Slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings is pure comfort on a cold winters night. Easy to prepare and slow-cooked in a Dutch oven until the meat is tender, it's a crowd-pleasing meal to serve up. This version has some special ingredients to make it a little more exciting than most stews.
This recipe was first published in December 2019 and updated in October 2021 with additional information and cooking instructions.
In collaboration with Opies Foods
Not much can beat a bowl of hearty slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings when it comes to comfort food in the dead of winter. Succulent chunks of beef, cooked slowly in a Dutch oven until meltingly tender, alongside plenty of winter vegetables and rich, thick gravy. Yes, a stew is a one-pot meal that is easy to make and deeply satisfying.
But despite how flavourful a classic beef casserole is, life would be boring if we always followed a traditional recipe. Sometimes it's good to ring the changes. This recipe has the options of adding finely diced pickled walnuts to the stew and blue cheese to the suet dumplings to turn this already tasty beef and dumpling stew into something spectacular.
What makes this casserole fantastic
This recipe for beef and dumpling stew is an absolute steal. It delivers a meal that is impressively low maintenance yet wonderfully flavourful:
- This recipe includes all the classic components of a stew - meat, red wine, potatoes, carrots, dumplings and a rich gravy, which are all crowdpleasers
- But the optional extras (pickeld walnuts and blue cheese) add extra excitement to the overall flavour
- It's an easy recipe to make
- And it requires very little hands on time - total cook time is around 4 hours, but hands-on time is only 30 minutes
- It can be cooked in the oven in a cast iron pot (Dutch oven) or in a slow cooker
- No side dishes are necessary - this beef and dumpling stew is a one pot meal
- And that means there's minimal washing up - hoorah
In essence, this is classic slow-cooked beef stew with a little bit more attitude. The walnuts add an extra zip of subtle flavour to the stew and also partner with those fluffy stilton dumplings perfectly.
If you need a vegetarian option too how about my lentil and olive stew? It's also loaded with flavour.
What are suet dumplings?
Suet dumplings are a speciality of British and Irish cuisines. They are typically made from a simple dough consisting of flour, suet and water.
Suet is an ingredient traditionally made from the fat that surrounds the kidneys of animals. The vegetarian version is made from a combination of vegetable oils and flour.
Once mixed, the dough is rolled into balls to form suet dumplings and these are placed on top of simmering soups or stews, covered with a lid and allowed to part-boil and part-steam until cooked. By the time they are ready, the dumplings will have expanded and should be light and fluffy.
Suet dumplings should be seasoned with salt and pepper, but additional flavourings such as herbs, horseradish or cheese are optional extras. In this recipe, I've included blue cheese to make stilton dumplings.
Ingredients
Chuck steak is the best for meat for this stew and dumplings recipe (hence its alternative name stewing steak). This meat comes from the shoulder of the cow and has plenty of connective tissue (collagen) that breaks down and become really tender over a prolonged cooking time.
Aside from carrots, mushrooms and potatoes, I've also included Jerusalem artichoke in this recipe. They add a delicious mildly sweet, slightly earthy flavour to this stew. Feel free to substitute more potatoes, carrots or some parsnips for them if preferred.
Inexpensive cooking wine is ideal for this recipe - there's no need to use anything expensive.
Allspice helps build a deep, rich. flavour profile. If you can't get hold of it use a few black peppercorns instead.
Blue Stilton is used in the cheese dumplings, but feel free to use another punchy blue cheese in its place. And since this recipe is not vegetarian do use beef suet for the best-flavoured dumplings possible.
