Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Herb Dumplings – the perfect comfort food! A delicious beef stew loaded with vegetables cooked in your Crock Pot & topped with homemade dumplings for a hearty one pot meal. A timeless classic you’ll never tire of.
Having been spoilt with warm days well into November makes the cooler turn in the weather a bit of a shock to the system. I think after the arrival of frost it’s definitely time to start eating comforting hearty meals like stews.
My mum would make a beef stew almost every week, not least because it was economical – a small amount of a cheap cut of meat would stretch a long way with all those vegetables.
My mum didn’t have a slow cooker back then, so the stew would be on a low light on the hob for most of the day.
When I got married I carried on the tradition of a weekly stew, making it in the slow cooker we had as a wedding present – money was tight so we even had stew pie later in the week.
Over the years we’ve lost the weekly stew tradition here at the Kitchen Shed but every now and then, when the weather turns, we have a humble delicious beef stew, with dumplings of course.
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW AND HERB DUMPLINGS?
BEEF
The slow cooker is perfect for transforming chewy, hard working cuts of meat into melting, flavourful tenderness. For this recipe I’ve used only 400g of chuck steak so it is very easy on the pocket. A note on cooking the meat – for me, browning the meat is essential.
WHAT’S THE BEST CUT OF BEEF FOR A STEW?
CHUCK STEAK
This comes from the shoulder and upper limb of the animal. Chuck has plenty of collagen and intramuscular fat which basically means the longer you cook it the more tender and juicy it becomes.
You don’t have to stick to chuck steak. Beef labelled as stewing steak will breakdown with long slow cooking into forkfuls of tender fall apart beef.
VEGGIES AND HERBS
I’ve used carrots, onions and potatoes, items I’d got on the pantry shelf, but feel free to use any root vegetables.
Slow Cooker Beef stew is seasoned with bay leaf, thyme and finished with fresh parsley.
A NOTE ON USING HERBS IN YOUR SLOW COOKER
Dried herbs work best added at the beginning of slow cooking because the flavours intensify. Conversely fresh herbs are added towards the end of cooking as they tend to lose their flavour.
THE GRAVY
You can tell a good stew from its gravy or sauce and this one is delicious!
To make this sauce you will need:
- Tomato puree
- Worcester Sauce
- A good quality beef stock
Combined with the flavour from the caramelised slow cooked beef, vegetables and herbs you won’t be able to resist a second helping.
HOMEMADE DUMPLINGS IN THE SLOW COOKER
Arguably the best bit. No stew would be complete without homemade dumplings. Sometimes I have to make double to make sure I get some. A spoonful of a soft and fluffy dumpling with stew is divine.
Made from just a few ingredients they make a stew a complete one pot meal.
You will need:
- Plain flour
- Baking powder
- Shredded suet
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Water
FOR A SUET FREE DUMPLING
A good substitute for suet is to grate hard white vegetable fat, such as Trex, and coat with rice flour.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
Slow Cooker Beef Stew is easy to make and needs only a few minutes of preparation.
Secondly, brown the floured beef chunks and add to your slow cooker.
Firstly, brown the onions and carrots in a small amount of oil in a large frying pan. Add them to your slow cooker.
Thirdly, deglaze the frying pan with the beef stock and transfer to the slow cooker.
Lastly, add the potatoes, dried herbs, tomato puree and Worcester sauce. Give it a good old stir, place the slow cooker lid on and let the slow cooker do its magic.
A NOTE ON BROWNING BEEF
You can just throw everything into the slow cooker but it really is worth browning (brown the vegetables as well since you’re using a pan for the meat) to get all the delicious caramelised depth of flavours.
HOW TO COOK CROCK POT DUMPLINGS
Cooking dumplings in your slow cooker couldn’t be easier. Often people worry about overcooking dumplings or dumplings falling apart but gentle simmering in the slow cooker does away with this worry.
Make up the dumpling dough and shape into small balls.
