This is a one-pot ground beef stew with suet dumplings cooked right on top — no oven required. It takes about two hours start to finish, most of that hands-off simmering time. The honest reason to make it: ground beef costs less than stewing cuts, cooks faster, and soaks up the red wine and stock just as well.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, browning the beef properly — cooking it on high heat until it’s genuinely browned, not just grey — builds the savory base the whole stew depends on. Ground beef releases a lot of moisture, so don’t rush this step and don’t crowd the pot; let the liquid cook off before you move on. Second, the flour-and-tomato-paste roux cooked for two full minutes before the wine goes in is what gives the finished stew body instead of a thin, watery broth. Both steps are quick, but skipping or shortcutting either one will show up in the final bowl.
Smart swaps
- Suet: This is the one ingredient that might send you searching. Packaged vegetable suet (Atora is a common brand) works well and is easier to find than beef suet. In a pinch, cold grated butter produces slightly denser dumplings but is a workable substitute.
- Self-raising flour: If you only have all-purpose flour, add 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt per cup of flour.
- Red wine: A full-bodied red genuinely improves the stew, but if you’d rather skip it, replace with an equal amount of extra beef stock plus a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for acidity.
- Ground beef fat percentage: 80/20 (regular ground beef) works well here — the fat adds flavor and you drain the excess before building the stew base. Leaner beef (90/10) is fine but produces a slightly less rich result.
Leftovers and meal prep
The stew base refrigerates well for up to 3 days in a sealed container. The dumplings, however, go soft and dense overnight — skip the garnish of reheating them and just make a fresh batch of dumpling dough (it takes under five minutes) when you reheat the stew. The stew without dumplings freezes for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a full simmer and the beef hits 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer. For meal prep, you can dice the carrots and onions up to 2 days ahead and keep them refrigerated.
Mistakes to avoid
- Adding wine to a hot, dry pan: After draining excess fat, let the heat drop back to medium before adding flour and tomato paste. Adding liquid to a screaming-hot pan causes it to evaporate too fast and the flour can scorch before it cooks through.
- Wet dumpling dough: Add the cold water to the flour and suet gradually — the dough should just hold together when pressed. If it sticks to your hands, it’s too wet and the dumplings will dissolve into the stew rather than hold their shape.
- Lifting the lid during dumpling cooking: Once the dumplings go on and the lid goes on, leave it alone for the full 30 minutes. Lifting the lid releases the steam that cooks the tops of the dumplings; you’ll end up with doughy centers.
- Under-seasoning at the end: The stew reduces and concentrates during the 45-minute simmer. Taste it before adding the dumplings and adjust salt and pepper at that point — it’s much harder to season evenly once the dumplings are sitting on top.
- Not draining the fat after browning: Ground beef at 80/20 releases a significant amount of fat. If you skip draining it, the finished stew will have a greasy surface and the flour won’t form a clean roux. Tip the pot slightly and spoon off the excess, or use a turkey baster.
Minced Beef and Red Wine Stew with Dumplings
Ingredients
Stew Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin preferred
1 kg ground beef (minced beef) - grass-fed for richer flavor
1 cup red wine - full-bodied like Merlot
2 cups beef stock - low-sodium preferred
2 medium carrots - peeled and diced
2 medium white onion - finely chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour - all-purpose
1 tsp thyme - dried
1 tsp rosemary - dried
1 pinch salt - to taste
1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
Dumpling Ingredients
- 1.5 cups flour - self-raising
- 75 g suet - vegetable or beef
0.5 cup water - cold- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, an additional minute.
- Brown the Beef: Increase the heat to high, add the minced beef, and cook until browned, ensuring you break it up with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Create the Stew Base: Lower the heat back to medium; stir in the flour and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes to form a roux. Gradually add red wine and beef stock, constantly stirring to incorporate smoothly.
- Add Vegetables and Herbs: Add carrots, thyme, rosemary, and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew has thickened and flavors have melded.
- Prepare the Dumplings: In a mixing bowl, combine self-raising flour with suet and a pinch of salt. Gradually add cold water, stirring until the dough holds together. Form small balls with your hands.
- Finish the Dish: Place the dumplings gently on top of the stew, cover the pot, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
How do I know when the ground beef is fully cooked and safe to eat?
Ground beef is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). In a stew like this, the beef simmers for well over 45 minutes after browning, so it will be thoroughly cooked — but if you want to be certain during the browning stage, an instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out entirely.
Can I use a cheaper cut of red wine, or does the quality matter?
Use something you’d actually drink, but it doesn’t need to be expensive — a $10 bottle of Merlot or Shiraz is fine. Avoid anything labeled ‘cooking wine,’ which contains added salt and can make the stew taste sharp.
My stew looks thin after 45 minutes of simmering. What went wrong?
The most common cause is that the flour wasn’t cooked long enough with the tomato paste before the liquid was added, so it didn’t fully activate as a thickener. Fix it by mixing one tablespoon of flour with two tablespoons of cold water, stirring it into a smooth paste, then whisking it into the simmering stew and cooking for another 10 minutes.
Do the dumplings need to be fully submerged in the stew to cook properly?
No — they cook by a combination of simmering heat from below and steam trapped under the lid. Place them gently on the surface of the stew and make sure the lid fits tightly; they’ll puff up and cook through without being submerged.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, with one adjustment: brown the beef and build the roux on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours. Add the dumplings in the last 45 minutes on the high setting with the lid on — slow cookers don’t generate enough steam on the low setting to cook dumplings properly.
What to cook next
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Savory British Beef Pies
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
- Savory Lamb Dumpling Delights
