Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings
Easy slow cooker mince and dumplings with tender beef mince and vegetables in a rich homemade beef gravy, topped with soft and fluffy traditional suet dumplings. There's no need to brown the mince first, and the recipe has been tested in a 3.5 litre slow cooker on both LOW and HIGH.
Servings 4
Calories 690kcal
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the mince
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Carrots peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoon Plain Flour (All-purpose flour)
- 500 g Beef Mince (Ground beef) 5% fat
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree (Tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Marmite
- 400 ml Beef Stock (Beef broth)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 100 g Frozen Peas
For the dumplings
- 150 g Self-raising Flour (Self-rising flour)
- 75 g Beef or Vegetable Suet
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 100 ml Cold Water
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped onion, garlic and diced carrots into the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir so the vegetables are coated.1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 2 Carrots, 2 tbsp Plain Flour (All-purpose flour)
- Add the raw beef mince to the slow cooker and break it up with a wooden spoon. There's no need to brown the mince first.500 g Beef Mince (Ground beef)
- In a jug, whisk together the tomato purée, dried thyme, Worcestershire sauce, Marmite, beef stock, salt and black pepper.1 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato paste), 1 tsp Dried Thyme, 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp Marmite, 400 ml Beef Stock (Beef broth), ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Pepper
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and stir everything together well, breaking up any larger pieces of mince as you go.Put the lid on and cook for: LOW - 6 hours / HIGH - 4 hours
- Stir in the frozen peas. If you've cooked the mince on LOW, switch your slow cooker to HIGH now.100 g Frozen Peas
- Place the self-raising flour, suet, salt and optional dried thyme into a mixing bowl and stir together.150 g Self-raising Flour (Self-rising flour), 75 g Beef or Vegetable Suet, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Dried Thyme
- Gradually add 100ml cold water, mixing until you have a soft, slightly tacky dough. You might not need to add every last drop immediately, so add the final part gradually.100 ml Cold Water
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently roll each into a ball.
- Place the eight dumplings gently on top of the mince, leaving a little space between them where possible. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 1½-2 hours, until the dumplings are risen, soft and cooked through. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Slow cooker: This recipe was developed and tested in a 3.5 litre sear-and-stew slow cooker.
- No browning: The beef mince goes into the slow cooker raw. Use lean mince for the best results.
- Cooking times: The mince has been tested for 6 hours on LOW and 4 hours on HIGH. The dumplings then need another 1½–2 hours on HIGH.
- Dumplings: Add the 100ml water gradually. You're looking for a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Don't overwork the dough: Mix and shape the dumplings lightly to keep them fluffy.
- Keep the lid closed: Avoid lifting the lid while the dumplings cook because this releases the heat and steam.
- Dumpling texture: Slow cooker dumplings are soft and steamed rather than crisp and golden.
- Gravy: The finished gravy has a medium consistency. If you prefer it thicker, remove the cooked dumplings and leave the mince on HIGH with the lid off briefly.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: The mince and gravy can be frozen for up to 3 months. For the best texture, make fresh dumplings when reheating.
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1216mg | Potassium: 754mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5369IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg
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