Turn up your slow cooker to High and add the dumplings to your Crock Pot.
Cook on High with the lid on for 45 minutes.
CAN SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW AND HERB DUMPLINGS BE REHEATED?
Yes. Once cooled the stew can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a pan on the stovetop on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
A NOTE ON REHEATING DUMPLINGS
I wouldn’t recommend reheating dumplings, I find that they don’t tend to be as soft and fluffy when reheated. It’s not often a problem for us as there’s usually a queue for seconds so no dumplings get saved for later.
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IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE…
…you might also like:
Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Goulash
Slow Cooker Citrus Lamb Shanks
PIN SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW & HERB DUMPLINGS
Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Herb Dumplings
Equipment
- large frying pan
- Slow cooker or Crock Pot
Ingredients
STEW
- 400 g stewing steak cut into chunks I used chuck steak
- 6 tbsp plain flour or all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 carrots, sliced into chunks
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into small chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 750 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
SUET DUMPLINGS
- 110 g plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50 g vegetable or beef suet
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 4 to 6 tbsp water
SUET FREE DUMPLINGS
- 110 g plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50 g grated hard white vegetable fat coated with a tablespoon of rice flour
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 4 to 6 tbsp water
Instructions
- MAKE YOUR STEWLightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with oil or cooking spray and turn your slow cooker on high.
- Add salt and pepper to your flour and coat the beef chunks before setting the coated meat to one side.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and brown the onions and carrots before transferring them to your slow cooker.
- Add the floured beef chunks to your frying pan and brown well before adding to the slow cooker.
- Add any remaining flour to your pan and cook out in the oil before deglazing the pan with the beef stock – stir well to avoid any lumps.
- Pour the pan contents into your slow cooker and add the potatoes, herbs, tomato puree and Worcester sauce. Stir well and then put on the slow cooker lid.
- Cook on low for 8 hours before making your dumplings.
- MAKE YOUR DUMPLINGSSieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the suet or vegetable fat and chopped parsley.
- Add 4 tablespoons of water and stir again to form a dough, adding extra water if necessary.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces and turn out onto a floured work surface.Shape into small balls, add to your slow cooker and cook on high for 45 minutes with the lid on.
Notes
Leftover stew can be reheated.
Once cooled the stew can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.Reheat in a pan on the stovetop on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I’m entering Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Herb Dumplings into a few food challenges this month:
- Corina’s Cook Once Eat Twice over at Searching For Spice.
- Teatime Treats hosted alternate months by Karen from Lavender and Lovage, Manjiri from Travels for Taste and Jo from Jo’s Kitchen, hosted this month by Karen.
- The Slow Cooked Challenge co hosted by Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen and Lucy over at Baking Queen 74, hosted this month by Lucy.
Oh wow! Such a comforting and flavorful slow cooker meal. Definitely perfect for the cooler weather we have had this week. I love how easily it comes together too.
Thanks Tara.
This is pure comfort food! So perfect for cold days!
Thank you Mary, we love comfort food here at the Kitchen Shed.
The perfect winter and cold-weather dish. Comforting and absolutely moreish.
Thanks Sisley, Beef Madras is very moreish which is why I make it on a Friday treat night.
Total comfort food! That’s tomorrows dinner sorted ๐
So pleased you’ll be making Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings for tomorrow’s dinner.
Beef stew is one of my all time favorites. I’ve never had dumplings in it. I can’t wait to try this version.
If you love beef stew then you’ll love the addition of dumplings. Do let me know how you get on.
I love the warm comforting flavors in this. Such a classic comfort food
Thanks Michelle.
I agree beef stew is perfect comfort food for the colder months. I’ve actually never made it with dumplings! Now I definitely want to give it a go. Your stew looks and sounds so hearty and warming!
Thanks Jacqueline, hope you enjoy stew with dumplings.
