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A while back I run a poll on Facebook in which I asked my readers about recipes they are missing most on a low-carb diet. And I have to admit that even with over 1,500 recipes, there's always more ideas, and I love new challenges!
One of the top mentioned recipes was a classic British pub-style pot pie. This classic comfort food recipe has been a favorite of mine for years so I knew I had to give it a go.
This keto pot pie is perfect for the holiday season, St. Patrick's Day, or any day of the year.
How To Make Keto Beef & Beer Pot Pie
The filling was simple. We are using braising beef with low-carb vegetables and skipping the starchy potatoes. Instead of the traditionally used ale or Guiness, I opted for Skinny Brands beer which is a low-carb, gluten-free and low-calorie lager.
Just like when cooking with wine, cooking meat with beer adds a fantastic flavor and depth to this dish. And you won't have to worry about the alcohol content as it will cook out. (Check out our Guide to Low-Carb Alcohol for more low-carb tips!)
The golden crunchy topping is made with keto shortcrust pastry. We're using almond flour and coconut flour with the addition of xanthan gum, cold butter, salt and egg.
Unlike traditional shortcrust pastry, this dough is not as pliable and can be quite fragile if it's not chilled so make sure you're using cold butter and let the dough cool in the fridge before rolling out. It also helps to use a silicon rolling mat (or strong parchment paper) and a silicon covered rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking.
Once you roll the dough out, place it in the freezer for a few minutes before tipping on top of the pie dish and peeling the parchment off.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe can be made in stages. You can prepare the dough up to 4 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to cook the beef.
- If you can't get low-carb beer, try wine instead! To do that, use a cup of dry red or white wine, plus a cup more of beef stock.
- Beef can be replaced with lamb or even pork. You can also use chicken although you will need to adjust the baking time as it will take less to cook through.
- If you end up with too much sauce, use a ladle to transfer the excess sauce into a saucepan. Cook over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until reduced enough. Pour back into the pie dish. I didn't have to do that.
- If you want to add some more vegetables, try chopped green beans, Brussels sprouts, zucchini or eggplant.
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Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1/6 pie
Nutritional values (per serving, 1/6 pie)
Net carbs7.2 grams
Protein41.4 grams
Fat58.9 grams
Calories755 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 23%, fat 73%
Total carbs11.1 gramsFiber3.9 gramsSugars3.9 gramsSaturated fat23.4 gramsSodium720 mg(31% RDA)Magnesium141 mg(35% RDA)Potassium1,063 mg(53% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
Pie filling:
- 1 kg braising beef (2.2 lbs)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 medium red onion, chopped (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large celery stick (64 g/ 2.2 oz)
- 1 small carrot, sliced (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
- 200 g brown mushrooms, sliced (7.1 oz)
- 4 tbsp ghee or avocado oil, divided (60 ml)
- 500 ml low-carb, gluten-free beer (17 fl oz)
- 500 ml beef stock or bone broth (17 fl oz)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (15 ml)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard or English mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (16 g/ 0.5 oz)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter (57 g/ 2 oz)
- 1 large egg, plus 1/2 egg for brushing on top
Instructions
- Cut the braising beef into large chunks, 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 inch) each. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the celery, carrot and mushrooms.
- Grease an ovenproof casserole dish with a tablespoon of ghee. Add the beef and cook on high heat until seared and browned from all sides, for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted), or 170 °C/ 340 °F (conventional).
- Grease the casserole dish with the remaining ghee and add the sliced onion. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the minced garlic, sliced celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the sliced mushrooms.
- Pour in the stock and beer. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomato paste, 2 bay leaves and 3-4 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over a high heat, cover with a lid and then transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- To make the crust, place the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt, cold butter and one egg into a food processor. Process until smooth dough forms.
- Wrap in a piece of cling film, flatten with your hands and refrigerate while you cook the beef.
- After 2 hours of baking the beef, remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes.
- When baked, transfer when whole content into a deep pie dish. I used a 25 cm (10 inch pie dish with the inside diameter slightly smaller at 22 cm (9 inch).
Note: If you end up with too much sauce, use a ladle to transfer the excess sauce into a saucepan. Cook over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until reduced enough. Pour back into the pie dish.
- Place the dough on a strong piece of parchment paper or a silicon mat. Roll the dough into a round, flat crust. To prevent the dough from sticking, use a silicon covered rolling pin or wrap it in a piece of cling film. Measure it to make sure it's big enough to cover the whole pie (in my case it was 25 cm/ 10 inch). The crust will be fragile when the dough warms up. Carefully transfer into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C/ 355 °F (fan assisted), or 200 °C/ 400 °F (conventional). Remove the crust from the freezer and put on top of the pie, peeling the parchment off the other side.
- Use a fork to create a decorative effect around the top of the pie crust. Brush with the remaining egg (you won't need more than half an egg). Using a sharp knife, poke a small hole in the middle to help the steam escape as it cooks.
- Transfer into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, turning the pie halfway to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.
- Eat warm or let it cool down and refrigerate for up to 4 days. This pie can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1/6 pie)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Beef (for slow cooking), grass-fed |
| 0 g | 32.1 g | 30 g | 407 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Onion, red, fresh |
| 1.1 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Garlic, fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Celery stalk, fresh |
| 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Carrot, fresh |
| 0.6 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 3 kcal |
| Mushrooms (brown), fresh |
| 1.2 g | 0.8 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Ghee, clarified butter |
| 0 g | 0 g | 7.5 g | 68 kcal |
| Premium Lager (Skinny Brands) |
| 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 22 kcal |
| Beef bone broth, beef stock |
| 0.2 g | 1.3 g | 1.1 g | 14 kcal |
| Worcestershire sauce |
| 0.6 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Dijon mustard |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Tomato purée (paste, unsweetened) |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Bay leaf, dried |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Thyme, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) |
| 1.8 g | 4.5 g | 10.9 g | 123 kcal |
| Coconut flour, organic |
| 0.3 g | 0.5 g | 0.4 g | 10 kcal |
| Xanthan gum, thickening agent |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 0.1 g | 7.6 g | 68 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 1.6 g | 1.2 g | 18 kcal |
| Total per serving, 1/6 pie |
| 7.2 g | 41.4 g | 58.9 g | 755 kcal |
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