
  • thickener of choice see notes

Instructions

SLOW COOKER OR STOVETOP METHOD

  • Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo (in batches if the pan is not big enough) until browned on all sides. Pour into the slow cooker. (See notes). If cooking on the stovetop, brown the beef in a large cast iron pot and add the remaining ingredients to the pot after browning the beef.
  • Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the thickener. Slow cook for 6-7 hours until beef is super tender. Extend time if the beef is not soft and tender. For stovetop, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low and stir every hour until beef is soft.
  • Turn the heat up in the slow cooker or pour the sauce into a saucepan. whisk through the thickener and simmer over high heat until thickened to your liking. It should be noted that the sauce will thicken with resting without any added thickeners.

INSTANT POT (multicooker) METHOD

  • Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Set to Sauté and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted add the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo and brown, stirring occasionally.
  • Scrape the bottom of the bowl for any burned-on spices and add the remaining ingredients, except the thickener. Lock the lid and steam valve in place. Set to Pressure Cook/High/35 minutes. Leave to natural release for 10 minutes then quick release.
  • Remove one cup of the broth and add the thickener of choice. Stir to remove any lumps. Pour back into the stew and set to sauté. Cook until thickened. (See notes).

THERMAL METHOD

  • Season the beef with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the beef, onion, garlic, bacon, and chorizo (in batches if the pan is not big enough) until browned on all sides. Pour into the slow cooker. (See notes). If cooking on the stovetop, brown the beef in a large cast iron pot and add the remaining ingredients to the pot after browning the beef.
  • Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the thickener. Slow cook 4 hrs/98°C/reverse/stir. Extend cooking as needed.
  • To thicken the stew, pour the broth into a saucepan and add the thickener. Whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat until it thickens. Add to the stew and stir to combine. (See notes).

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Slow Cooker Tips
Some slow cookers or crockpots have the ability to sauté built into them making this a one pot beef stew recipe. If yours does not just follow the instructions to brown in a skillet. Same with the option to turn up the heat for thickening. 
Pressure Cooker Tips
Make sure to follow any manufacturer’s recommendations for pressure cooking. This recipe has been tested in an Instant Pot. If you have a tough piece of beef that is not tender after cooking, then you can add more time under pressure as needed or sauté until the beef softens.
Thermal Cooker Tips
The size and cut of the beef can affect the cooking times needed. Extend the time until the beef has softened. This recipe is suitable for all Thermomix® models and can be used with the Slow Cook function. A blade cover is not needed for this recipe when the reverse speed is in use.
If making beef stew in a Magimix Cook Expert use the slow cook function or set to the times and temperatures specified in this recipe. The beef can be browned in the Cook Expert using the stir fry setting before slow cooking.
Thickeners 
If you are not low carb 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder, plain flour or cornstarch will thicken this recipe. For our low carb and keto followers, I used 1 tablespoon of hemp flour to thicken the stew. This can be replaced with 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, 0.25-0.5 teaspoons to be used, or glucomannan powder.
The ratio for xanthan gum to liquid is 1/8 teaspoon per cup of liquid. I ALWAYS exercise caution and err on the side of less is more with thickeners. The sauce will also thicken with resting. If you have over thickened, add more stock to thin the sauce out.
Extra vegetables can be added to the stew to thicken it. 
Protein Choices
I use chuck steak for stewing. You can use blade, gravy beef, lamb neck chops or any of your preferred “stewing” meats. The quality and age of the cow before slaughter can affect the properties of the meat. More time may be required than the recipe states. If your beef is not tender after the suggested cooking then extend the time until it is. 
This recipe yields approximately 4-6 servings. The actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. 
 
To calculate the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe by 4-6. The result will be the weight of one serving. 
 
Nutritional values shown are guidelines only. They are for 1 serving using the ingredients listed. 
 
All recipes have been tested using all of the cooking methods included by various recipe testers.
 
The recipe card instructions contain the most basic of steps and a list of ingredients. If you have any queries, questions, or are unsure of substitutions, please scroll up to the blog post for more information.

Your Own Notes

Click here to add your own private recipe notes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve (complete with 1 dumpling) | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 679mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2287IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg | Magnesium: 32mg | Net Carbs: 5g
Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

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70 responses to “Homemade Healthy Beef Stew”

  1. Bernice

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe for a classic beef stew. I always use chuck and I agree it is the best cut for stew. I didn’t know you could thicken with hemp seeds so I’m filing that info away in my brain for my gluten free friends.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Thanks Bernice

      Reply
  2. Gloria

    5 stars
    This comfort food staple is always a hit in cooler weather. Make it on the weekend since leftovers are even better. Perfect for batch cooking and freezing too.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Thanks for trying Gloria

      Reply
  3. Nina

    5 stars
    Ohhhh, one word: devine! 💕💕💕
    Thank you Megan 😀

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      One word (mmm maybe two) thank you!

