Helping you create a home by hand.

Beef Stew With Dumplings

Beef Stew With Dumplings

There is nothing better on a cold, blustery or blizzarding day than to come into the house and be welcomed by the smell of a hearty soup or stew cooking in the slow cooker.

Put this beef stew on first thing in the morning and let it cook all day. When you come home, it will be ready and waiting for you. Add the dumplings 20 minutes before you want to serve supper.

One of the things I love about making soups and stews is that they are so versatile and can be made with whatever you have in the fridge and pantry. And they are great for using up those veggies that have started to go a little soft but are otherwise still good.

I’ve listed the ingredients I typically use to make beef stew but feel free to substitute ingredients to match what you have on hand and to your family’s tastes.

Beef Stew With Dumplings

  • 1 lb beef stew meat cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 to 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 6 to 8 medium sized potatoes
  • 3 to 4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 sweet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/4 c dried okra (optional)
  • 1 large can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper, according to taste
  • 1 quart of beef broth (homemade if you have it)

As you can see in the photo below… there’s a bit of chopped red onion beside the chopped yellow onion on the cutting board. I had that small piece of red onion in a container in the fridge that I wanted to use up, so I added it to the mix of veggies.

Ingredients for Beef Stew on a cutting board and counter

Potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces

Saute the stewing meat on medium heat until all sides are nicely browned.

Browning the bite sized pieces of beef in a fry pan.

Depending on the size of your frying pan, you may need to brown half the meat and then do the second half.

Add the meat to the slow cooker.

Browned beef pieces added to the slow cooker.

Next add the chopped vegetables.

All the chopped vegetables added to the slow cooker.

Then add the chopped potatoes and canned diced tomatoes.

Chopped potatoes and canned tomatoes added with other ingredients to the slow cooker.

This next ingredient is completely optional.

I got a good deal on organic okra at our local farmers’ market this past summer so I dehydrated most of it to use in soups and stews. The flavour it adds is subtle but we like it and it helps to thicken the stew.

Dried okra being added to the slow cooker

Deglaze the pan you browned the meat in with 1 cup of water.

Deglazing the fry pan with water.

Pour into the slow cooker.

Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper according to taste.

Chopped garlic, salt and pepper added on top of all the other ingredients in the slow cooker.

Pour the jar of beef broth over everything and stir to mix it all together. If needed add enough water so that the liquid is level with the top of all the ingredients.

The beef broth and enough water so that it just barely covers the other ingredients have been added.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low for 8 to 10 hrs or high for 4 to 6 hrs.

Beef stew cooking in the slow cooker for 8 to 10 hrs.

30 to 40 minutes before you want to serve the stew, turn the slow cooker to high. After fifteen to twenty minutes on high, add the dumplings.

Recipe for Dumplings

  • 1 c all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 beaten egg
  • ¼ c milk
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a measuring cup beat together milk, egg and oil.

Dry ingredients for the dumplings in a medium sized bowl with the wet ingredients in a measuring cup beside it.

Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. You’ll end up with a very thick batter that looks like this:

Mixing wet and dry ingredients for the dumplings thoroughly.

It should be very sticky.

Closeup of the sticky dumpling dough.

Drop the batter by the spoonful directly on top of the bubbly stew.

Spoonfuls of the dumpling batter on top of bubbling hot beef stew.

Replace cover on the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to cook for 20 minutes until they are puffed up and dry looking on the top.

Big fluffy dumplings done cooking and ready to serve.

Remove the dumplings.

Stir in a mixture of 1/2 c water and 2 tbsp of flour to thicken the stew.

Serve this delicious beef stew topped with the dumplings.

Beef stew and dumplings ready to eat in a white bowl on a white serving plate.

I cut one of the dumplings open so that you could see how tender and fluffy they are inside. Comfort food at it’s finest!

Fluffy inside of dumpling on top of bowl of stew

This recipe will easily feed a family of four or five with stew leftover for lunch the next day.

Beef Stew and Dumplings in a bowl on a white plant on dark wood table with another serving in the background.

