Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings

Nothing says cosy like a bowl of our hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings. This dish combines tender chunks of slow-cooked beef, vegetables, and fluffy, thyme-infused dumplings.

It’s a simple one-pot wonder to prepare, perfect for busy days, just let the slow cooker work its magic.

Jump to:

• 📖 Step by Step Recipe
• Ingredients in Detail
• Preparation
• Dumplings
• Cooking Time
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Reheating
• 💬 Reviews

We’ve placed the recipe up top so you can start immediately. You may want to read on for more tips, alternatives, and serving suggestions to make your slow cooker stew and dumplings as flawless as ours!

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Ingredients in Detail

Understanding the ingredients for this Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings helps you create a rich and satisfying meal.

This easy slow cooker recipe is flexible; use what you have available to make it your own.

Beef

We used British diced beef for this recipe, which is affordable and perfect for slow cooking. This cut breaks down beautifully over long cooking times, becoming tender and flavorful.

Other options include:

• Stewing steak: This classic option is budget-friendly and ideal for stews.
• Beef shin: Known for its marbling, it becomes incredibly tender and adds a rich depth to the stew.
• Brisket or chuck: Both are excellent choices for slow cooking, as the fat melts away, leaving moist and flavourful meat.
• Oxtail: For those who love a rich and gelatinous texture.

Vegetables

We’ve included onions, carrots, parsnips, and mushrooms for a hearty mix of textures and flavours. Feel free to adjust the vegetable selection to what’s in season or in your pantry!

Other vegetable ideas:

• Potatoes: Add diced potatoes for an extra filling stew.
• Swede or turnips: These root vegetables bring an earthy sweetness.
• Celery: Adds a subtle depth of flavour and a slight crunch.
• Leeks: Great for a mild, onion-like flavour.
• Butternut squash or sweet potatoes: Perfect for a touch of natural sweetness.

Stock

We recommend using a rich beef stock pot for the best depth of flavour. These concentrated stock pots give a professional touch to your stew.

Alternative options:

• Red wine stock pots: Add a subtle fruity richness.
• Homemade beef stock: If you have time, this gives the most authentic taste.

Herbs

For slow cooker recipes, dried herbs are the best choice as they release their flavour gradually over long cooking times.

We used thyme and bay leaves, but you can change to the herbs you like:

• Rosemary: Adds a piney, aromatic touch.
• Oregano: For a slightly sweeter, Mediterranean flavour.
• Parsley: Use dried parsley for a milder herbal hint.
• Mixed dried herbs: Work well if you can't decide what herbs to use.

Cornflour

Cornflour is key for creating a luscious, thick broth. Mix it with an equal amount of water to make it easier to stir in without lumps, and add it to the stew to thicken before adding the dumplings.

Alternatively, plain flour can be mixed with water to thicken it.

Peas

We added peas near the end of cooking for an extra boost of sweetness, colour, and nutritional value.

Optional: If you’re not a fan, you can leave them out or substitute them with green beans or broad beans.

Flour for Dumplings

We used self-raising flour for fluffy, light dumplings.

If you only have plain flour: Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every 150 grams of plain flour to achieve the same result.

Suet

We use Atora Suet, a traditional ingredient for proper British dumplings, and it delivers the best texture and flavour.

• Butter or margarine: Rub into the flour until it forms breadcrumbs before adding water.
• Vegetable shortening: An excellent substitute option.
• Lard: Another traditional fat, perfect for hearty dumplings.

Let us know in the comments if you have any other ingredient tips!

Preparation

Beef stew is a quick to prep for cooking in the slow cooker.

Do You Need to Brown Beef Before Slow Cooking?

A common question is whether it’s necessary to brown the beef before adding it to the slow cooker. The short answer is no, you don’t have to brown the meat. The stew will still cook perfectly fine without this step. However.....

Why Browning the Beef is Recommended

If you want the best results, then the answer is yes, it’s worth browning the beef. Here’s why:

• Thicker, glossier stew: Coating the beef in flour before browning helps create a thicker, richer gravy as it cooks.
• Enhanced flavour: Searing the flour-coated beef creates a delicious caramelised crust, adding depth to the overall flavour.
• Extra flavour from vegetables: Frying the vegetables in the same pan after the beef allows them to pick up all those browned bits, enriching the stew even further.

