This Slow Cooker Beef & Dumplings is made with tender beef stew meat, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and a rich brown gravy, topped with soft, fluffy biscuit dumplings. It’s a hearty slow cooker beef dinner and is perfect for fall and winter dinner.

Slow Cooker Beef & Dumplings Process Photo

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It also works well for Sunday dinner or a cozy family meal and is a great comfort food to serve for dinner.

And for more crockpot dinner recipes, the recipes below are worth trying:

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Slow Cooker Beef & Dumplings Process Ingredients

1½ pounds beef stew meat
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas
1 (16.3-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef & Dumplings

Step 1: Season the beef. Toss the beef stew meat with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly coated.

Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown the pieces on the outside. They do not need to cook all the way through.

Step 2: Add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic.

Step 3: Make the gravy. Spoon the cream of mushroom soup over the beef and vegetables. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkle the dried thyme over everything.

Step 4: Slow cook the beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.

Step 5: Prepare the biscuits. Cut each refrigerated biscuit into four pieces. Arrange the pieces in an even layer over the beef mixture, gently pressing them into the gravy without completely submerging them.

Step 6: Cook the dumplings. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45–60 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through in the centers. Keep the lid closed while they cook.

Step 7: Add the peas. Gently stir the frozen peas into the beef mixture, taking care not to break apart the dumplings.

Step 8: Thicken the gravy. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth. Gently stir the mixture into the gravy around the dumplings.

Finish and serve. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 5–10 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm with plenty of beef, vegetables, gravy, and dumplings.

Important Recipe Notes

Brown the beef first: This step is optional, but browning the beef adds more flavor to the gravy.
Make sure the beef is fork-tender before adding the biscuits. If it’s still tough, let it cook longer.
Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and place them on top of the beef mixture. Don’t add them at the beginning, or they may become mushy.
Keep the lid closed: Avoid lifting the slow cooker lid while the dumplings cook so they have enough heat and steam to rise and cook through.
Check the dumplings: Cooking times may vary depending on your slow cooker. Check the center of a large dumpling to make sure there’s no raw dough left.
Thicken the gravy if needed: Stir in the cornstarch slurry after the dumplings are cooked. You can skip this step if the gravy is already thick enough.
Adjust the seasoning: Taste the gravy before adding extra salt since the soup, broth, and Worcestershire sauce already provide plenty of flavor.
Store leftovers properly: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a splash of beef broth when reheating if the gravy becomes too thick.
For the best texture, freeze the beef and gravy without the cooked dumplings for up to 3 months. Prepare fresh biscuit dumplings when you’re ready to serve.

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:8

Total Time:8 15

Ingredients

1½ pounds beef stew meat
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 small yellow onion diced
2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas
1 16.3-ounce can refrigerated biscuits
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

Season the beef. Toss the beef stew meat with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly coated.
Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown the pieces on the outside. They do not need to cook all the way through.
Add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic.
Make the gravy. Spoon the cream of mushroom soup over the beef and vegetables. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkle the dried thyme over everything.
Slow cook the beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
Prepare the biscuits. Cut each refrigerated biscuit into four pieces. Arrange the pieces in an even layer over the beef mixture, gently pressing them into the gravy without completely submerging them.
Cook the dumplings. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45–60 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through in the centers. Keep the lid closed while they cook.
Add the peas. Gently stir the frozen peas into the beef mixture, taking care not to break apart the dumplings.
Thicken the gravy. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth. Gently stir the mixture into the gravy around the dumplings.
Finish and serve. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 5–10 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm with plenty of beef, vegetables, gravy, and dumplings.