Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings
A comforting one-pot meal featuring tender beef, hearty vegetables, and fluffy dumplings steamed on top, perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
For the Stew
- 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into cubes Chuck roast works best.
- 4 cups beef broth Use low-sodium if preferred.
- 3 cups diced vegetables — carrots, potatoes, onions, celery Roughly equal volume.
- 1 cup frozen peas Add at the beginning for soft texture.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary Or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped.
- to taste Salt and pepper
For the Dumplings
- 1 cup biscuit mix Gluten-free mix can be used for GF option.
- 1/3 cup milk Dairy-free options can be substituted.
Instructions
Preparation
- Add beef to the slow cooker: Place the cubed stew meat in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Build the stew: Pour in 4 cups beef broth and add diced carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, frozen peas, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Stir to mix evenly.
Cooking
- Slow-cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, until beef is fork-tender and vegetables are soft.
- Make dumpling batter: About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together 1 cup biscuit mix and 1/3 cup milk until just combined; avoid overmixing.
- Add dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter over the stew and cover. Cook on LOW for another 30 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
Serving
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, scooping stew with a dumpling on top.
Notes
Serve with crusty bread or buttered sourdough to mop up juices. Adding fresh parsley on top enhances presentation.