Beef Stew with Dumplings (Slow Cooker Recipe) - Kylee Cooks (2024)

FAQs

When should I put my dumplings in a slow cooker? ›

The dumplings are just three ingredients and are simply added into the bowl of the slow cooker, atop the casserole, during the last hour of cooking.

Can you cook dumplings in a slow cooker? You “can” but they don't ever come out like dumplings should because most slow cookers don't get hot enough for the dumplings to get proper raise so they come out thick and heavy.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I prefer to cook this slow and low so that the beef become really tender and the flavors have time to meld together. Next, remove 1 cup of beef broth from the slow cooker and transfer to a medium bowl.

Can you overcook something in a slow cooker? Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

Slow cookers are perfect for cooking dumplings. If you like a crispy top many crock-pots are suitable for use in the oven (check your manufacturer's handbook!) so you can crisp them up in there for 10-15 minutes after they've cooked through in the slow cooker.

Dumpling Doneness

They're done cooking when they expand to about twice the size and rise to the top of the pot. If you cut into one, it should be cooked all the way through with no raw batter in the center.

If the dough is too dry, it will crack and fall apart when cooked. If the dough is too sticky, it will be difficult to work with and will also fall apart easily. Don't overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will develop the gluten, making it tough and chewy.

The alchemy of making dumplings is a precise matter and as other flours absorb liquids at very different rates to white wheat flour you could end up with dense, heavy dumplings, or dumplings that have soaked up all your stew and collapsed into a soggy bread puddle in your baking dish!

The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture. To avoid this problem, choose less-tender cuts of meat.

Add spices such as turmeric, coriander and cumin at the early stage of cooking, when you are frying onions and garlic, to enhance the taste of the beef stew. Fresh herbs like coriander and bay leaves also contribute a distinct flavour without making the dish too spicy for the younger members of the family.

Can I put raw beef straight into a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you most certainly can cook raw meat in the slow cooker! You put it in “cold”, with whatever liquid your recipe calls for, turn it on either “low” or “high” depending on your recipe (I usually start it on “high” for a couple hours, then turn it to “low”), and in 6–7–8 hours, it's now COOKED meat!

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

Tender vegetables such as zucchini and beans can be added to your dish in last ¾ - 1 hour of cooking when cooking on High, or 2 hours if cooking on Low. Hard, starchy vegetables like potato and carrots are best added around 3 hours before the meal is done if cooking on High, and 4 hours on Low.

Add a slurry at the end.

A slurry is a mixture of flour and water, whisked together until smooth and added towards the end of cooking; it's a super-simple way to thicken any soup. For slow cooker soups, add your slurry with at least 30 minutes of cook time left so that the raw flour can cook and thicken the soup.

- if they're sticky add some more flour to your hands. Add to the slow cooker 40 mns before the end of cooking. They will soak up lots of liquid and remain soft so if you want you can finish them off in the oven to crisp up the top.

Slow cookers are great for cooking cheaper cuts like beef brisket, pork shoulder, lamb shoulder and chicken thighs. You can also use less meat, as slow cooking really extracts a meaty flavour that permeates the whole dish. Bulk up with vegetables instead.

There's no need to thaw the dumplings before adding them to the slow cooker. In fact, it's better not to, as they'll stick together if they thaw. Just remove them from the package, break them into roughly 2″ pieces (no need to be too accurate with the sizing), and add them to the cooker.