 

Another delicious slow cooker beef recipe you might like to try is the Beef Rouladen featured in my German Cooking Week.

 

Save this recipe so you can find it the next time your want to make beef stew by clicking on the Pinterest button underneath this post.

And of course, I’d love it if you shared it on Twitter and Facebook as well. 🙂

Another close up of the Hearty Beef stew and dumplings with a text overlay.

 

Yield: 8

Beef Stew With Dumplings

Beef Stew with Dumplings - 19 Photo of Beef Stew and Dumplings on table

There' nothing better than this delicious beef stew and dumplings on a cold, blustery day. Put it in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and it will be ready for supper. Comfort food at its finest.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Beef Stew

  • 1 lb beef stew meat
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 - 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 6 - 8 medium sized potatoes
  • 3 - 4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 sweet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/4 c dried okra (optional)
  • 1 large can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 quart of beef broth 

Dumplings

  • 1 c all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 beaten egg
  • ¼ c milk
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Beef Stew Directions:


1, Saute the stewing meat on medium heat until all sides are nicely browned.

2. Add the meat to the slow cooker.

3. Next add the chopped vegetables.

4. Then add the chopped potatoes and canned diced tomatoes.

5. If using okra, add it now.

6. Deglaze the pan you browned the meat in with 1 cup of water.

7. Pour that liquid into the slow cooker.

8. Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper according to taste.

9. Pour the jar of beef broth over everything and stir to mix it all together. If needed add enough water so that the liquid is level with the top of all the ingredients.

10. Place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low for 8 to 10 hrs or high for 4 to 6 hrs.

11. 30 to 40 minutes before you want to serve the stew, turn the slow cooker to high. After fifteen to twenty minutes on high, add the dumplings.

Dumplings Instructions:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

2. In a measuring cup beat together milk, egg and oil.

3. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture to make a very thick batter.

4. Drop the batter by the spoonful directly on top of the bubbly stew.

5. Replace cover on the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to cook for 20 minutes until they are puffed up and dry looking on the top.

6. Remove the dumplings.

To thicken the stew:

1. Stir in a mixture of 1/2 c water and 2 tbsp of flour to thicken the stew.

Serve this delicious beef stew topped with the dumplings. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 872mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 28g

Please note: The nutritional values provided are approximate. If you require more accurate information please perform the calculations for yourself.

I would be so pleased if you chose to share by clicking on one of the buttons below!

7 Comments

  • Joy McDonald
    December 10, 2017 12:19 am

    Ooooh, that looks so yummy!! Would you believe I have made stew many times, but not dumplings!! I must try it one day.. xx

  • Rachel
    December 9, 2017 6:38 am

    It does sound yummy, I must say! Although I’m glad the okra is optional – it’s not easy to get here!

  • Robin (rsIslandCrafts)
    October 17, 2011 10:14 am

    I had to stop back in and say I tried your dumpling recipe with last night’s beef stew. They turned out amazing. They were soft, light, and delicious. When I first tried making dumplings 20 years ago they turned out doughy and raw (just like the ones I grew up on…sorry Grams). This time they were scrumptious. My Husband was in love. The kids were a bit hesitant because they had never had dumplings before but they loved them too. So much simpler than trying to make biscuits separately. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    • supermom
      October 17, 2011 4:36 pm

      Thanks Robin,

      I’m so glad that the recipe worked for you and that your family really liked the dumplings.

  • Lois Christensen
    October 15, 2011 4:21 pm

    I definitely think stew will be on our menu this week! Looks good!

  • Robin (rsIslandCrafts)
    October 15, 2011 9:38 am

    Looks yummy! Stew is on the menu for tomorrow night. Maybe I will try making some dumplings again. I tried many years ago and they didn’t turn out right. Hubby loves dumplings so he would be pleasantly surprised if I managed to master them. Doesn’t look too hard.

  • Sandra :)
    October 15, 2011 9:33 am

    It’s definitely stew and dumplings season – this looks delicious – I could eat dumplings until the cows come home – YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Comments are closed.

Skip to Recipe