Equipment
Ingredients
Stew Base
- 800 g beef chuck roast, cut into 5cm cubes
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 200 g carrots, peeled and sliced
- 150 g celery, sliced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 900 ml gluten-free beef broth
- 400 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 15 ml gluten-free tamari
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 g dried thyme
Thickener
- 30 g cornstarch
- 30 ml cold water
Gluten-Free Herb Dumplings
- 150 g gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 40 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 120 ml whole milk, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 497 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1540 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 106 mg
- Potassium
- 1161 mg
- Calcium
- 187 mg
- Iron
- 4.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 72 mg
- Phosphorus
- 439 mg
- Zinc
- 11.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 349 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 39 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.23 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.36 mg
- Niacin
- 9.3 mg
- Folate
- 44 mcg
- Water
- 407 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Season the raw beef chuck cubes evenly with the salt and black pepper. Wash your hands, cutting boards, and utensils immediately after handling the raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the seasoned beef cubes in batches until heavily browned on all sides.
Transfer the browned beef cubes from the large skillet directly into the slow cooker insert.
In the same large skillet, saute the diced yellow onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery until they begin to soften.
Stir the minced garlic and tomato paste into the softened vegetables, cooking until highly fragrant.
Pour the gluten-free beef broth into the large skillet to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom.
Carefully pour the vegetable and broth mixture over the beef in the slow cooker, then add the cubed waxy potatoes, gluten-free tamari, bay leaves, and dried thyme.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting. This prolonged braise will ensure the internal temperature of the beef reaches well past the required 74°C/165°F for food safety, ultimately reaching around 95°C/203°F to break down tough collagen for a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water to create a smooth, lump-free slurry.
Stir the cornstarch slurry directly into the simmering stew in the slow cooker to thicken the gravy.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free baking flour, baking powder, salt, and finely chopped fresh parsley to prepare the dumpling base.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the cold, cubed butter into the dry flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Gently stir the cold whole milk into the crumb mixture using a wooden spoon until just combined into a shaggy, thick dough.
Drop the dumpling dough by tablespoonfuls directly onto the surface of the simmering, thickened stew in the slow cooker.
Cover the slow cooker tightly and cook on the high setting without removing the lid, allowing the trapped steam to puff and cook the gluten-free dumplings entirely.
Turn off the slow cooker and let the stew and dumplings rest uncovered briefly to allow the gravy to settle before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Always sear your beef thoroughly in a skillet before slow cooking. The Maillard reaction created in the pan provides the foundational savory depth that a slow cooker cannot achieve on its own.
- Gluten-free baked goods lack the structure of wheat, making the xanthan gum in your flour blend critical. If your specific blend does not contain it, add half a teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry dumpling ingredients to prevent them from disintegrating.
- Do not rush the dumpling cooking time. The ambient heat of a slow cooker is much lower than a traditional stovetop Dutch oven, making the full hour of undisturbed steaming strictly necessary.
- Tamari acts as an umami booster in this recipe. Its high glutamic acid content enhances the beefy flavor profile without overpowering the traditional aromatics.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The gluten-free dumplings will absorb gravy and soften over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew base only. The gluten-free dumplings will become crumbly and grainy if frozen and thawed.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat until gently simmering. Add a splash of water or broth if the gravy has thickened too much in the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting
Dumplings dissolved into the stew or became mushy
Cause: The slow cooker lid was opened during the steaming process, releasing the crucial heat required to set the delicate gluten-free dough quickly.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once dissolved, but the stew will simply have a thicker, richer gravy as a result.
Prevention: Never lift the slow cooker lid while the dumplings are steaming.
Stew gravy is too thin after adding the slurry
Cause: The slow cooker liquid was not hot enough to activate the cornstarch.
Fix: Remove the dumplings temporarily, transfer the liquid to a saucepan, and boil on the stove for 5 minutes until thickened.
Prevention: Ensure the slow cooker is bubbling when adding the slurry, or turn it to high 15 minutes prior.
Cultural Context
Beef stew with dumplings is a hallmark of traditional British and Irish comfort cuisine, originating as a practical method to stretch expensive cuts of meat by bulking the meal with hearty root vegetables and simple dough. The dumplings traditionally cook by steaming on top of the bubbling broth, absorbing the rich, savory beef flavors from below while remaining light and fluffy on top.
