Irish Beef Stew Dumplings (Printable)
Comforting Irish beef and vegetable stew enhanced by soft, fluffy dumplings in a flavorful broth.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Stew
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 2 large onions, chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 4 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 parsnips, sliced
07 - 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
08 - 3 cups beef stock
09 - 1 cup Guinness or other stout beer (optional)
10 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
11 - 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
12 - 2 bay leaves
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
→ For the Dumplings
16 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
17 - 2 tsp baking powder
18 - 1/2 tsp salt
19 - 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
20 - 1/2 cup milk
21 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 325°F.
02 - Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, transferring browned pieces to a plate to avoid overcrowding the pot.
04 - Add onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
05 - Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and beer if using. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
06 - Return beef to the pot along with accumulated juices. Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Pour in beef stock and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
08 - In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub in cold butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and parsley to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
09 - Remove stew from oven. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough, approximately golf-ball size, onto the surface of the stew. Space evenly to allow for rising.
10 - Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes, until dumplings are puffed, golden, and cooked through.
11 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings soak up all that rich stout infused broth like edible sponges
- It actually tastes better the next day so youre basically meal prepping
02 -
- Overworking the dumpling dough makes them tough, mix just until combined
- The stew needs to be actively simmering when you add dumplings or they'll sink
03 -
- Cut all vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish cooking together
- Skip the Guinness and use all beef stock if you prefer, though add an extra splash of Worcestershire