Beef and Dumplings are the ultimate comfort food for me. I grew up with my mom making them, and hers were hands down (literally) some of the best I have ever had. The ingredients she used varied from batch to batch; she would just throw a little bit in here or there without measuring anything out!
Based on the best I can recall of her Beef 'n Dumplings, I have come up with a recipe that my family truly loves and that I can pass down to them to eventually share with their families.
The beef is so tender, and it melts in your mouth. The dumplings are as light and fluffy as a cloud! And the gravy… oh, just delicious!
My Beef and Dumplings are not exactly like my mom made, but they take me back to the days when she would cook them for me. Comfort food at its finest!
I don't think my mom ever made dumplings from scratch. For as long as I can remember, she used Bisquick Baking Mix. So, that it was what I use to. Just add a little chopped fresh parsley and they are amazing! The parsley really adds a bit of freshness to the dumplings. And remember, do not over mix! Only stir until the ingredients are combined.
Ingredients needed
- Beef Stew Meat
- Fresh Herbs (Rosemary and Thyme)
- Onion
- Beef Broth
- Red Wine
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Canola Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Bisquick
- Milk
- Fresh Parsley
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and recipe instructions on how to make Beef and Dumplings.
How to prepare this recipe
To make homemade Beef and Dumplings the first thing you need to do is brown the stew meat.
Heat a large pot, I like using this Dutch Oven, over medium-high heat. The wide pot is great for cooking the dumplings in.
Add the canola oil and the stew meat. Let the meat cook until nicely browned. The meat should release easily from the bottom of the pot when it is ready to turn.
Give the stew meat a stir and add the onion along with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook until all sides of the meat have browned and all of the moisture has evaporated from the bottom of the pot.
Then add the Worcestershire Sauce and the red wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon and scrape up all that good stuff on the bottom of the pan.
*If you don't want to use red wine, you can use beef broth for this step.
Add the beef broth and the fresh herbs. I have used a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary and a few of fresh thyme and tied them together with butcher string.
Bring the broth to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer the stew meat for anywhere from 1 - 2 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
Now it is time to cook the dumplings. Mix the Bisquick with the milk and fresh parsley. Stir only until combined. Drop by tablespoons full into the boiling broth. I usually get about 9 dumplings.
Cook the dumplings for 10 minutes, then cover and cook another 10 minutes. And that is it, dinner is done! Comfort food!
This recipe is simple but does take a couple of hours at least to complete. However, in the meantime the aroma that fills your kitchen and house is amazing!
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. We usually use the microwave to re-heat the beef and dumplings.
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Tips and Faq's
Absolutely! It will greatly reduce the cooking time for this meal. Your appliance should have proper guidelines, time, and methods, on how to cook stew meat.
No problem, the beef broth will work just fine.
You may substitute dried herbs for the fresh. Use about a teaspoon of parsley for the dumplings and a teaspoon of each of the rosemary and thyme for the beef gravy base.
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Recipe
Beef and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Stew Meat
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 sprigs Rosemary fresh
- 3 sprigs Thyme fresh
- ½ cup Red Wine optional
- 32 ounces Beef Broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ⅔ cup Milk
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the canola oil and the stew meat. Let the meat cook until nicely browned. The meat should release easily from the bottom of the pot when it is ready to turn.
- Stir the stew meat and add the onion along with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook until all sides of the meat have browned and all of the moisture has evaporated from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the Worcestershire Sauce and the *red wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon and scrape up all that good stuff on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef broth and the fresh herbs. (Tie the herbs together with butcher string for easy removal later). Bring the broth to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer the stew meat for anywhere from 1 - 2 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
- Mix the Bisquick with the milk and fresh parsley. Stir only until combined. Drop by tablespoons full into the boiling broth. I usually get about 9 dumplings.
- Cook the dumplings for 10 minutes, then cover and cook another 10 minutes. And that is it, dinner is done!
J
Wow this was a great recipe... so easy and wow the flavor
Sheri Edmondson
I made this a couple of times and my kids love it. My daughter even asked me to make it for her birthday this year!
Cook This Again, Mom!
That is awesome! This recipe was one of my favorites that my mom made for us. Glad you all like it too!
Carlee Scharnhorst
Oh yum! I love chicken and dumplings, but have never had it with beef. I don't know why I never thought of that!
Cook This Again
When I was a kid my mom usually made Beef 'n Dumplings. She may have made them with chicken a time or two,but I really don't remember. Next to her spaghetti sauce, this was my favorite thing she made. 🙂