Name: Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings recipe
Ingredients: Beef Chuck Roast: 2.5 to 3 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1.5 to 2-inch cubes. This is, without question, the best cut for slow cooking. Chuck roast is rich in collagen and connective tissue. During the long, moist cooking process, this collagen breaks down into gelatin, which not only makes the meat incredibly tender and succulent but also adds body and richness to the stew’s gravy. Do not be tempted by leaner, more expensive cuts like sirloin, as they will become dry and tough.; All-Purpose Flour: ¼ cup. This is for dredging the beef cubes. This simple step is twofold: it helps the beef develop a beautiful brown crust when seared, and the flour that clings to the meat will slowly dissolve into the broth, acting as the primary thickener for your stew.; Salt and Black Pepper: About 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper for seasoning the flour and beef.; Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil: 2 tablespoons. Used for searing the beef. A neutral oil with a high smoke point is best.; Yellow Onion: 1 large, chopped. The onion forms the aromatic foundation of the stew, releasing its sweet and savory flavors as it cooks down.; Carrots: 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds. Carrots provide a natural sweetness that balances the savory notes of the beef and the richness of the broth.; Celery: 3 celery stalks, sliced into ½-inch pieces. Celery adds a fresh, slightly peppery, aromatic base note that is essential in any classic stew.; Garlic: 5-6 cloves, minced. Don’t be shy with the garlic. It provides a pungent, aromatic depth that melds beautifully with the other ingredients.; Tomato Paste: 3 tablespoons. This is a secret weapon for umami. Tomato paste adds a concentrated, savory depth and a rich, dark color to the gravy that you can’t get from broth alone.; Dry Red Wine: ½ cup. An optional but highly recommended ingredient. A dry red like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or a Côtes du Rhône is perfect for deglazing the pan. The wine’s acidity cuts through the richness and adds an incredible layer of complexity to the final flavor. If you prefer not to use wine, you can simply use extra beef broth.; Low-Sodium Beef Broth: 4 cups (32 ounces). This is the primary cooking liquid. Using a low-sodium version is crucial as it allows you to control the final saltiness of the stew, which will concentrate as it cooks.; Worcestershire Sauce: 2 tablespoons. This condiment is an umami bomb, adding a complex salty, sweet, and tangy flavor that enhances the beefiness of the stew.; Bay Leaves: 2 whole leaves. These dried leaves slowly release their subtle, woodsy aroma into the stew, adding a classic background flavor. Remember to remove them before serving.; Fresh Thyme: 4-5 sprigs. Fresh thyme has an earthy, slightly minty flavor that is the perfect herbal complement to beef. You can tie the sprigs together with kitchen twine for easy removal.; Frozen Peas: 1 cup. Stirred in at the very end, frozen peas add a pop of color, a touch of sweetness, and a fresh texture without becoming mushy.; All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups. The structural base of your dumplings.; Baking Powder: 1 tablespoon. This is the leavening agent that will make your dumplings light, airy, and fluffy. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for the best results.; Salt: ½ teaspoon. To enhance the flavor.; Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick), cold and cut into small cubes. Cold butter is essential. It gets cut into the flour, creating small pockets that will steam and expand during cooking, resulting in tender, flaky dumplings.; Milk: ¾ cup. Whole milk will provide the richest flavor, but any milk will work. It provides the moisture to bring the dough together.; Fresh Herbs: 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, plus 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh chives or thyme. Fresh herbs elevate the dumplings from simple to spectacular, infusing them with a fresh, savory flavor.

Ingredients

For the Beef Stew:

Beef Chuck Roast: 2.5 to 3 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1.5 to 2-inch cubes. This is, without question, the best cut for slow cooking. Chuck roast is rich in collagen and connective tissue. During the long, moist cooking process, this collagen breaks down into gelatin, which not only makes the meat incredibly tender and succulent but also adds body and richness to the stew’s gravy. Do not be tempted by leaner, more expensive cuts like sirloin, as they will become dry and tough.
All-Purpose Flour: ¼ cup. This is for dredging the beef cubes. This simple step is twofold: it helps the beef develop a beautiful brown crust when seared, and the flour that clings to the meat will slowly dissolve into the broth, acting as the primary thickener for your stew.
Salt and Black Pepper: About 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper for seasoning the flour and beef.
Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil: 2 tablespoons. Used for searing the beef. A neutral oil with a high smoke point is best.
Yellow Onion: 1 large, chopped. The onion forms the aromatic foundation of the stew, releasing its sweet and savory flavors as it cooks down.
Carrots: 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds. Carrots provide a natural sweetness that balances the savory notes of the beef and the richness of the broth.
Celery: 3 celery stalks, sliced into ½-inch pieces. Celery adds a fresh, slightly peppery, aromatic base note that is essential in any classic stew.
Garlic: 5-6 cloves, minced. Don’t be shy with the garlic. It provides a pungent, aromatic depth that melds beautifully with the other ingredients.
Tomato Paste: 3 tablespoons. This is a secret weapon for umami. Tomato paste adds a concentrated, savory depth and a rich, dark color to the gravy that you can’t get from broth alone.
Dry Red Wine: ½ cup. An optional but highly recommended ingredient. A dry red like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or a Côtes du Rhône is perfect for deglazing the pan. The wine’s acidity cuts through the richness and adds an incredible layer of complexity to the final flavor. If you prefer not to use wine, you can simply use extra beef broth.
Low-Sodium Beef Broth: 4 cups (32 ounces). This is the primary cooking liquid. Using a low-sodium version is crucial as it allows you to control the final saltiness of the stew, which will concentrate as it cooks.
Worcestershire Sauce: 2 tablespoons. This condiment is an umami bomb, adding a complex salty, sweet, and tangy flavor that enhances the beefiness of the stew.
Bay Leaves: 2 whole leaves. These dried leaves slowly release their subtle, woodsy aroma into the stew, adding a classic background flavor. Remember to remove them before serving.
Fresh Thyme: 4-5 sprigs. Fresh thyme has an earthy, slightly minty flavor that is the perfect herbal complement to beef. You can tie the sprigs together with kitchen twine for easy removal.
Frozen Peas: 1 cup. Stirred in at the very end, frozen peas add a pop of color, a touch of sweetness, and a fresh texture without becoming mushy.

For the Herby Dumplings:

All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups. The structural base of your dumplings.
Baking Powder: 1 tablespoon. This is the leavening agent that will make your dumplings light, airy, and fluffy. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for the best results.
Salt: ½ teaspoon. To enhance the flavor.
Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick), cold and cut into small cubes. Cold butter is essential. It gets cut into the flour, creating small pockets that will steam and expand during cooking, resulting in tender, flaky dumplings.
Milk: ¾ cup. Whole milk will provide the richest flavor, but any milk will work. It provides the moisture to bring the dough together.
Fresh Herbs: 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, plus 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh chives or thyme. Fresh herbs elevate the dumplings from simple to spectacular, infusing them with a fresh, savory flavor.

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Instructions

Phase 1: Searing and Sautéing for Maximum Flavor

Prepare the Beef: Pat your beef cubes completely dry with paper towels. This is crucial for getting a good sear. In a shallow dish or a large bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup of flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the dry beef cubes and toss until they are evenly coated in the flour mixture.
Sear the Beef: Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add half of the floured beef cubes to the pan in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this will cause the beef to steam rather than sear. Brown the beef on all sides, for about 5-7 minutes in total. You are looking for a deep, brown crust. Transfer the seared beef to the basin of your slow cooker (a 6-quart model is ideal). Repeat with the remaining beef, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry.
Sauté the Vegetables: Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the same skillet (there’s no need to clean it). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
Create the Gravy Base: Stir in the 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize slightly. This deepens its flavor.

Phase 2: Deglazing and The Slow Cook

Deglaze the Pan: Pour the ½ cup of red wine (if using) into the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and use a wooden spoon or spatula to vigorously scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This process, called deglazing, lifts all that concentrated flavor into your sauce. Let the wine reduce by about half.
Combine Ingredients: Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce into the skillet and stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a low simmer.
Transfer to Slow Cooker: Carefully pour the entire contents of the skillet—the vegetables and the liquid—over the seared beef in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs. Gently stir everything together.
Cook Low and Slow: Secure the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on the LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours or on the HIGH setting for 4 to 6 hours. The “low and slow” method is strongly recommended as it gives the connective tissues in the beef more time to break down, resulting in exceptionally tender meat and a more developed flavor profile.

Phase 3: Making and Cooking the Dumplings

Prepare the Dumpling Dough: About 30 minutes before the stew’s cooking time is finished, prepare the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the cubes of cold butter. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Form the Dough: Stir in the fresh herbs. Pour in the milk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, soft dough forms. Be very careful not to overmix, as this will result in tough dumplings.
Add to the Stew: Remove the slow cooker lid. Take out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Give the stew a gentle stir and stir in the frozen peas. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the surface of the hot, bubbling stew, leaving a little space between each one as they will expand.
Steam the Dumplings: Immediately place the lid back on the slow cooker. If your lid has a steam vent, you may want to place a clean kitchen towel or a piece of paper towel over the top of the crock before putting the lid on to trap the steam. Cook on HIGH for another 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean. Do not lift the lid during this final cooking time, as the trapped steam is what cooks the dumplings perfectly.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 650-750 kcal