Is It Worth the Effort?

Browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables is a small extra step and adds a bit more washing up, but it’s well worth it for the best slow cooker beef stew. Taking the time to do this will take the dish from good to truly outstanding!

Dumplings

It might be tempting to prepare your dumpling dough way ahead of time, I recommend waiting until just before they’re ready to be added to the stew. Here’s why this small timing detail makes a big difference:

• Preserves Texture: If made too early, it can dry out, which can affect the texture of your dumplings.
• Easier to Handle: Freshly made dough is easier to shape into dumplings without sticking to your hands.
• Perfect Rise: Waiting ensures the baking powder (in self-raising flour) are at their most active when the dumplings cook in the steam, resulting in a fluffier, lighter texture.

Prepare the dumpling dough while the stew is nearing the end of its cooking time. Mix and shape the dough into balls just before placing them on top of the stew.

This way, the dumplings will steam perfectly in the slow cooker, absorbing the stew's flavours while maintaining their soft, pillowy texture.

Cooking Time

The cooking time for this Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings is designed to bring out the best in the ingredients, cooking the beef stew first, ensuring tender beef and perfectly cooked vegetables, and adding dumplings at the end to steam.

Beef Stew

For the best flavour and texture, cooking the beef stew on low heat for 6–7 hours is highly recommended. This slow and steady method allows the beef to become tender and fall apart soft while the vegetables absorb the rich flavours of the broth and herbs.

If you're short on time, you can cook it on high heat for 3–4 hours, but the results may not be quite as rich and tender as the low-heat method.

Dumplings

The dumplings are added toward the end of cooking.

Once the beef and vegetables are cooked through (after the initial 6–7 hours on low or 3–4 hours on high), turn the heat to high. Stir in the thickening slurry of cornflour and water. As well as the frozen peas to prepare the stew for the final stage.

Place the dumplings on top of the stew, pressing them halfway into the liquid, allowing space for them to expand, then cook on high for 40 minutes. This ensures the dumplings steam beautifully when added, making them soft and fluffy while still absorbing the stew's delicious flavour.

When cooked in the slow cooker, the dumplings stay soft and pale in colour as they steam gently on the stew. If you prefer your dumplings with a golden, crispy top, transfer the stew and dumplings to a hot oven for 10 minutes at the end of cooking.

We enjoy our dumplings soft, so we didn’t brown them in the oven for these photos—but feel free to adjust based on your preference!

Serving Suggestions

There you have it, a rich, hearty slow cooker stew with dumplings perfect for cosy, comforting meals.

Grab a ladle and dive in to get all those delicious chunks of meat and vegetables.

Place into a shallow bowl and pop a couple of the steamed dumplings on top, we served ours with our oven cooked honey roasted parsnips and carrots.

Here are a few other suggestions to serve with our slow cooker dumplings and beef stew.

• White Cob Loaf - A crusty white cob loaf is perfect for tearing and dunking into the rich stew, soaking up every bit of the delicious gravy.
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes - Velvety mash pairs beautifully with beef stew, adding a buttery, smooth contrast to the hearty textures.
• Green Beans with Bacon - Tender green beans sautéed with garlic and crispy bacon brings a fresh and smoky side that balances the richness of the stew.
• Cauliflower Cheese - For the ultimate comfort, creamy cauliflower cheese is a rich and indulgent side that complements the stew perfectly.

Storage

If you have leftovers from this Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings, you’re in luck—this dish tastes even better the next day as the flavours continue to develop! Here’s how to store your stew safely:

Allow the stew to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, transfer the cooled stew (without dumplings) into freezer-safe containers or resealable bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheating your Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings is simple, and you can use the oven or microwave, depending on your preference.

Oven: Preheat to 180°C (350°F), place the stew in an oven-safe dish covered with foil, and heat for 20–25 minutes until piping hot.

Microwave: Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium power in 2-minute intervals, stirring between, until thoroughly heated.