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Beef Stew with Dumplings is a delicious, classic recipe and the ultimate comfort food!
I’m often told that I am very lucky to have a husband who loves to cook – and they are absolutely correct. It’s an added bonus that he also happens to be a very, very good cook! So – lucky me – this past weekend Jack was in the mood to make this savory Beef Stew with Dumplings for us, and the aromas filling the house were just amazing!
This Beef Stew and Dumplings recipe is one of the very first recipes we shared here on A Family Feast when we started our blog over five years ago, and with so many other recipes to make over the years, this oldie but goodie has been hidden in the archives. So, with a pot of beef stew simmering away on the stove, we decided to update the pictures too, and reshare this delicious recipe today.
A good Beef Stew with Dumplings is one of those classic recipes that everyone should have in their family’s recipe collection! This Beef Stew with Dumplings starts out like most other beef stew recipes: tender chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes and onions layered in a thick gravy. But what really makes this special is the addition of some red wine, tomato paste, thyme and other seasonings that you might not expect – that really enhance the flavors of the meat and vegetables.
Full disclosure: This Beef Stew with Dumplings is a somewhat time-consuming recipe as it will take about three hours to cook. (Most of that cooking time is with the pot simmering away on the stove so you can go do other things around the house.) But after one bite, I think you’ll agree that the time it takes to make this Beef Stew with Dumplings is totally worth the wait!
This Beef Stew with Dumplings recipe makes a fairly large quantity as well so it’s great for feeding a crowd, or for enjoying as leftovers the next day.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Beef Stew with Dumplings
Ingredients
For the beef stew
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck cut into 2” cubes
2 cups onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
3 quarts beef stock
1 quart water as needed
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and quartered
2 10-ounce packages pearl onions, *see below for instructions
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
For the dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Dredge beef cubes in flour and remove, shaking off excess flour.
Over medium high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of oil in 6-7 quart heavy bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven until slightly brown and frothy. Place half of the beef in the hot fat making sure that meat pieces do not touch each other. Sear two minutes per side. Remove from pan and heat another tablespoon of butter and oil then cook the second half of the meat. Remove meat from pan when done and set aside. Total time to sear all the meat is 15 minutes.
Turn heat to medium and add the remaining butter and olive oil to the pan. Add in chopped onions and cook three minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for one more minute. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
Add in red wine to de-glaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
Add browned beef cubes, stock, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer and cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 2 ½ hours or until beef is tender, adding water as needed. If all of the liquid does not fit, set some aside and add later as the liquid in the pan evaporates. Either way, check at the two hour mark and if needed, add more liquid. We used exactly four quarts of liquid (Three quarts beef stock and one quart of water).
After 2 1/2 hours, add in carrots, potatoes, green beans, pearl onions and parsley and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
While vegetables are cooking, prepare dumpling batter as follows: Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together. Add salt and thyme into the bowl and then cut in butter with a fork until pieces are rice size. Add milk and stir with spoon until mixed.
Add green peas to stew, adjust seasoning and turn heat to low. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dumpling batter into stew until all batter is used. (Do NOT just pour the dumpling batter in all at once.) Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Check and if they are not puffed up enough, cook for another minute or two covered. Ours took exactly 15 minutes .
Serve bowls of stew with dumplings on top.
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Notes
The amount of liquid will vary depending on several factors including the exact temperature of the burner, the cut of meat, how much steam escapes, etc. Best to start with less liquid and add it later in the process.
To clean the pearl onions, bring a sauce pan of water to a boil and add onions with the skin on and once boiling, time three minutes. Have a bowl of ice water standing by. After three minutes, use a spider or strainer and scoop out onions into the ice water. Drain and cut the root ends off of each onion then holding the other end, squeeze, and the onion will pop out of its skin.
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Far too much liquid. I used 3, 32-oz. cartons of beef stock and only a half-quart of water. As another person commented, I, too, had to ladle out quite a bit of the broth and barely had room for my vegetables even after 3 hours of stovetop simmering with the lid partially cracked open. I thought the whole point of a Dutch oven (and mine is a Le Creuset) is to cover it tightly so the flavors stay in and the meat comes out juicy and tender. While my vegetables are still cooking, I scooped a little of the meat and broth for a taste test. The meat was tender enough, but the broth was just okay. I will now need to doctor it up with more Worcestershire, red wine, and perhaps more tomato paste. Any suggestions? 🥹
Hi Julie, this is Jack. We have a note in the recipe that talks about the cut of meat and the amount of water. There are a lot of variables in a dish like this such as heat intensity, how much liquid evaporates, the cut of meat, and that the amount of water. I see three comments including yours that had this same issue so I am going to add a line in the recipe to only add the water if needed. When we made it, we used three quarts of stock and one quart of water.
Appreciate your input Julie.
Julie, I just updated the recipe with more language regarding liquid amounts. While I was in there I also updated the nutritional information (which was missing).
Hi Martha and Jack!
Been awhile since I commented on your site. Hope you and yours are well and safe. This is hands down… the best beef stew recipe on the planet! I am simmering some now on my new stove which I replaced after 25 years! Love this recipe and so does my family. Have a great day and yes… lots of garlic!
Hi Doris – Would you believe that Jack just made a batch of this too!? (I think some extra garlic would be a great addition!) So nice to hear from you and congrats on the new stove!! 🙂
Very nice recipe, thank you
Thanks Tina!
I followed this recipe te the dumplings. They were gummy and not cooked. I had to throw them out. Dumplings are the best part of Beef stew and Dumplings. Stew was good but had to use a different recipe for the Dumplings. Too bad.
Sorry you were disappointed Glen – we seem to have readers with mixed results/reviews on the dumplings and have tested the recipe to confirm that it’s correct. I suspect you just needed to cook them longer. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
This stew was the best I’ve ever made! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Wow Dottie – you are very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the stew.
Easy to follow recipe. Delicious stew.
Thanks Kathy!
I copied your recipe and this has given me some confidence to do the recipe.
Your description and methods are completely the best for this stew!—as I remember it after 20 years.
Good luck Jane! We hope you love the recipe!