The The kind of stew that fills your house with the smell of home — and your body with everything it needs.
There’s a moment every winter when nothing sounds better than a bowl of slow-cooked stew. The kind with deeply browned meat, soft vegetables, herby broth, and that little pat of butter swirled in at the end. This keto beef and pork stew is exactly that — the meal you crave on a cold day, the one that warms you from the inside out.
What makes this version different is the meat combo. Ground beef alone can be one-note. Ground pork alone can be too rich. Together, they create a stew with depth, fat, and balance — the beef brings savory backbone, the pork brings tenderness and richness. Add the soffritto-style sautéed vegetables, the smoky paprika, the splash of Worcestershire — and you end up with something that tastes like it simmered all day (because, well, it did).
This stew is keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and freezer-friendly. It’s the kind of recipe you make on a Sunday and eat all week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Slow-cooker easy. Brown the meat, sauté the veggies, dump it in the crockpot, walk away.
- Deeply flavorful. Browning the meat first and properly sautéing the aromatics is what separates a great stew from a bland one.
- Two pounds of protein. A pound each of beef and pork makes this hearty enough to satisfy.
- Freezer-friendly. Makes a big batch and reheats beautifully.
- Low-carb without trying. No flour, no thickeners — just real ingredients that happen to be keto.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the stew:
- 1 lb ground beef — 80/20 gives you the best flavor. Leaner is fine but you’ll want to add a bit more butter at the end.
- 1 lb ground pork — adds richness and tenderness the beef alone can’t give you.
- 129g celery, diced — the aromatic backbone.
- 63g green pepper, diced — adds freshness and a slight bitterness that balances the richness.
- 97g zucchini, diced — keeps the stew light and adds bulk without carbs.
- 70g yellow onion, diced — sweet, foundational.
- 23g jalapeño, diced — keep the seeds for heat, remove for milder.
- 8g garlic, minced — fresh only, please.
- 1 tbsp tomato paste — concentrated umami.
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce — the secret weapon. Adds depth most stews are missing.
- 1 tsp dried thyme — earthy, classic stew herb.
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika — gives the stew its warm, smoky character.
- 3 cups beef bone broth — the foundation. Bone broth adds collagen, body, and richness that regular broth can’t.
- Salt and pepper to taste
For finishing:
- 1 tbsp butter for sautéing
- 1 tbsp cold butter for swirling into the finished stew
How to Make Keto Beef and Pork Stew
Step 1: Brown the Meats
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and ground pork together. Break it up with a spoon as it cooks until fully browned and no pink remains. Transfer the browned meat to your slow cooker, leaving the flavorful drippings in the pan.
Step 2: Sauté the Onions
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the diced onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Build the Aromatic Base
Add the celery, green pepper, and jalapeño to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly. Add the zucchini and garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds — just until the garlic is fragrant. (Don’t let the garlic burn.)
Step 4: Bloom the Tomato Paste
Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly. This step is non-negotiable — it transforms the tomato paste from raw and tinny to deep and savory.
Step 5: Deglaze the Pan
Pour in a splash of the bone broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those browned bits are pure flavor — don’t leave them behind.
Step 6: Combine in the Slow Cooker
Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker with the browned meat. Add the remaining bone broth, thyme, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 7: Slow Cook
Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or on High for 3-4 hours. The longer the better — the flavors deepen with time.
Step 8: Adjust the Texture (Optional)
If you want a thicker stew, transfer it to a stovetop pot and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.
Step 9: Finish with Butter
Right before serving, stir in 1 tablespoon of cold butter. This adds glossiness, richness, and a restaurant-quality finish. Taste and adjust the seasoning one final time.
Step 10: Serve
Ladle into bowls and serve as is, or over a bed of cauliflower mash for an even more comforting experience.
Expert Tips for the Best Results
- Brown the meat properly. Don’t rush this step or skip it. Browning is where deep flavor comes from — pale gray meat gives you pale gray flavor.
- Bloom the tomato paste. Cooking it until it darkens transforms it. Skipping this gives you a stew that tastes raw and tomato-y instead of deep and savory.
- Don’t skip the deglaze. Those brown bits stuck to the pan are flavor gold. A splash of broth and a wooden spoon is all it takes.
- Use real bone broth. Boxed beef stock works in a pinch but doesn’t have the same body or depth. Bone broth makes this stew restaurant-level.
- Finish with cold butter. This is a chef move that home cooks often skip. It adds gloss, richness, and rounds out all the sharper flavors.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use one meat instead of two. All ground beef or all ground pork works — you’ll just lose some of the balance.
- Swap in stew meat for a chunkier, more traditional stew. Cube it small and brown well before slow cooking.
- Make it spicier by adding extra jalapeño, a pinch of cayenne, or a spoonful of chili oil at the end.
- Add more vegetables — diced bell peppers, mushrooms, or radishes (which behave like potatoes when slow-cooked).
- Make it stovetop or Dutch oven — simmer covered on low for 1.5-2 hours instead of slow cooking.
- Make it Instant Pot — pressure cook on High for 25 minutes with a natural release.
- Skip the Worcestershire if you don’t have it — use coconut aminos plus a tiny splash of vinegar.
Storage & Meal Prep
Use your nose on this one — keep it until it either smells off or you don’t want to look at it anymore. Stews are forgiving like that.
Refrigerator: This stew tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had time to meld. Store in an airtight container.
Freezer-friendly: This recipe freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze in individual portions for easy weeknight meals — just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Meal prep tip: Make a double batch on Sunday, eat half during the week, and freeze the other half for a future “I don’t want to cook” night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in an Instant Pot? Yes — brown the meat and sauté the veggies using the sauté function, then pressure cook on High for 25 minutes with a natural release.
Can I make this on the stovetop instead of a slow cooker? Absolutely. After step 6, just simmer covered over low heat for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Why brown the meat first if it’s going in a slow cooker anyway? Slow cookers don’t get hot enough to develop the deep browned flavor (the Maillard reaction) that makes stew taste like stew. Browning beforehand is what gives you restaurant-level depth.
What can I serve this over? Cauliflower mash is the keto-friendly classic. It also works over zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles, sautéed cabbage, or just on its own with a side salad.
Is the jalapeño spicy? At 23g with seeds, it adds noticeable warmth but isn’t overwhelming. Remove the seeds for a milder version, or skip it entirely if you don’t want any heat.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken? You can, but you’ll lose a lot of richness. If you go that route, add an extra tablespoon of butter or olive oil to compensate for the lower fat content.
If you make this stew on a cold night, tag @ketowilder on Instagram — I love seeing your bowls.
