Slow Cooker Beef Stew + Dumplings
Home » COOK » Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes »The autumn/winter season means slow cooking in my house, and here is a firm favourite of ours – beef stew and dumplings. Easy to put together early morning (or even the night before) ready for dinner when it’s cold and dark and the last thing you want to do is start cooking!
The quantities I’ve given here are just rough estimates, as you’ll want to make enough to feed your family…and ultimately, you can put whatever veggies you like into your stew, as well as any flavourings that you prefer!
The way you use your slow cooker may be different, I’ll be describing how I do things…perhaps share with me in the comments how you make a stew/casserole in the slow cooker?
For more seasonal food, check out The Ultimate List of Autumn Recipes for the Fall Season! Right-click and open a new tab to read next.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew + Dumplings
Ingredients
- oil for browning the meat
- 4 beef steaks or a beef joint suitable for slow cooking
- 3 – 4 potatoes cut into thick slices
- 2 – 3 onions cut into thick slices
- 1 leek cut into chunks
- 2 carrots cut into chunks
- 2 parsnips cut into chunks
- ½ butternut squash cut into thick slices, skin left on
- 4 large field mushrooms
- can of sweetcorn or peas
- gravy granules to thicken optional
For the gravy
- 1 mug regular size beef stock
- ½ tbsp tomato purée
- ½ tbsp English mustard
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- salt + pepper
For the dumplings
- 120 g self-raising flour
- 60 g butter cut into pieces
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp salt
- water to form a dough
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan and add a little oil. Brown the meat on all sides and remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, set the slow cooker to high and add the onions, potatoes, carrots, leeks, parsnips and butternut squash.
- Add the meat and pour over any remaining pan juices.
- Mix all the gravy ingredients together and pour over the ingredients.
- After an hour, turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, give the stew a stir and add the field mushrooms and canned sweetcorn or peas (or both!) and leave to cook for another hour.
- To prepare the dumplings, mix together the flour, baking powder, herbs and salt and then rub in the butter. Add water to form a dough and then form into balls.
- With an hour or so to go, add the dumplings to the stew, and spoon over a little gravy – by now there will be plenty more liquid in the slow cooker.
- When ready to serve – you want a minimum of 8 hours, but more won't hurt, stir in some gravy granules to thicken the gravy if you wish.
- Dish up and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Duncs
October 16, 2020 @ 5:22 pm
That was the dogs bo….ks i do loads of stews in the winter and will be doing it again for sure.
Michelle
October 19, 2020 @ 8:08 am
Glad you enjoyed it! We actually made this for dinner on Sunday and it is the dog’s!!
Diane Nicholl
November 18, 2014 @ 11:15 pm
Real comfort food after a hard day at work, I didn’t know how to do the dumplings in the slow cooker before. Thanks!
Claire
November 18, 2014 @ 11:03 pm
I’d love to try this
Natalie Gillham
November 18, 2014 @ 5:09 pm
I’d love to try this stew :) x
Kirsty Woods
November 18, 2014 @ 11:32 am
Love beef stew, sound great
SUSAN L HALL
November 18, 2014 @ 1:03 am
sounds yummy – ive not had much luck with domplings in my slow cooker but think ive been putting them in too soon
suzie Heard
November 18, 2014 @ 12:29 am
Looks delicious. My real family favourite
Denise Farminer
November 17, 2014 @ 9:41 pm
this is one of our favourites too.what is it about good old beef stew that makes us feel so warm inside just thinking about it.what i love about stews is that you can add so many different vegetables and seasonings making something so easy a work of art.
Rebecca H
November 16, 2014 @ 10:29 pm
This looks delish!
Faridah Brooker
November 16, 2014 @ 9:56 pm
This looks lovely – I love beef stew and dumplings.
Laura Cooper
November 16, 2014 @ 9:31 pm
I’ve been looking for a way to do dumplings in the slow cooker so this is great – thanks!
Jill Fairbank
November 16, 2014 @ 8:48 pm
My families favourite will give your recipe a try
Vicki A Smith
November 16, 2014 @ 1:20 pm
This looks delicious! Beef stew and dumplings is my favourite slow cooker recipe, but I love the twist you have put on it! I’ll definitely be bookmarking this to come back to! x
Victoria Easton
November 15, 2014 @ 1:59 pm
Slow Cooker Beef Stew + Dumplings
Victoria Easton
November 15, 2014 @ 1:59 pm
This looks really tasty – and you make it seem easy!
sarah hurrell
November 14, 2014 @ 5:33 pm
My fiance would love this
Emma Falvi
November 8, 2014 @ 5:32 pm
sounds lovely
Christine Caple
November 8, 2014 @ 4:22 pm
Great recipe!
Nia Dunn
October 30, 2014 @ 8:48 pm
My husand will love this!
emma walters
October 28, 2014 @ 9:19 pm
great way to get some veg into the kids :)
Sandra Lane
October 28, 2014 @ 7:04 pm
This looks delicious. I may substitute some of the ingredients as I’m on a tight budget.
TracyJo
May 7, 2014 @ 10:28 pm
Beef Stew and dumplings is my favourite, I’ve never cooked it in a slow cooker before though, I think I’ll have to give it a go, looks tasty, thankyou
caroline tokes
January 29, 2014 @ 10:34 pm
i love making this in my slow cooker
Michelle Ordever
January 30, 2014 @ 11:07 am
Can’t beat a beef stew and dumplings!
Ruth Hedges
January 29, 2014 @ 11:22 am
You can’t beat a good hearty beef stew in the cold weather and I will be trying out this meal in my new slow cooker which has been a god send to me! Thanks x
Michelle Ordever
January 29, 2014 @ 1:00 pm
Slow cookers are fab – don’t use mine nearly enough! x
vicky
January 28, 2014 @ 11:42 am
I I love my slow cooker delicious hearty meal with no real effort, I treated myself to a steamer aswell so the cooker doesn’t need to go on well unless ive added dumplings. My son likes crispy top dumplings so they go under the grill for 5 mins before serving.
Michelle Ordever
January 29, 2014 @ 1:00 pm
That’s what I love about them too – great food with minimal effort. Haven’t thought to crisp up dumplings before…will have to give it a go
Gemma Clark
January 21, 2014 @ 4:03 pm
Oh I LOVE my slow cooker…great for this weather. I am trying something different today. i usually stick with chicken and beef but today I have chucked in a couple of chopped leeks, and onion, diced pork, a bottle of cider, some mustard, garlic and mixed herbs. I’m going to add some cream about an hour before it’s ready and might add some apple in a minute. Hope it turns out yummy”
Michelle Ordever
January 21, 2014 @ 4:59 pm
I totally agree! I love my slow cooker too. That dinner sounds like it will taste lovely! I’d save the apples till the last minute – I remember I put apples in mine with pork once way too soon and they turned to mush!