Perfect for this holiday! Yey pinned it already. Love it <3
Thanks for pinning Maria, do let me know how you get on.
Beef stew is one of my favorite things to enjoy in the cooler months. This is a wonderful version! I love having the smell fill the house as it cooks.
Thanks Annissa, the kitchen does smell wonderful as it cooks.
Looks so delicious and hearty.. can’t wait to make it today.. I have all the ingredients
That’s great news Soniya, do let me know how you get on.
I haven’t made dumplings in so long but now that I have tried yours, I want to make them every night! My favorite part of the stew!
Thanks Beth, that’s great news, so pleased you enjoyed Slow Cooker Dumplings.
This stew sounds amazing! I have some beef stew meat in the freezer that I need to use up. I’m thinking I may add some other root veggies I have around too. Thanks for an excellent recipe!
You’re most welcome Jessie, all root vegetables work well in the stew.
Slow cooker beef stew is total comfort food. I love the addition of dumplings.
Thanks Danni, we love comfort food here at the Kitchen Shed.
This is my kind of comfort food! THis was soooo amazing – next time I’ll make twice the dumplings cause they were so freaking good!
Thanks Jen, so pleased you enjoyed our beef stew and dumplings. Glad to hear you’ll be making double portions of dumplings next time ๐
So delicious and comforting on a chilly night. A dish this hearty is perfect for dinner. I love using my slow cooker so this will be ideal for my family.
Thanks Ellen, I hope you enjoy our Beef stew & Dumplings as much as we do.
So good!! I’ve been making beef stew without dumplings for so long, and I find that this is the perfect way to make it, with creamy and delicious dumplings! great recipe!
Thanks Lizet, the dumplings make the stew complete and you don’t need to serve anything else. Hope you enjoy your stew with dumplings as much as we do.
This sounds perfect now that the weather is getting colder. yum!
Thanks Erica, you can’t beat stew and dumplings on a cold winter’s day.
This has been on our list for weeknight favorites!! So good and comforting!
Beef Stew & Dumplings makes an easy weeknight meal especially as you can leave the stew in the slow cooker all day.
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Thanks Beth, it’s a real comfort food meal. I hope you enjoy Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Dumplings as much as we do.
Love this stew, looks so delicious and such comfort food.
Thanks Ruchi, you can’t beat a stew for comfort food ๐
OMG, this is perfect for the fall! I need to make this asap.
This is a delicious bowl of comfort. Itโs been a rough year (as we all know) but this stew gives such a sense of warmth. A feel good meal.
Thanks Kerri, there is something about a bowl of stew and dumplings that does cheer you up.
I need an easy crockpot meal this week and this recipe is the ticket!
Thanks Kasy, do let me know how you get on.
This is pure amazing comfort food! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re most welcome Capri, it’s a pleasure to share the recipe.
Beef stew was fab but the best part for me was the dumplings!! YUMMY
Do you cook the dumpling with lido n or off please?
Hi Andrea, you cook the dumplings with the lid on. Do let me know how you get on.
Thanks Kay, so pleased you enjoyed the stew. I love the dumplings too, you can’t have a stew without dumplings.
This looks insanely, incredibly good. Sooo yummy!
Love making beef stew in the winter, and really like the dumplings!
Exactly the kind of delicious comfort food I crave! Yum!
I love beef stew, I found your recipe just now and look forward to making it soon. Colder weather is on the way!
I’m so glad I found your stew recipe just in time for the cold weather!
I love this recipe for dumplings and the combination with a slowcooker recipe is so nice. I love my slowcooker, so this is great.
Used your broad recipe in the instapot, shallots instead of onion, cornflour by eye instead of normal flour, skipped the worcester sauce though god knows why because I have some, 5hours normal slow cooking and threw in some gnocchi at the end instead of making dumplings, but …it came out lovely and the best stew I’ve made in ages so thank you for posting this!
You’re most welcome, it’s a pleasure to share my recipe. Gnocchi in the stew sounds delicious.
