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Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings

Slow cooker beef stew and dumplings combines fork-tender beef and vegetables in a rich broth with soft, puffed dumplings cooked right on top. Brown the beef first for extra flavor, then let the slow cooker do the work.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours 23 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 48 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 1100
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the stew
  • 2 lb boneless beef chuck trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
  • 3 carrots medium, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water cold
For the dumplings
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cut into small pieces
  • 0.75 cup milk

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet
  • 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Pat the beef dry.
  2. Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
  3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Brown the beef in batches, turning as needed, for 6-8 minutes total.
Cook the stew
  1. Put the onion, carrots, potatoes, and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the browned beef.
  2. Stir together the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme.
  3. Pour the broth mixture over the beef and vegetables, and add the bay leaf.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
  5. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
  6. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the stew.
  7. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10-15 minutes.
Make and cook the dumplings
  1. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter until the mixture has pea-size pieces.
  3. Stir in the milk just until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
  4. Remove the bay leaf.
  5. Drop the dough in 8 mounds over the stew.
  6. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45-60 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Notes

For the lightest dumplings, stir the milk into the flour mixture just until the shaggy dough forms, and keep the lid closed while they cook. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3-4 days. Freeze the stew without the dumplings for up to 3 months; make fresh dumplings when reheating. For a gluten-free variation, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the dumplings.