      Reply
  4. Tracy W

    5 stars
    Another 5 star recipe. This recipe is absolutely delicious, and we made the dumplings (sort of like an arancini ball as we doused these in pork rinds and air fried them). Used a 1.6kg slow cook Coles beef roast and seared it in butter (used Chipotle and paprika to coat meat) and added to the slow cooker for 7 hours. Also cooked Megan’s Mac n Cheese with cauliflower, broccoli and some kent pumpkin that was roasted. To finish off this amazing dinner we had Megans easy Custard Tart with nutmeg grated over the top. All in all another satisfied family with Mad Creations being the only Keto/Low Carb recipes I ever use now. Thanks again Megan, you really are the best of the best recipe creator in my world.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Oops, I think a double up but thanks again Tracy. Our reviews go for a spam check and that is why you do not see your reply immediately

      Reply
  5. Tracy W

    5 stars
    This is a deep flavourful recipe but we think the real star of this recipe is the dumplings (like arancini balls sort of) sitting on top of the beautiful meat. I did a 1.6kg slow cook beef roast and sealed it in a hot pan with chipotle and paprika. Everything else was exactly like Megans recipe and we’re all in agreement that its another AMAZING

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      This recipe does need a bit of updating as it is was a quick one along time ago. It is so good to hear that it is still being enjoyed years later. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and letting us know you actually made it, and it was tasty.

      Reply
  6. Pip

    5 stars
    Really deep, rich taste. I didn’t do the frying of the beef at the beginning – and I don’t think it needed it – but maybe it’s just cos I’m lazy! I also didn’t have any chorizo. I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you, Megan.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      I need to make this myself. It has been far too long!

      Reply
  7. Jennie M

    Sorry I’m sure this is a silly question but the nutraorganics collagen you refer to is it the beef gelatine/beef collagen under ingredients? The bottle in picture doesn’t mention beef- sorry never used it before..🤪

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Gelatin is usually always from beef and pork carcasses. Some are labelled beef gelatin.

      Reply
  8. Carla Bligh

    Could this be done in a pressure cooker? I have a Tefal Cook4me

    Reply
  9. Donna Kirkham

    Hi Megan. Which book has the beef casserole recipe in and the cauliflower salad? Are all these recipes in one particular book? Also the cauliflower recipe you talk about boiling the eggs but don’t state how many eggs are required? All the sounds great so would love the book. I have Keto Eats. Thanks Megan.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Hi Donna, they are in the new book The Healthy Family Keto Cookbook. If you scroll to the recipe card it does tell you two eggs in the salad. I hope you are enjoying all the recipes.

      Reply
  10. Kym S

    5 stars
    Oh my… delicious and nourishing… goodness! The enticing aroma from the slow cooker had hubby coming into the kitchen saying, “Something smells good in here”, lol. We loved your tasty, buttery, beef casserole and will make it again and again.

    Reply
  11. Jan

    Oh my! I think this is the best casserole I have ever had. I even drank the juices from my bowl. The dumplings were well with taking an antihistamine for. Thank you Megan xx

    Reply
    1. Megan

      Haha! Thanks so much Jan. Hope you survived it okay.

      Reply
  12. Jenni French

    5 stars
    Love this casserole! I do it in the slow cooker so it’s super easy. I haven’t made the dumplings yet, but have made it into a pie with fathead dough as the pastry. Super delicious and perfect for winter.

    Reply
  13. Rachael

    Nom nom nom

    Reply
  14. Christine R

    5 stars
    Cannot say enough how much I love this recipe. The whole family loved it, it freezes & reheats really well, it’s essy & super tasty.

    Reply
  15. Robs

    Hi, do you fry the dumplings or air fry them, or both? Also, I might have missed it elsewhere on your site but which whey protein do you recommend? I’m not planning to use it for much, so don’t want to get one of those giant tubs from thw pharmacy! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Megan

      You can do either fry or air fry the choice is yours. The protein powder I use is only a 500g (I think) it is Isopure from iherb.

      Reply
  16. Robs

    Hi, do you try the dumplings or air fry them, or both? Also, I might have missed it elsewhere on your site but which whey protein do you recommend? I’m not planning to use it for much, so don’t want to get one of those giant tubs from thw pharmacy! Thanks!

    Reply
  17. lisa k

    I am going to give this one ago. I also am curious if the Great Lakes gelatin might work as I don’t have the collagen you recommend at the moment (but will look to get some).

    Thanks Megan!

    Reply
    1. Megan

      Hi Lisa, Just leave it out. The gelatin might be too string in this. I havent tested it

      Reply
  18. Heather

    I’m a bit dubious about the coffee/coffe grounds?

    Reply
    1. Megan

      Its just coffee. It teams fabulously with beef

      Reply
  19. Jayne

    Hi looks great. Wondering if you ever use organic grass fed gelatine as a thickener? Wondering if you prefer collagen and why?

    Reply
  20. Terri K

    5 stars
    This is seriously the best casserole ever!! So much flavour.

    Reply
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