Description
This comforting Slow Cooked Beef and Dumplings recipe features tender chuck roast simmered low and slow with hearty vegetables, topped with fluffy, rising dumplings cooked right in the rich gravy. Perfect for a cozy family meal, this dish delivers deep, savory flavors developed over hours of slow cooking with the convenience of a slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Stew Base
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- Salt, pepper, garlic herb seasoning (generous amount)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
Vegetables
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 sticks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup milk
Optional for Gravy
- 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Sear the beef: Season the chuck roast generously with salt, pepper, and garlic herb seasoning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the roast and brown it well on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned roast to the slow cooker.
- Sauté & deglaze: In the same skillet, cook the diced onions over medium heat until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, then pour in 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits for extra flavor.
- Start slow cooking: Pour the onion mixture and the remaining beef broth over the roast in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours total, setting a timer to add vegetables halfway through.
- Add the vegetables: After 3-4 hours of cooking, nestle the carrots, celery, and potatoes around the beef in the slow cooker. Re-cover and continue cooking.
- Shred the beef: About one hour before serving, remove the roast and shred it into bite-sized chunks rather than fine strands. If the meat resists shredding, let it rest 15 minutes before pulling apart. Optionally, thicken the gravy by whisking together cornstarch and cold water and stirring into the slow cooker, then add back the shredded beef.
- Prepare dumpling dough: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the milk just until combined to form a soft dough.
- Add dumplings to stew: Drop teaspoon-sized balls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew in the slow cooker. Do not stir them in; just let them rest on top.
- Finish cooking dumplings on HIGH: Switch the slow cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered for one hour. Keep the lid closed during this time to trap steam, which helps the dumplings rise and become fluffy.
- Serve: Once dumplings are cooked, break the dumpling layer apart slightly. The gravy will be thinner initially but will thicken as it cools and as dumplings soak up liquid in the bowl. Let the dish rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
- Note 1: Use a well-marbled chuck roast for tender, flavorful beef.
- Note 2: Leave potato skins on for rustic texture and added nutrients.
- Note 3: All-purpose flour is used for the dumplings to get a light, airy texture.
- Note 4: Searing the beef adds depth of flavor to the final stew.
- Note 5: Adding the vegetables halfway prevents them from overcooking and turning mushy.
- Note 6: Keep the slow cooker lid closed during dumpling cooking to retain steam, essential for dumpling rise. Oven cooking option not included but can be adapted by baking stew and dumplings covered at 350°F.
