Mediterranean Beef Stew will be a hit with everyone who loves rosemary, olives, and capers; make it in the slow cooker or on the stove. This stew is loaded with flavor and low in carbs; see tips for making it even lower in carbs if you prefer!

PIN Mediterranean Beef Stew to try it later!

Next time you’re feeling like a slow cooker dinner that can cook all day while you do something else, why not make this slow Mediterranean Beef Stew with lots of interesting Mediterranean flavors? You can start this mid morning and by dinner time it will be ready to go, and this is great for a low-carb meal.

If you’ll be gone all day, just do the advance prep the night before, refrigerate the ingredients in a plastic container, and put the cold ingredients in the slow cooker and let it cook all day while you’re out. I’d love this with a dollop of sour cream on top, but no matter how you eat it, this stew is loaded with flavor.  And there are also stove-top instructions if you don’t have a slow cooker!

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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• olive oil
• mushrooms
• onion
• chuck steak or roast
• beef stock or canned beef broth (affiliate link)
• canned diced tomatoes with juice
• tomato sauce
• balsamic vinegar, I use Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar (affiliate link)
• black olives
• garlic cloves,
• fresh rosemary or use ground rosemary (affiliate link)
• fresh parsley
• Capers (affiliate link)
• fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

Do you have to pre-brown the beef cubes?

I realize, (and some people remind me occasionally!) that some of you don’t like having to brown the meat or pre-cook other ingredients before you put them in the slow cooker. I recommend doing that because I think browning the meat or onions adds so much flavor to slow cooker dishes, and cooking mushrooms removes the extra liquid that doesn’t get cooked off in the slow cooker.  But I don’t take it personally if you ignore my instructions, and I think this will still be pretty good even if you just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it to low.

How can you make a version of this that’s even lower in carbs?

This recipe is quite low in carbs, but if you want to make a version that’s even lower in carbs (or don’t have balsamic vinegar), use less tomato sauce and use 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus a little sweetener to replace the balsamic vinegar.

What size show cooker did I use?

I used a Crock-Pot 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, but any similar size will work. If you’re a slow cooker fan you can find lots more Slow Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes on my other site!

More Beef in the Slow Cooker:

If you’re a slow cooker fan, check out Low-Carb and Keto Slow Cooker Recipes with Beef to find more tasty beef recipes like this one. Or you can use Low-Carb and Keto Stew Recipes to find more tasty stews.

How to make Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information and stovetop instructions.)

1. Slice 8 oz. mushrooms and chop up one small onion.
2. Heat a small amount of olive oil and cook the mushrooms.  When they’re brown and the pan is dry, add them to the slow cooker.
3. While the mushrooms cook trim the chuck steak into bite-sized pieces. (I trim away the fatty parts, and save all those fatty pieces to make homemade beef stock.)
4. After you remove the mushrooms, add a little more oil and lightly brown the chopped onions; then add them to the slow cooker.
5. Then add a little more oil, add the pieces of beef and cook until they are well browned on all sides.  Add the browned beef to the slow cooker.
6. De-glaze pan with one cup of homemade beef stock or beef broth, cook until slightly reduced, then add to the slow cooker.
7. While the beef browns slice the garlic pieces and olives, measure the capers, and chop the rosemary and parsley. Add the can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, olives, garlic slices, chopped rosemary, chopped parsley, and capers.
8. Cook for 6-8 hours on low (or slightly longer if you prep the night before and started with ingredients that were cold.)  This can also be cooked on high for 3-4 hours, but I prefer longer cooking on low for beef.
9. The last photo shows how the stew looked when it had cooked all day and was ready to eat.  Season with fresh ground black pepper (and a little salt if desired), and eat!

More Slow Cooker Recipes with Beef:

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Beef Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Green Chile Shredded Beef Cabbage Bowl
Shredded Beef Tacos with Spicy Slaw and Avocado
Slow Cooker Mushroom Lover’s Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pot Roast

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

• 1-2 T olive oil (depends on your pan)
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 lbs. trimmed and diced chuck steak or roast, cut in bite-sized pieces (see notes)
• 1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth (see notes)
• one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (see notes)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (see notes for lower-carb alternative)
• 1 can black olives, cut in half or fourths
• 20 cloves garlic, cut in thin slices (optional, but good)
• 2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary (see notes)
• 2 T finely chopped fresh parsley (see notes)
• 1 T capers (or more)
• fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Heat small amount of olive oil in heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms and cook several minutes, until starting to brown. Add mushrooms to slow cooker.
2. Add a little more oil, then cook diced onions about 5 minutes, or until starting to brown. Add onions to slow cooker.
3. Add a little more oil again, then add diced beef and brown well, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t rush the browning step. Add beef to the slow cooker.
4. Add 1 cup beef stock to the pan and simmer a few minutes until slightly reduced, scraping off all browned bits, then add that stock to the slow cooker.
5. Add diced tomatoes and juice, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, olives, garlic, rosemary, parsley, capers, and a little black pepper. Stir gently to combine, then put lid on Crockpot and cook 6-8 hours on low. (You could cook this 3-4 hours on high, but for a recipe with large pieces of garlic like this I prefer the low setting.)
6. Season to taste with salt and more fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
7. If you do all the advance preparation the night before and put the combined ingredient in the refrigerator overnight, this could cook as long as 10 hours in the Crockpot while you’re at work. Manufacturers don’t recommend putting crockery liner with prepared ingredients in the refrigerator; store in another container so contents stay cold, then put in Crockpot in the morning.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Follow all the preparation steps as outlined, putting ingredients in heavy dutch oven type pan. Add one cup additional beef stock. Simmer on very low heat about 2 hours.

Notes

I used about 3 cups meat, for stove-top cooking I might use a more tender cut of meat. Use 2 cups beef stock for stovetop cooking.

Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

If you don’t have fresh rosemary, use 2 tsp ground rosemary. If you only have cracked rosemary, I would grind the rosemary in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder or pound with a meat mallet. If you don’t have fresh parsley, use 1 T dried parsley.

If you want to make a version of this recipe that’s even lower in carbs, skip the tomato sauce and use 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar plus a little sweetener to replace the balsamic vinegar.

This recipe was created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 495Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 16.4gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 472mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 5.6gProtein: 46g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Mediterranean Beef Stew with would be suitable for most low-carb and low-glycemic diets, including any phase of the original South Beach Diet. See notes in the recipe to make this even lower in carbs for Keto.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there. 

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2007, and I’ve made it quite a few times since then! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2021

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone in short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

• Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

• Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

• Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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