Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings

  • 15MINS
  • 3HR 10MINS
  • Serves 4
  • 369KCAL

Our Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe takes the effort out of cooking up a midweek bowl of comfort food. Using simple, tasty ingredients, we’ve kept things light and budget-friendly, without losing out on taste. Leave everything to bubble away in your slow cooker while you go about your day, and come home to a thick and rich, meaty gravy that’s ready to be mopped up with dumplings…

  • Batch Cook pinchofnom.com
  • Dairy Free pinchofnom.com
  • Everyday Light pinchofnom.com

NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories369
  • Carbs34g
  • Protein34g
  • Fat9.3g
  • Saturates3.7g
  • Sugars13g

The raw ingredients for Pinch of Nom's Mince and Dumplings are laid out on a kitchen counter.

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!

When we want to turn a humble pack of minced beef into a hearty, slimming-friendly family dinner, we know we can always turn to this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe. Plus, it’s easy to make and even easier on your budget!

Simply leave the beef mince, onions and carrots to bubble away together until they create a thick and rich gravy that everyone will be excited to dive into. The good news is we’ve topped our dish with fluffy and filling dumplings to help you soak up every last drop! 

We’ve said goodbye to high-calorie suet by swapping in a handful of simple baking ingredients you’re likely to have at home already. You’ll be left with four puffy, golden dumplings that are just as satisfying as traditional versions! 

If you’d prefer to let this one bubble away on the hob, you can always follow our hob method instead.

What diets is this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe suitable for?

This Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe is suitable for dairy-free diets.

Please make sure to double or triple-check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.

Do you need any special ingredients to make this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe?

You don’t need to buy anything fancy to make this simple, homely recipe.

We love hearing from you, submit any tips or tricks you have for this dish and we’ll review them and add some of them here. Just click here.

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We used a 3.5 litre slow cooker for this recipe.

Worcestershire sauce and Henderson’s relish are both great for boosting savoury flavours.

How many calories are in this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe?

There are 369 calories per portion in this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category. 

To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment!

This Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings is perfect if you’re following a calorie-controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers. 

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.

Step 1

Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook gently for 10 minutes until softening and golden.

Step 1 pinchofnom.com

Step 2

Add the minced beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned on all sides.

Step 2 pinchofnom.com

Step 3

Transfer the beef and vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s relish, tomato puree and mixed herbs. Cover and cook on high for 2½-3 hours until the carrots are tender, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Step 3 pinchofnom.com Step 3 pinchofnom.com

Step 4

Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Season with a little salt and black pepper, then add the egg yolks and mix slightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, rub in the egg yolk until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 4 pinchofnom.com Step 4 pinchofnom.com Step 4 pinchofnom.com

Step 5

Add 3-4 tbsp of cold water, a little at a time, and stir with a round-bladed knife until it comes together to form a dough. You will need a firm dough that’s not too wet, so the amount of water you need will depend on the size of your egg yolks. Shape the dough into four equally-sized dumplings and set aside in the fridge for later.

Step 5 pinchofnom.com Step 5 pinchofnom.com

Step 6

After the mince has been cooking for 2½-3 hours, place the dumplings on top and replace the lid. Cook for a further 40 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up and the mince and gravy is thick and rich. Serve.

Step 6 pinchofnom.com Step 6 pinchofnom.com

A close-up of Pinch of Nom's Mince and Dumplings served in a large, colourful casserole dish topped with puffed-up golden dumplings on a thick and rich bed of minced meat and vegetables.

What could I serve with this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe?

This Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe is great for your midweek menu all on its own, but you can make it even heartier with any of these slimming-friendly side dishes:

Creamy Mashed Potatoes pinchofnom.com
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Marmite Sprouts pinchofnom.com
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How do you know when this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe is cooked?

You’ll need to cook this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe for a few hours until the mince is cooked through, the gravy has thickened and the dumplings are puffed up.

Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe! 

How long can you keep Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings in the fridge?

Once you’ve served this recipe, you’ll ideally need to eat it within 4 hours.

You can store any leftovers of this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure that you allow them to cool before putting them in a container with a lid and chilling in the refrigerator. 

Can I freeze Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings?

YES you can freeze this recipe! If you do, please remember to do the following:

  • Allow it to cool and then freeze as soon as it is cold enough. 
  • Place in a container or bag that is suitable for freezing. 
  • Add a label with the recipe name and the date you added it to the freezer.

How do I reheat Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings?

To reheat this recipe from chilled, place leftovers in a microwave-proof container with a loose-fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.

To reheat from frozen, allow leftovers to defrost thoroughly overnight in the fridge. Once defrosted, add to a covered microwave-proof container and heat for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes if needed, until piping hot.

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Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings

Take the effort out of cooking up a midweek bowl of comfort food with this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe.
  • Prep Time
    15 MINS
  • Cook Time
    3 HR 10
  • KCals 369
  • Carbs 34G

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • 2 large carrots peeled and finely diced
  • 500 g 5% fat minced beef
  • 200 ml rich beef stock pot (1 rich beef stock pot dissolved in 200ml boiling water)
  • 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or Henderson's relish
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • low-calorie cooking spray

For the dumplings

  • 100 g self-raising flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 3-4 tbsp cold water

3.5 litre slow cooker

large frying pan

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

Please do not screenshot this. Recipes are updated often

Instructions

  1. Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook gently for 10 minutes until softening and golden.
  2. Add the minced beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned on all sides.
  3. Transfer the beef and vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce or Henderson's relish, tomato puree and mixed herbs. Cover and cook on high for 2½-3 hours until the carrots are tender, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
  4. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Season with a little salt and black pepper, then add the egg yolks and mix slightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, rub in the egg yolk until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  5. Add 3-4 tbsp of cold water, a little at a time, and stir with a round-bladed knife until it comes together to form a dough. You will need a firm dough that's not too wet, so the amount of water you need will depend on the size of your egg yolks. Shape the dough into four equally-sized dumplings and set aside in the fridge for later.
  6. After the mince has been cooking for 2½-3 hours, place the dumplings on top and replace the lid. Cook for a further 40 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up and the mince and gravy is thick and rich. Serve.

Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?

With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.



We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website

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If you’ve made this Slow Cooker Mince and Dumplings recipe and love it, let us know by sharing a photo and tagging us on Instagram or in our Facebook group!

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2 comments

See what others have to say

Zoe BuftonTuesday 17th September 2024

I made this for the family tonight. My son asked for the recipe to take to Uni and he thought he hated dumplings! It’s totally scrummy – another winner PoN 😁

Reply

    HollyTuesday 24th September 2024

    Hey Zoe, thanks so much for your message we are so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe!

    Reply

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