Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings

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Cozy Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings: Tender beef, hearty veggies, and fluffy scallion dumplings in a rich gravy—easy, set-and-forget comfort food for busy nights!

There’s nothing like coming home to a warm, comforting bowl of Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings on a chilly evening. This classic hearty stew is loaded with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, hearty carrots, celery, and onions, all cooked in a savory, rich gravy seasoned with garlic, thyme, tomato paste, and a hint of paprika for a touch of warmth. It’s the kind of meal that fills your home with incredible aromas and lets you set it and forget it, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners when you want something satisfying without the fuss.

And let’s not forget the star on top of the stew: fluffy, tender dumplings! These easy-to-make dumplings add just the right finish, made extra flavorful with a sprinkle of fresh scallions that bring a bit of freshness to each bite. Whether it’s for a family dinner or simply to enjoy a cozy bowlful on your own, this slow-cooked stew with dumplings is a delicious, comforting way to end the day.

Do you meal plan your dinners?  It makes weeknights so much easier!  Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Slow Cooker Saturdays meal planning calendar!

Jump to:

• A Weeknight Hero Recipe for Busy Families!
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Cooking Steps for Crockpot Beef Stew
• Talking Tip!
• Stew Substitutions
• Variations on this Beef Stew Recipe
• Recipe FAQs
• Want More Recipes like this?
• Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings
• Comments

A Weeknight Hero Recipe for Busy Families!

Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings brings convenience, flavor, and comfort to the table, making it a true weeknight hero for busy families. Here are the reasons you will LOVE this meal:

• Comfort Food Appeal: There’s something about warm stew and pillowy dumplings that makes everyone feel at home, especially after a long day.
• Set It and Forget It: You can prep the stew ingredients in the morning, throw them in the crockpot, and come home to a hot, hearty meal with minimal effort.
• One-Pot Meal: Everything—tender beef, veggies, and fluffy dumplings—cooks together, saving time on cleanup and offering a balanced dinner in one dish.
• Flavorful and Filling: Slow cooking intensifies the flavors, while the addition of dumplings makes it extra comforting and satisfying, perfect for keeping everyone full and happy.
• Hands-Off Cooking: No need to hover over the stove—just add the dumplings towards the end. This leaves you free to help with homework, relax, or get other tasks done.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prepare the ingredients the night before or even cook a batch to store in the fridge for reheating.
• Budget-Friendly: This easy recipe uses simple, affordable ingredients like stew meat, veggies, and pantry staples, making it a cost-effective choice for feeding the whole family.
• Customizable: You can adjust the veggies, seasonings, or even add beans or lentils to suit different family tastes.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Beef Stew Ingredients

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• Beef Chuck or Stew Meat – Beef chuck roast or chuck steak is a cut of meat from the shoulder area of the animal that has lots of connective tissue. It needs to be cooked long enough to break this down and be tender. It is sometimes also called chuck roast, shoulder steak, boneless chuck roast, or chuck shoulder pot roast. You could also use Beef short ribs, beef brisket, or Pork shoulder (pork butt).
• Onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
• Carrots – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can substitute with diced baby carrots, parsnips, or even radishes.
• Celery – I like to use the stalk and the leaves. You can leave the celery out if you desire. You can also substitute with green pepper.
• Garlic – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Dijon Mustard – If you don’t have dijon, any grain mustard will work. You can use yellow mustard in a pinch. Ground mustard powder will work too.
• Tomato Paste – If you don’t have tomato paste, you can use canned or jarred tomato sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire is my secret ingredient that really brings that deep flavor, reminiscent of a beef stew. if you don’t have this, you can substitute Soy sauce.
• Smoked Paprika – You can also use sweet or regular paprika. You will probably not want to use hot paprika. But if you like spicy, you can add a bit of it. A substitute for paprika is chili powder.
• Bay leaf – I used dry, but you can also use fresh bay leaves.
• Dried thyme – I used dry, but you can use fresh. You can substitute with oregano, rosemary, Italian seasoning, or basil.
• Salt and black pepper – I used coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper, but any variety will work.
• Beef Broth – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Chicken broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this soup. You don’t have to thicken the soup if you don’t have cornstarch. You can leave it as a thin broth.

Dumplings Recipe Ingredients

• Sour cream – The acid and fat in sour cream helps to softens and tenderizes the dumpling dough.
• Whole milk – Milk is the liquid that combines with the flour to create the batter. You could use low fat milk or even water, but the whole milk brings more creamy flavor.
• Eggs, large – Eggs help to keep the dumplings light and fluffy. Let them come to room temperature before adding for best results.
• Fresh scallions – The scallions bring fantastic savory and mild onion flavor to these dumplings. You can substitute with chives for a milder flavor or leave them out all together. Other flavor options are herbs, such as basil or oregano. Or finely diced jalapenos that have been quickly sauteed and cooled to mellow them out and make them softer.
• All-purpose flour – Standar AP white flour is what I used in this recipe. I have not yet tested with a gluten free or whole wheat flour, but you can certainly try swapping that in.
• Baking powder – The baking powder is the leavener in this recipe to help the dumplings stay light and fluffy.
• Salt – Salt helps make these nice and savory and boost all of the flavors in this recipe.

See the printable recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

I made the beef stew with dumplings in a slow cooker. However, you could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or small roasting pan with a lid.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Slice the celery. Peel and slice the carrots. Peel and chop the onions. Mince the garlic.

If you are doing these steps ahead, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to add them to the slow cooker.

Cooking Steps for Crockpot Beef Stew

Stir to combine, making sure that everything is somewhat submerged in the liquid. Then set the slow cooker to the high setting for 6 hours or low heat for 8-10 hours depending on your schedule.

Add smaller or larger scoops to match the number of servings you want to get out of the stew. Place the cover on for an additional 25 min.

Serve the stew hot, garnished with parsley.

Stew Substitutions

Beef stew with dumplings is wonderfully adaptable, and here are some substitutions to suit various tastes, dietary needs, or ingredient availability:

• Protein – Lamb stew meat or shoulder gives a unique, hearty flavor to the stew, adding a bit of earthiness. Pork and Chicken chunks also work well.
• Red Wine – Add a splash of red wine or a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to vegetable or chicken broth for richness.
• Polenta Dumplings – Add a Southern twist by using polenta dumplings, which offer a slightly gritty texture and great flavor.

Variations on this Beef Stew Recipe

Beef stew with dumplings is a comforting classic, but adding a few creative variations can make it even more exciting! Here are some flavorful ideas to try:

• Guinness Beef Stew with Dumplings – Add Guinness or a dark stout to the broth for a rich, deep flavor with hints of caramel and malty sweetness. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you want a cozy, pub-inspired meal.
• Spicy Chipotle Beef Stew – Add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and smoked paprika for a smoky, spicy kick. The dumplings balance the heat, making it ideal for spice lovers.
• Added Veggies – For extra color and nutrients, add chopped zucchini, green beans, or bell peppers near the end of cooking.
• Creamy Beef Stew with Cheddar Dumplings – Add a touch of cream or sour cream to the stew for richness and use shredded cheddar in the dumplings. This variation is comforting and decadent with cheesy, fluffy dumplings.

Be sure to check out this Korean version of beef stew on my website!

Recipe FAQs

Want More Recipes like this?

If you love hearty beef stew with dumplings, this comforting list of hearty meals will also bring full and satisfied tummies to the table.

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