Description
This Slow Cooked Beef and Dumplings recipe features tender chuck roast simmered low and slow with hearty vegetables and a rich gravy, topped with fluffy, homemade dumplings. Perfect for a comforting family meal, it uses simple ingredients and a slow cooker to deliver deep, savory flavor with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Broth
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- Salt, pepper, garlic herb seasoning (be generous)
- 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
- 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening gravy)
Instructions
- Sear the beef: Season your chuck roast generously with salt, pepper, and garlic herb seasoning. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, brown the roast on all sides to lock in flavor. Transfer the browned roast to your slow cooker.
- Sauté and deglaze: Using the same skillet, cook the diced onion over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits for extra flavor. Pour this mixture over the roast in the slow cooker along with the remaining beef broth.
- Slow cook beef: Cover and cook the roast on LOW for 6-8 hours in total. The low and slow method allows the beef to become tender and flavorful.
- Add vegetables: After 3-4 hours of cooking, add the carrots, celery, and potatoes around the meat in the slow cooker to cook through alongside the beef.
- Shred the beef: One hour before serving, remove the roast and shred it into bite-sized chunks — don’t shred too finely. If it’s difficult to shred, let it rest 15 minutes first. Optional: Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry and stir it into the gravy to thicken it before adding the beef back in.
- Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Stir in milk just until combined. Drop teaspoon-sized balls of dough onto the surface of the stew in the slow cooker. Important: do not stir dumplings into the stew.
- Finish cooking on HIGH: Switch the slow cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered for the final hour. This higher heat creates steam needed for the dumplings to rise and stay fluffy. Keep the lid closed to retain steam.
- Serve: Once dumplings are cooked through, open the lid and gently break apart the dumpling layer slightly. The gravy may be thin at first but will thicken as it cools and as dumplings soak in it. Let the stew rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Note 1: Use chuck roast for best results as it becomes tender and flavorful when slow cooked.
- Note 2: Leave potatoes unpeeled for texture and nutrients.
- Note 3: All-purpose flour is recommended for dumplings; self-rising flour is not used here.
- Note 4: Searing the roast locks in flavor and creates savory fond for the gravy.
- Note 5: Adding vegetables halfway through prevents them from overcooking and getting mushy.
- Note 6: Resist the urge to lift the lid while dumplings cook; steaming is key for light, fluffy texture.
- Oven alternative: This recipe can be finished in a 325°F oven covered after searing the beef, but slow cooker method is preferred for ease.
