This easy Keto Beef Stew with Bacon and Mushrooms is so full of flavor and so tender! When you use your Instant Pot, stove top, or Crockpot, you can have tender and delicious beef stew anytime.
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
I am always in the mood for comfort food, even in Summer, so this Keto Beef Stew was a nice, hearty meal that really warmed me up inside.
HOW TO MAKE KETO BEEF STEW
Using an Instant Pot, dutch oven, or crockpot to cook this beef stew will result in tender and delicious meat.
These photos show how I made this in the Instant pot, but I will provide instructions for stove top and crock pot below.
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The first thing I did was dice my bacon and set my Instant Pot to high saute. When the display read “hot” I added the bacon. I let it render all of the fat and get nice and crispy. This bacon will give the Instant Pot beef stew so much flavor!
While the bacon was cooking, I got all of my vegetables chopped. I quartered mushrooms and diced carrots and onions. I also added my stew beef to a large bowl and seasoned it with salt and pepper.
When the bacon was crispy, I removed it from the pot with a slotted spoon (reserving the bacon fat in the pot) and let it drain on paper towels. I then added half of the beef to the pot to let it get brown. When the beef was nice and brown, I removed it and worked on the second batch.
Now it’s time to add everything to the Instant pot (except the bacon, thats reserved for later)! I added the onions, mushrooms, carrots, beef stew meat, seasoning, and the beef broth. You can use chicken broth if you like but the beef broth will give this Instant Pot Beef Stew an amazing beefy flavor.
I then locked the lid, set the valve to sealing, and set the timer for 35 minutes. When it was finished cooking, I let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then I released the rest of the pressure by quick release. I removed the lid and gave the pot a big stir.
This keto Beef Stew will melt in your mouth.
HOW TO THICKEN LOW CARB BEEF STEW
After the stew is finished cooking, whisk in a teaspoon of Xanthan gum and set the pot to sauté. The xanthan gum will thicken the stew as it simmers.
Into keto soup and stew recipes? Check out my recipe for Italian Vegetable Stew, Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup, and Keto Garlic Bread.
⭐ Did you make this Keto Beef Stew Recipe? Tag me on Instagram so I can see! @lowcarbwithjennifer
Keto Beef Stew with Bacon (Instant Pot, Stove Top, or Crockpot)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, Sliced
- 2-3 Pounds Beef Stew Meat
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 Large Onion, Diced
- 3 Carrots, Peeled and Diced (see notes for using radishes)
- 8 Ounces Baby Bell Mushrooms, Quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (click here to see my favorite brand on Amazon)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the electric pressure cooker, press the sauté button and adjust until "more" is highlighted. When the display reads hot, add the diced bacon. Cook the bacon until it is crisp, remove it to drain on paper towels, reserving the bacon grease in the pot.
- In a large bowl, add the beef stew meat and salt. Add half of the beef to the Instant Pot and let it sauté until brown. Remove to a plate and add the rest of the beef to sauté until brown.
- Hit the cancel button, then add all of the beef to the pot, the onion, carrots, mushrooms, thyme, and beef broth. Be sure to scrape any stuck on burned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Place the lid on the pot, set the valve to sealing, and set to high pressure cook for 35 minutes. When the pot is finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually by turning the valve.
- Remove the lid, whisk in the Xanthan gum to thicken, and serve in bowls with the reserved cooked bacon on top of each bowl.
JENNIFER'S TIPS
- Stove top instructions: Sauce the bacon over medium heat in a heavy bottom pot until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside, reserving the bacon fat in the pot. Add the seasoned beef, onions, mushrooms, and carrots to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef on all sides and let onions soften. Add in the beef broth, dried thyme, and xanthan gum. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover and let cook for 1 hour or until the beef is fork tender.
- Crockpot Instructions: Add everything to the crockpot except the vegetables. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. With 1 hour remaining in the cook time, mix in the vegetables.
- Radishes instead of Carrots: Radishes are a great alternative to carrots as they have almost zero carbs. You can add them into this recipe just as you would the carrots.
Kimm says
This is good but there is something missing from the flavor and I can’t think of what it is.
The veggies need more than an hour to fully cook if you are using a crock pot
Otherwise it was good
Dori Mozek says
I made this today and I feel 35 minutes was way too long. I used radishes instead of carrots. Yhe taste was amazing! Instead of just thyme I used Herb de Provence and a small squirt of tomato paste. Next time I will use diced tomatoes and cut the time down to 25 min.
Gail says
This was delicious!! The only thing I did differently was added riced cauliflower, a tablespoon of tomato paste and about a tablespoon of sour cream on top.
Darth Keto says
What are the macros for this stew? Maybe I’m just not seeing them.
jenniferbanz says
I added that info to the post