We need plenty of recipes like this one. It is cold outside and a good stew is the most comforting thing ever. Lovely blog x
Thanks Alida, we love a good stew here at the Kitchen Shed. So pleased you like my blog, thanks for popping over x
Beef stew is so comforting! Looks delicious!
Thanks Zoale, you can’t beat a bowl of hearty stew in weather like this.
What a great looking stew!
Thanks Jenni, our family loved it and have requested another one already.
Oh yum! This makes me want to pull out my slow cooker tomorrow. Looks very good!
Thanks April, enjoy cooking with your slow cooker.
Such a wonderful looking stew.I shared it on my page because it just looks stunning.I loved the dumplings too.Winter food doesn’t get better than this!
Thanks for your kind comments and for sharing.
What a simple recipe!
Thanks Michelle, I love a no fuss, easy recipe to make during the week and it really does deliver on taste, simplicity at its best. Thanks for popping by.
In my opinion a good old beef stew and dumpling is THE BEST autumn/winter dish. It is pure comfort food in a bowl. This looks and sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thanks Kirsty, I’m with you on that, comfort food is definitely on the menu this time of year. Always a pleasure to share with #CookBlogShare x
Yum!! It’s finally cooling off here in SW Florida, and this would be perfect. Since it’s made in a slow cooker, it won’t overheat the house.
Thanks Kimberly, the slow cooker does save you putting the oven on and heating up the house, although I must say here in Guernsey that would be most welcome at the moment. ๐
Looks Yummy! Definitely going on the list for next weeks meals ๐ #cookblogshare
Thanks Josefine, hope you enjoy Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Dumplings as much as we do ๐
This is a lovely recipe, and I love the dumplings in it! I’ll be cooking a stew for several people this weekend and I think I’ll add some dumplings in it too – the way you made them:)
Thanks Monika, I love a good stew but it’s even better with a few dumplings. Do let me know how you get on ๐
I happen to think slow cookers are one the the best inventions ever. This stew sounds fantastic. Perfect comfort food for the upcoming cold winter months.
Thanks Gloria, slow cookers are brilliant aren’t they? So low cost energy wise and I love how you can just leave the slow cooker to do its magic and produce a delicious meal for you when you get home from work.
How delicious Sarah and perfect for a winter’s day, beef stew is just the best. I have never had dumplings in a stew for some reason (being Southerners maybe? not sure) but I will have to pop some in next time I make a stew. Thanks for a brilliant entry into the Slow Cooked Challenge!
Thanks Lucy, it’s a pleasure to link up with the Slow Cooked Challenge. I hadn’t thought of dumplings as a Northern thing, we’re from right in the centre of England but my Grandma was from Yorkshire and we’ve grown up with them. I hope you enjoy your first experience of dumplings, we love them.
YUM! I do love a good beef stew and dumplings – delicious, and as you say, very economical. It was a staple in my house growing up and it’s something I still love to make in the winter months when the weather is bad – perfect comfort food!! Eb x
Thanks Eb, we had got out of the habit of making a good old beef stew but it’s gone down so well with the family I’m sure I’ll be making it more regularly now. x
Oh I love beef stew and dumpling and I really should use my slow cooker more. Given how cold it seems to have got all of a sudden you may just have given me the push I need to make it. Thank you
Glad my recipe has given you a push to get use your slow cooker more Jacqui. Thanks for popping by and I hope you enjoy beef stew and dumplings as much as we do.
I love dumpling soup this time of year! It always hits the spot on a cold day.
It certainly does, thanks for popping by Derek.
We love food cooked in slow cooker! We just made rabbit with polenta, perfect for this cold weather! We really appreciate your recipe!
Have a lovely week!
Gloria & Emanuele
Thanks Gloria & Emanuele, the slow cooker does produce some delicious meals. Rabbit with polenta sounds a really tasty treat. thanks for popping by ๐