This keto-friendly Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is a comfort food favorite that is full of flavor and low in carbs. This nut-free, coconut-free, and egg-free dish can easily be made dairy-free and only requires one cooking appliance, an Instant Pot, so clean-up is kept to a minimum!
Be sure to read through the blog post for the answers to frequently asked questions before you move on to the recipe card and begin making this recipe. You will find step-by-step photos within the blog post (located above the recipe card) that will help you to successfully make this instant pot beef stew.
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Keto Instant Pot recipe for beef stew
Beef stew is often quite high in carbs as the beef is commonly coated in flour or corn starch, canned tomato products are used, and high-carb root vegetables can increase the carb content quite a bit.
Instead of using flour or corn starch as a thickening agent here, we use xanthan gum (if you need a substitution for this, see below). Canned diced tomatoes are used in this recipe, but the amount is less than other traditional beef stew recipes. Vegetables are still included, of course, but lower-carb varieties are included, like green beans and mushrooms.
Rest assured, you will be happily surprised by how delicious, filling, and straightforward this one-pan low-carb dish is!
Instant pot beef stew FAQs
Here are answers to commonly asked questions about this beef stew recipe:
What ingredient substitution options are there?
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter can be used here, but I would suggest decreasing the amount of added salt just slightly to offset the salt in the butter. For a lactose-free option, you can use ghee in place of butter. For an altogether dairy-free option, use beef tallow or coconut oil.
- Beef Stew Meat: Any lean meat with lots of connective tissue will work just fine here. You can make this stew with beef chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast, top chuck, bottom round roast, rump roast, or round tip roast. If you use a roast, cut it into bite-sized pieces before cooking.
- Pinot Noir Wine: Any other bold red wine can be used here. For an alcohol-free option, use a combination of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar and tomato paste, but this is not a 1:1 replacement and you will need to add it after cooking. Add the acid 1 tsp at a time then 1 additional tbsp tomato paste (the original recipe calls for 2 tbsp, so this will be in addition to that), taste test, then add more, based on your taste preferences. Note that adding additional tomato paste will increase the net carb content slightly. Alternatively, you could try subbing in more beef broth at a 1:1 ratio for the wine, but just note the resulting flavor of the beef stew will be slightly different than the original recipe intended.
- Red Wine Vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work here. Do not altogether omit this ingredient as it’s a key component to the final flavor of the dish.
- Xanthan Gum: Glucomannan powder, a gluten-free and keto-friendly thickening agent extracted from the roots of the konjac plant, can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio for xanthan gum.
How can this dish be made dairy-free?
Butter is the only ingredient in this dish that contains dairy and butter is often a very easy ingredient to substitute for a non-dairy alternative. For this dish, instead of butter, use beef tallow or coconut oil.
How many net carbs per serving?
Per serving, this dish contains 4.9 grams of net carbs. The recipe, as written, yields 6 servings and one serving is equivalent to 1 cup of stew.
The nutrition information for this recipe, including calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.
How should the stew be stored after cooking?
Refrigerator Storage: Allow the stew to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Eat within 3 days.
Freezer Storage: This is a fantastic freezer meal that can be prepared in advance, stored in the freezer, and eaten later. To freeze, allow the stew to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or large plastic storage baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw stew overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout.
What diets is this recipe compliant with?
- Keto and Low-Carb: Per serving, this dish contains 4.9 grams of net carbs, making it a great choice for those who follow a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
- Gluten-Free and Grain-Free: This recipe is both gluten- and grain-free.
- Nut-Free: This stew does not include any nut-based ingredients.
- Coconut-Free: Coconut products are not included in this recipe.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free stew, substitute beef tallow or coconut oil for butter, this dish can be dairy-free. For a lactose-free option, you can use ghee.
- Egg-Free: Eggs are not used in this recipe.
- Sugar-Free: This beef stew recipe is made without added sugar or sweeteners.
How to make this Instant Pot beef stew recipe
Turn Instant Pot to “Sauté” setting, add butter, and, once melted, add beef.
Add ground thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper, and salt, and cook until meat is browned on each side, about 5-7 minutes.
Add minced garlic and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all browned bits of beef stuck on insert.
Turn off Instant Pot and add green beans, mushrooms, beef broth, pinot noir, diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and bay leaves.
Screw on Instant Pot lid and set to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting (depending on the model of your Instant Pot) for 15 minutes.
Quick-release pressure once Instant Pot timer has gone off. Remove lid and dispose of bay leaves.
Stir in tomato paste then, in ¼ tsp increments, add xanthan gum and stir vigorously to thicken.
Spoon stew into bowls, garnish with chives and parsley, and serve.
Looking for more low-carb instant pot recipes?
If you like this beef stew recipe, you will love these other keto-friendly recipes that can be prepared in your Instant Pot:
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp 1 oz butter
- 1 ½ lbs beef stew meat
- 2 tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp 5g minced garlic
- 150 g de-stemmed raw green beans, chopped into 1-inch pieces (~1 1/2 cups)
- 4 oz mini portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 4 cups 32 oz beef broth
- ½ cup 4 oz pinot noir wine
- ½ cup 121g canned diced tomatoes in tomato juice
- 1 tbsp 15mL red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp 30g tomato paste
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
Appliances:
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to “Sauté” setting, add butter, and, once melted, add beef, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper, and salt, and cook until meat is browned on each side, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all browned bits of beef stuck on insert.
- Turn off Instant Pot and add green beans, mushrooms, beef broth, pinot noir, diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and bay leaves. Screw on Instant Pot lid and set to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting (depending on the model of your Instant Pot) for 15 minutes. Quick-release pressure once Instant Pot timer has gone off. Remove lid and dispose of bay leaves. Stir in tomato paste then, in ¼ tsp increments, add xanthan gum and stir vigorously to thicken.
- Spoon stew into bowls, garnish with chives and parsley, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Photo credit: Jess Larson
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