Slow Cooked Beef and Dumplings

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Slow Cooked Beef and Dumplings

A comforting, one-pot beef stew topped with fluffy, steam-cooked dumplings. Made with chuck roast, small red potatoes, and a savory herb gravy, this recipe is a cold-weather staple for busy families.

Prep Time30

Cook Time6

Total Time6 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Beef stew

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 pounds chuck roast Note 1
salt, pepper, garlic herb seasoning be generous here; this creates the “base” for your gravy
1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef broth go for low-sodium
1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 sticks celery cut into 1-inch pieces.
1-½ pounds small red or Yukon Gold potatoes scrub well and leave unpeeled; cut into 2-inch pieces (Note 2)
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch optional: Use this if you like a thicker gravy

Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour Note 3
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
⅔ cup milk

Instructions

Slow cooker instructions (oven instructions in notes below)

Sear the beef: 
Season your roast all over. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and brown the seasoned roast on all sides. Move the roast to the slow cooker (Note 4).
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, 2 pounds chuck roast, salt, pepper, garlic herb seasoning
Sauté & deglaze:
 In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat until softened (about 6-8 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and ½ cup of broth to deglaze and scrape up the tasty brown bits.
1 medium yellow onion, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 0.5 cups beef broth
Slow cooking: 
Pour the onion mix and remaining broth over the roast in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours in total (you will add the vegetables halfway through, see next step.)
3.5 cups beef broth
Add the vegetables: 
After about 3-4 hours, add your carrots, potatoes, and celery around the meat in the slow cooker (Note 5).
1 pound carrots, 3 sticks celery, 1-½ pounds small red or Yukon Gold potatoes
Shred:
One hour before serving, pull the roast out, shred it into bite-sized chunks (do not shred it into tiny stringy strands!), and put it back in. If it’s hard to shred, let it rest for 15 minutes before pulling it apart.
If you like a thick gravy, add a slurry of 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water to the gravy before adding the beef and stir it in carefully.
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
The dumplings: 
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Stir in the milk just until combined. Drop ~teaspoon-sized balls onto the surface of the stew. DO NOT STIR THEM IN!
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter, ⅔ cup milk
Finish on HIGH: 
Switch your slow cooker to HIGH for this final hour. That extra heat is what makes the dumplings rise and stay fluffy. Keep the lid closed - no peeking, or you’ll lose the steam!  (Note 6)
Serve:
Once the dumplings are done, open the lid and break the layer of dumplings apart a little. The gravy will be thin at first, but it thickens as it cools, and as the dumplings sit in a bowl in the gravy! Let everything rest for 5-10 minutes uncovered, then serve.

Notes

Note 1: Leave the roast whole for browning and slow cooking! Buying the whole roast is cheaper than pre-cut stew meat and keeps the beef from drying out.
Note 2: Use smaller potatoes with not-tough skin. Red or Gold potatoes hold their shape and won't turn to mush like Russets do.
Note 3: Instead of the homemade dumplings, you can use 2 to 2-¼ cups Bisquick mixed with the ⅔ cup milk.
Note 4: Don't rush the browning - that brown crust is where the flavor for your whole gravy starts!
Note 5: Adding the vegetables halfway through is the only way to make sure they are tender but not mushy by dinner time. If you must add them from the start due to time constraints, know that they will be very cooked.
Note 6: If your slow cooker lid tends to create a lot of condensation, you can stick a layer of paper towels underneath to keep the dumplings from turning out soggy, although I do like being able to see the cooking progress through the lid!

Oven instructions

Prep & sear: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Use a 5-6 quart Dutch oven or braiser to sear the roast all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
Sauté & deglaze:  In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat until softened (about 6-8 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and ½ cup of broth to deglaze and scrape up the tasty brown bits.
Slow cook: Put your roast back in the Dutch oven and baste it with the onion mixture and broth. Cover and roast in the oven for a total of 2.5-3 hours.
Vegetables: Add the vegetables after 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on how cooked you like your vegetables.)
Shred:  15 minutes before the total cooking time is up, pull the roast out, shred it into bite-sized chunks (do not shred it into tiny stringy strands!), and put it back in. If it’s hard to shred, let it rest for 15 minutes before pulling it apart. If you like a thick gravy, add a slurry of 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water to the gravy before adding the beef and stir it in carefully.
The dumplings:  Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Stir in the milk just until combined. Drop ~teaspoon-sized balls onto the surface of the stew. DO NOT STIR THEM IN!
Steam dumplings: Close the lid and place the pot back in the oven. Increase the temperature to 350°F. Depending on the width of your pot and the size of your dumplings, the dumplings take 15-25 minutes to steam.
Serve:  Once the dumplings are done, open the lid and break the layer of dumplings apart a little. The gravy will be thin at first, but it thickens as it cools, and as the dumplings sit in a bowl in the gravy! Let everything rest for 5-10 minutes uncovered, then serve.

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