Description

This cozy Ground Beef and Dumplings recipe offers a comforting and hearty dinner that’s surprisingly easy to prepare. Featuring tender beef simmered in a rich, flavorful gravy topped with light, fluffy dumplings steamed to perfection, it’s a wonderful twist on classic comfort food perfect for any weeknight or casual gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

Beef and Gravy

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dumplings

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
½ cup milk

Garnish (Optional)

Chopped parsley or chives

Instructions

Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
Brown Beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until it is thoroughly browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Once browned, drain any excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavor.
Make Gravy: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour evenly over the beef mixture and stir well to coat. Slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and dried thyme (or Italian seasoning). Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Prepare Dumpling Dough: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold cubed butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk with a fork or spoon until a sticky dough forms.
Cook Dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the simmering beef mixture in the skillet. Cover the skillet tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the dumplings to steam and cook for 15–20 minutes without lifting the lid, until they are cooked through and fluffy.
Finish & Serve: Remove the lid carefully and check that the dumplings are set and cooked all the way through. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives if desired, and serve the dish hot for a satisfying meal.

Notes

Do not lift the lid while dumplings are cooking to ensure they steam properly and become fluffy.
Use cold butter in the dumpling dough for the best texture.
You can substitute milk with buttermilk for a richer dumpling flavor.
Adjust seasoning of the beef gravy to taste before adding dumplings.
For a thicker gravy, let it simmer a few minutes longer before adding dumplings.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: ground beef dumplings, beef and dumplings recipe, easy comfort food, stovetop dumplings, hearty dinner