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Smoky beef & black bean stew with cornbread dumplings

Smoky beef & black bean stew with cornbread dumplings in a baking dish

Smoky beef & black bean stew with cornbread dumplings

Name: Smoky beef & black bean stew with cornbread dumplings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h 30 min
Total time: 6 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500g braising beef diced; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp chipotle paste; 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 red onion finely chopped; 2 peppers roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 2 tbsp tomato purée; pinch of sugar; 500ml beef stock; 2 x 400g cans black beans drained and rinsed; handful of coriander chopped, to serve; 75g instant/quick cook cornmeal (polenta); 75g self-raising flour; ½ tbsp sugar; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 egg; 175ml buttermilk; 50g butter melted

Alice Shields

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 2 hrs and 30 mins - 5 hrs and 30 mins

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.8 ratingsRate

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Use a slow cooker to make this beef and bean stew – the cornbread dumplings make it an extra comforting dinner. Add in extra chipotle paste if you're a fan of spice

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

500g braising beef

diced
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp chipotle paste
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 red onion

finely chopped
2 peppers

roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves

crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
pinch of sugar
500ml beef stock
2 x 400g cans black beans

drained and rinsed
handful of coriander

chopped, to serve

For the dumplings

75g instant/quick cook cornmeal (polenta)
75g self-raising flour
½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
175ml buttermilk
50g butter

melted

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal642
fat24g
saturates11g
carbs55g
sugars13g
fibre14g
protein44g
salt2.06g

Method

step 1

Pat the beef dry and toss in the flour and plenty of seasoning until well coated. Add to the bowl of your slow cooker, or a casserole dish along with the chipotle paste, paprika, red onion, peppers, garlic, tomato purée, sugar and beef stock. If cooking in the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 5 hrs, or until the beef is tender. If making in the oven, cover and cook at 170C/150C fan/gas 3 for 2 hrs, topping up with extra stock or water, if needed.
step 2

To make the dumplings, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, bicarb and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. In a jug whisk together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter until combined. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
step 3

Stir the black beans into the stew along with a large pinch of salt. Spoon the dumpling mixture on top of the stew in 5-6 large dollops (they’ll spread, but don’t worry). Return to the oven uncovered or recover the slow cooker and cook for 30 mins, until the dumplings have puffed up.
step 4

Divide the stew between four bowls and sprinkle over some coriander to serve.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2026

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A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.8 ratings

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