This Ground Beef Stew is a quick and easy alternative to traditional beef stew. Tender ground beef and a mix of colorful veggies are simmered in a flavorful broth, making this a hearty and delicious easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Ground Beef Stew Recipe

• Tender savory ground beef
• Colorful mix of veggies
• Simmered in a flavorful broth
• Inexpensive alternative to traditional beef stew
• Quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights

Beef stew is one of those quintessential comfort foods that usually simmers away for hours until tender and delicious. You might never have thought of replacing the roast with ground beef, but it’s actually a great alternative that’s also less expensive.

I take ground beef and simmer it with a mix of low carb veggies, creating a hearty and very tasty comfort food your family will love. It has the same amazing and comforting flavors as traditional beef stew, made quick and easy, which is perfect for busy weeknights.

Leftovers also freeze really well so you can portion some out and have it on hand to enjoy anytime. Give this easy Keto dinner recipe a try and I’m betting you will make it a part of your regular rotation.

🛒 Ingredients for Ground Beef Stew

• Ground beef
• Beef broth
• Green beans
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Peas
• White wine
• Garlic
• Bay leaves
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Dried thyme
• Salt 
• Ground black pepper
• Xanthan gum

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Dutch oven or large pot

🔪 How to Make Stew with Ground Beef

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot to medium and add in the ground beef, half the salt and half the black pepper.

Cook until the beef is browned, discard any excess fat, then remove and set it aside. You can leave a little in the pot for added flavor, but you don’t want too much of it.

Add in the olive oil and butter, then once melted, add in the chopped onions, celery, carrots, remaining salt and pepper.

Sauté for just a few minutes, you’re not looking to cook them through. Then make a well in the center and add in the garlic.  Sauté for another 20 seconds, making sure not to brown it.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits of flavor. 

Allow the wine to reduce by half, then pour in the beef broth, bay leaves, dried thyme and add the ground beef back in.  Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes or until the carrots and celery are tender.

Add in the thawed green beans and peas, mix and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaves, then whisk in the xanthan gum. Continue to simmer just until it reaches your desired thickness. It should be thicker than a soup, but thinner than a gravy. It’s ready to serve.

☑️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze.

🍴 What to Serve with Beef Stew

• Mashed Cauliflower
• Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti Squash
• Wedge Salad
• Greek Salad
• Dinner Rolls
• Drop Biscuits

💡 Tips for Making the Best Beef Stew

• If you want to do some prep work in advance, you can thaw your green beans and peas, then chop up your onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Then preparing the stew will go very quickly.
• Try to use 85% ground beef, as the fat ratio is just right. Any higher and it won’t be quite as juicy, any lower and it’s a bit too much fat.
• When sautéing the carrots, onions and celery, you just want to cook them for a few minutes. You don’t want to cook them all the way through, otherwise they will get soggy and fall apart when you simmer the stew after adding in the broth and ground beef.
• If you want to add in the green beans and peas while they are still frozen you can do that, just allow enough time for them to cook through in the stew.

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• If you don’t want to use white wine, you can deglaze the pan with some beef broth instead.
• If you happen to have fresh thyme, you can use it instead of the dried. 2 teaspoons will be plenty.
• The xanthan gum is used to help thicken the broth to make it a little more like a gravy. If you don’t want to use it, you can use the thickener of your choice instead.
• If you have chicken or vegetable broth on hand, you can use it instead of the beef broth and the flavors will still be amazing.
• If you need this to be dairy-free, you can substitute with more olive oil and omit the butter.
• You can also add in other low carb veggies if you want a heartier stew like zucchini, asparagus or even diced tomatoes.

Can ground beef be used for beef stew?

Absolutely! It’s not quite as common as using a roast, like chuck, but you can still get some great flavor from using ground beef.

What is poor man’s stew?

Using ground beef is a great way to save money, as it’s definitely more economical to use, verses other cuts of beef.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making ground beef stew?

You definitely need to brown the ground beef first, skipping this step can result in a mushy and less flavorful stew. You will also end up with a lot of rendered fat in your stew, which is something you won’t want.

Adding in the vegetables all at once or too early is a common mistake. Carrots and celery need longer to soften than the frozen green beans and peas. They are best added in stages, as I’ve outlined in the recipe.

Adding in too much broth will give you more of a soup than a stew. Also not cooking with the lid will allow too much of the broth and steam to escape, and you will end up with nothing for your gravy.

What is the secret to good beef stew?

The layers of flavor that you build from browning the ground beef, sautéing the onions, carrots and celery to adding in and simmering the broth really helps give you a great end result. Deglazing the pot with the white wine also helps to develop flavor as well, so don’t skip that step.

🍽️ More Keto Ground Beef Recipes

• Italian Meatballs
• Instant Pot Chili
• Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
• Beef Stroganoff Casserole
• Swedish Meatballs
• Cheeseburger Salad