Step-by-step instructions
Full instructions are given in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Making this slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings is very easy. Follow these simple steps to a pan loaded with the ultimate winter comfort food:
- Begin by browning the beef in a large oven-proof casserole pot
- Next fry the onion, celery, garlic and bacon until soft then stir in the flour
- Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate in the pan
- Add the allspice, black pepper and bay leaves along with the baby onions, mushrooms, pickled walnuts and thyme
- Return the browned meat to the pan and pour in stock
- Stir everything together, pop on the pan lid and cook for 2 ½ hours
- Add the potatoes, carrots and Jerusalem artichoke to the pan and cook for a further 45 minutes
- Make the dumplings when there is 10 minutes cooking time left: Put the flour, baking powder, suet, cheese and thyme into a small mixing bowl. Add enough milk to form a soft but not sticky dough. Roll into equal-sized balls
- Top the stew with the dumplings, cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes – removing the lid for the last 10 minutes for a crisper finish to the dumplings if preferred
Expert tips
It's fairly hard to completely mess up slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings, but it's easy to elevate a good stew into a wonderful stew if you bear the following points in mind:
- Pick your meat wisely. A slow-cooked stew needs beef with some fat and connective tissue, so avoid the pricier lean cuts and plump for the tougher cuts of meat
- Browning the meat is the first step in building up a rich & deep flavour profile in your stew. Heat the pan to very hot before adding the beef and turn the meat frequently to allow it to brown on all sides
- Always brown your meat quickly and in small batches. Don't be tempted to add all the meat in one go. Overcrowding the pan with meat means that the heat is reduced and more moisture is released from the meat than can be evaporated quickly. The result is a layer of steam which prevents browning
- Don't rush it. Recipes vary, but stews can take between 3-4 hours to cook on a low heat. It's this slow cooking that helps tenderise the meat
- Add a little more stock to the pan if necessary. Stews need a rich, thick gravy, so don't be afraid to top up if too much liquid evaporates during cooking
- Add the vegetables partway through the cooking process to avoid them turning mushy. Chop root vegetables chunky and go for 1- 1 ½ hours in the oven. Smaller vegetables such as peas will only need a few minutes at the end of the cooking time
- At the point of serving, add a pop of colour using fresh herbs - it livens up the presentation no end
Frequently asked questions
I recommend baby potatoes for slow-cooked beef stew since they hold their shape well and do not turn mushy.
Yes, you can use a slow cooker to make beef and dumpling stew. Full instructions are detailed in the recipe card at the end of this post. Do ensure that the meat is seared before adding to the slow cooker to ensure the best-flavoured stew cooked this way.
If you do not own a cast iron dutch oven but still want to make this easy slow-cooked beef stew in the oven use a suitably sized casserole pot with a lid.
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated gently within a few days, although dumplings are always best eaten fresh.
I personally do not recommend freezing this stew since the texture of the dumplings and the potatoes changes significantly afterwards and not in a good way.
If you do decide to freeze and eat at a later date, perhaps pick out the potatoes and dumplings beforehand. Defrost fully at room temperature and then reheat gently. Serve alongside some freshly boiled potatoes, or better still, some creamy mashed potato. Fresh dumplings can also be made and cooked as before.
What are pickled walnuts?
Pickled walnuts are a traditional English pickle, made from walnuts. To be precise, they are made from soft green walnuts that have been soaked first in brine, to soften them, and then in a pickling solution to flavour them.
Pickled walnuts are soft, salty and tangy. They are commonly found on cheeseboards, especially at Christmas and they pair particularly well with blue cheese and cheddar.
They are an exciting extra ingredient in this beef and dumpling stew, adding a little pizazz to the flavour profile. The walnuts are chopped finely and stirred in so that the flavour penetrates the entire dish, perking it up with a subtle hint of tanginess. If you struggle to find them then do make the recipe without them - it will still be lovely.
If you are on the lookout for more pickled walnut recipes try them with venison or in a meat pie. For a lighter option, try them in a salad, alongside cold cuts of meat or with gnocchi. There are plenty of pickled walnut recipes around if you go looking for them.
I used Opies pickled walnuts in this slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings recipe. Opies are a well established UK company with a solid reputation for producing high-quality pickles and preserves. Find them in all major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose etc... They can also be picked up online in many other countries.
More comfort food recipes to try
- Minced Beef and Onion Pie
- Penne Alla Vodka with Smoked Salmon
- Pasta al forno with aubergine
- Mediterranean Lamb Pie
- Black Lentil & Beetroot Pie
This post was written in association with Opies Foods and their Pickled Walnut Christmas Competition 2019 - it won first prize! Use #pickledwalnutrecipe on social media to find more pickled walnut recipes.
