Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Buttermilk Dumplings

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Buttermilk Dumplings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2 pounds stew meat (or a 2 pound chuck roast cut into bite size pieces); 2 cups beef broth or stock, from a 32 ounce carton; 2 beef bouillon cubes; 1 16-ounce bag mini carrots; 4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into site size cubes; 1 large onion diced; 2 teaspoons minced garlic from a jar; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; Remaining 2 cups beef stock or broth from a 32-ounce carton; 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup solid shortening such as Crisco; 1 1/2 cups full-fat buttermilk

Jump To Recipe by Cindy @mycountrytable

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Buttermilk Dumplings makes a comforting and hearty meal on a cold winter’s day. Let this beef stew cook all day while you’re gone. When you get home simply mix and drop in the dumplings and wait for 30 minutes. Dinner done!

This slow cooker Beef Stew recipe is loaded with tender bites of beef, carrots and potatoes and it’s topped with buttermilk dumplings. You can easily feed the whole family with this hearty meal.

I’ve made lots of dumplings in my life but never before have I added them to a crockpot until now. Recently, I’ve had a couple of readers ask me if I could post a crockpot/slow cooker recipe for dumplings, therefore, as much as I was on the fence about how they would turn out I decided to make them.

I usually make these dumplings when I make my Chicken & Fluffy Dumplings recipe. However, I usually fix them on the stove top where I drop them in simmering broth. The dumplings are totally submerged in the broth and come to the surface once they have cooked for a few minutes. They are cooked for about 15 minutes covered with a lid.

Upon reviewing other crockpot dumpling recipes, I realized the dumplings in the crockpot seem to be only partially submerged in the broth, so this concerned me. However, curiosity got the best of me.

My test results for slow cooker beef stew with buttermilk dumplings

The tops did not get submerged in the broth.
The dumplings didn’t seem to be infused with the beef broth flavor as much as stove top dumplings that are totally submerged.
The dumplings were cooked through but looked pale and pasty looking on the tops (see picture below)
The dumplings weren’t as fluffy as the stove top dumplings.
The dumplings were more dense like a drop biscuit.

With that being said, the dumplings had a great taste and were a great complement to the beef stew, therefore, I decided the recipe was a keeper.

So keep in mind, if you’re wanting a big fluffy dumpling, you might want to make yours on the stove top. However, if you like a dumpling that is more dense like a biscuit, this recipe is definitely a keeper.

How to make the easy beef stew

I made a very simple and easy beef stew for this recipe consisting of…

beef stew meat
baby carrots
potatoes
onions
minced garlic
beef broth & bouillon

Here’s how to make it, and feel free to skip step one if you want to.

Add canola oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meat. Brown the meat on all sides and transfer to a crockpot.
Add the remaining ingredients plus 1 cup of water. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, or on low for 8 hours or overnight.

Easy broth thickening gravy…optional

Once the beef stew had finished cooking, I decided to add two cups of broth to a skillet, add some cornstarch and thicken it into a gravy. Then I added it to the crockpot. This is optional. If you’re in a hurry after working all day, feel free to skip this step. It doesn’t make the broth into a gravy. It simply thickens it a little.

HOW TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS

Whisk together some flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using two forks or a pastry blender, cut in some shortening. Add some buttermilk and mix just to combine. The mixture should be pretty wet. Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes.
Drop the dumplings on top of the beef stew by large spoonfuls (or use a large cookie scoop) separating them from each other in the broth. Place lid on the crockpot with and cook on high for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes raise the lid and do a toothpick test on one. If they’re still slightly doughy, place the lid back on and cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again.

Tips

Allow the dumpling batter to rest for 15 minutes after making it.
If cooking on low heat, once the meat and vegetables are cooked until fork tender, turn the heat on high. The beef stew need to be very hot, before dropping in the dumplings. Allow the crockpot at least 15 minutes to reach high heat temperature.
If you make the gravy, turn the slow cooker on high first, then make the gravy and add it in.
Do not remove the lid for at least 30 minutes before checking the dumplings for doneness. Check them with a toothpick, and if they’re aren’t quite done, replace the lid and check again in about 5 minutes.
Use a large cookie scoop to drop the dumplings in to ensure they are all the same size and will get done at the same time.

You might also like this recipe for Easy No-Fail Flat Dumplings!

If you make this recipe, please rate it and comment below. I love to hear your feedback!

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