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Slow-cooked Beef Stew and Dumplings (Dutch Oven)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 600 g Stewing steak (chuck steak)
- 1 Large white onion
- 2 Celery stalks
- 2 Rashers streaky bacon
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 ½ tablespoon Plain (all-purpose) flour
- 60 ml Red wine
- 12 Baby onions/ shallots
- 4 Allspice berries
- 2 Bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 60 g Pickled walnuts optional
- 500 ml Beef stock
- 200 g Chestnut mushrooms
- 400 g Carrots
- 250 g Baby potatoes
- 250g Jerusalem artichokes
- 10 g Fresh thyme
For the Stilton Dumplings
- 120 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 50 g Beef suet
- 30 g Blue Stilton cheese (or other strong blue cheese) - optional
- 4-5 tablespoons Whole (full-fat) milk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Make the hearty Beef Stew
- Preheat oven to 160C/ 320F/ GM 2 ½
- Chop the beef into 1-1.5 inch cubes if necessary, and season
- Heat a large casserole pan and add ½ the oil then fry ½ of the beef, turning frequently until the meat is browned all over. Remove from the pan and fry the remaining meat in the same way. Set all meat aside
- Finely dice the large onion and celery sticks and add to the pan along with the remaining oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Crush the garlic clove and chop the bacon then add to the pan and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft
- Split the allspice berries open using a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin. Sprinkle into the pan with the bay leaves and black pepper
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Allow the liquid to evaporate
- Peel the baby onions and wipe the chestnut mushrooms. If the mushrooms are large chop in half. Place in the pan and then return the browned meat to the pan. Dice the pickled walnuts and scatter into the pan with a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Pour the stock over everything, give a good stir, cover and cook for 2½ hours, stirring midway through
- Just before the cooking time is up, peel and chop the carrots and Jerusalem artichoke into thick pieces. Add to the pan with the potatoes and cook for a further 45 minutes
- Make the dumplings when there is 10 minutes cooking time left: Put the flour, baking powder, salt and suet into a small mixing bowl. Strip approx 1 tablespoon thyme leaves from their stems and crumble the cheese. Add both to the bowl and stir then add just enough milk to form a soft but not sticky dough. Using floured handles roll into 8 equal-sized balls
- Top the stew with the dumplings, cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes – removing the lid for the last 10 minutes for a crisper finish to the dumplings if preferred
- Check and adjust seasoning as necessary, then serve straight away with a sprig of thyme to garnish
Notes
- Pick your meat wisely. A slow-cooked stew needs beef with some fat and connective tissue, so avoid the pricier lean cuts and plump for the tougher cuts of meat
- Browning the meat is the first step in building up a rich & deep flavour profile in your stew. Heat the pan to very hot before adding the beef and turn the meat frequently to allow it to brown on all sides
- Always brown your meat quickly and in small batches. Don't be tempted to add all the meat in one go. Overcrowding the pan with meat means that the heat is reduced and more moisture is released from the meat than can be evaporated quickly. The result is a layer of steam which prevents browning
- Don't rush it. Recipes vary, but stews can take between 3-4 hours to cook on a low heat. It's this slow cooking that helps tenderise the meat
- Add a little more stock to the pan if necessary. Stews need a rich, thick gravy, so don't be afraid to top up if too much liquid evaporates during cooking
- Add the vegetables partway through the cooking process to avoid them turning mushy. Chop root vegetables chunky and go for 1- 1 ½ hours in the oven. Smaller vegetables such as peas will only need a few minutes at the end of the cooking time
- At the point of serving, add a pop of colour using fresh herbs - it livens up the presentation no end
- First of all brown the beef on a frying pan to seal it and preheat the slow cooker to high
- Put the diced onion, diced celery, garlic, bacon, allspice, bay leaf, black pepper and flour into the bowl of your slow cooker. Give everything a good stir. Add ½ the beef stock, red wine and beef then let cook for 2 ½ hours (or on low for 3 ½ hours)
- Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes and pickled walnuts and continue to cook for a further 2 ½ hours (or 3 ½ hours on low) or until the beef and potatoes are tender. (These ingredients can be added at the start but they will be much softer and mushier as a result). Top up with more beef stock as necessary
- After 5hrs (7 hours on low) of cooking, make the dumplings. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and suet into a small mixing bowl. Strip approx 1 tablespoon thyme leaves from their stems and crumble the cheese. Add both to the bowl and stir then add just enough milk to form a soft but not sticky dough. Using floured handles roll into 8 equal-sized balls
- Place the dumplings on top of the stew then cook, with the lid on for 1hr more on high. Check the seasoning and serve.
Kelly Anthony
What could be better than a Hearty Beef Stew WITH DUMPLINGS! And blue cheese at that. This is going to be my husband's new favorite comfort food dinner!
Renee Goerger
I love the beef, but the stilton dumplings are everything!!
Jane Saunders
You're telling me! I don't have dumplings half as much as I should.