Hearty Beef Cobbler

5 from 3 votes

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My Beef Cobbler is simply the ultimate comfort food! This rich and hearty beef stew topped with flaky cheese scones is perfect for cold wintry days.

A blue Dutch oven filled with hearty beef cobbler, topped with golden, flaky biscuits, sits on a wooden table next to a green striped towel. A silver spoon rests inside the pot.

What’s a Beef Cobbler then?

If you are more familiar with sweet cobbler recipes, you are not alone! A beef cobbler is simply a savory version – a beef stew topped with scones (a.k.a biscuits if you are across the pond). 

The scones are added on top of the stew towards the end of the cooking time so that they rise in the oven. The uneven topping resembles cobblestones giving this dish its whimsical name.

Serving the tender beef and rich gravy with the flaky scones definitely elevates this hearty rustic recipe!

Why I love this recipe!

  • A great way to switch up your beef stew!
  • Easy to make in the oven or the slow cooker
  • Sure to be a crowd pleaser 
Close-up of a fork holding a piece of tender beef stew with carrots, next to a flaky biscuit, all served in a dark bowl—an inviting take on classic beef cobbler.

Grocery List

You will need a large lidded pot (Dutch Oven) for this recipe or you can use a slow cooker. The beef stew ingredients can be adjusted to suit whatever is in season or in your fridge!

Stew Ingredients

  • The Beef: choose cheaper cuts that benefit from long cooking time such as braising steak, stewing beef, chuck steak, shin or brisket.
  • The vegetables: I used onions, mushrooms and carrots but you can use any vegetables you like. I have made this stew with potatoes, parsnips, squash, leeks and so on. 
  • And the rest: olive oil, butter, flour, garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper, brown sugar, Worcester sauce, beef stock (or broth) and red wine.

Biscuit (aka Scone) Ingredients

These easy biscuits (or scones for UK readers) use self-rising flour and Greek yogurt as the base. The remaining ingredients are butter, milk, Worcester sauce, grated Cheddar cheese, salt and mixed herbs. If self-raising (self-rising) flour is unavailable, you can use all-purpose flour with added baking powder.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF COBBLER

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

Prepare the Beef Stew

  1. Cut the beef into bite sized chunks and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep pot (Dutch Oven) and sear the beef over high heat, in batches, until nicely browned. Set aside.
Chunks of raw beef for a hearty beef cobbler are being seared in melted butter inside a round, white pot with blue handles, set on an electric stovetop.
  1. Stir in the butter and flour and gradually add the wine. Lower the heat and add the onions, mushrooms and carrots, cooking for about five minutes, stirring.
  2. Add the salt, pepper, brown sugar, tomato paste, minced garlic and bay leaf. Pour in the stock (broth) and Worcester sauce. Bring to a simmer then add the browned beef. Cover the pot and transfer to a preheated oven. Cook for 90 minutes.
Two images of a blue pot on a stove: the left shows chopped vegetables and mushrooms with liquid being poured in; the right shows large chunks of beef added to the simmering stew for a hearty beef cobbler.

Make the biscuits (scones)

  1. Prepare about an hour into the stew bubbling away in the oven. Combine the flour, salt, butter and grated cheese in a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the butter into the flour.
Side-by-side images: left shows a hand pouring liquid from a measuring cup into a bowl of flour mixture for beef cobbler; right shows hands kneading dough on a silicone mat.
  1. Stir in the yogurt, Worcester sauce, herbs and a little milk to create a sticky dough. Add just enough milk until the mixture comes together but is on the drier side.
  2. Tip onto a lightly floured worktop. Gather the dough with your hands and press into a rectangle about an inch high (you can very briefly knead it but don’t overwork it). 
  3. Use a round cutter to cut out 8 biscuits (or up to 10), patting any leftover scraps of dough down to cut more scones. Leave for 10 minutes or so before adding to the stew.
Split image: Left side shows dough being cut into circles with a round cutter on a floured surface. Right side shows the cut dough circles topping a beef cobbler casserole with a dark filling in a blue dish, ready to bake.
  1. Place the biscuits over the stew, spaced slightly apart. Brush with a little milk. Increase the oven temperature and cook the cobbler, with the lid off, for a further 35-40 minutes or until risen and golden.
  2. Discard the bay leaf and check the seasoning. Serve the beef stew with the scones and some steamed greens or over mashed potatoes.
A bowl of beef cobbler with vegetables, topped with a golden biscuit, sits next to a green napkin with a fork. In the background, a blue pot and a glass of red wine rest on a rustic wooden surface.

Making Beef Cobbler in a Slow Cooker

Brown the beef then add together with remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 7 hours or on high setting for 4 hours. Add the scones and cook on the high setting for an additional hour or until they are cooked through. 

Recipe Tips

  • Brown the beef in batches so it can sear rather than stew. Add the beef cubes in the pot once the oil is very hot and allow them to brown properly.
  • If you are using all-purpose flour for the biscuits then sift the flour and four teaspoons of baking powder into the mixing bowl before adding any of the other ingredients.
  • The scones need a light touch. Avoid overworking the dough, just pat it together until it forms a ball. 
  • Freezing and storage: Leftovers will keep very well in the fridge for 3 days. The stew can also be frozen for up to three months without the scones.
A person holds a round blue baking dish filled with golden-brown biscuits atop a savory beef cobbler. The dish rests on a green cloth beside two vintage serving utensils on a rustic wooden table.

HAVE YOU MADE MY BEEF COBBLER RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!

5 from 3 votes

Hearty Beef Cobbler

My Beef Cobbler is simply the ultimate comfort food! This rich and hearty beef stew topped with flaky scones is perfect for cold wintry days.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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Video

Equipment

Ingredients

Beef stew

  • 2 lbs (950g) beef, cubed (chuck steak, braising steak, shin or brisket)
  • salt and pepper , a few turns of the mill
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ tbsp flour all-purpose / plain
  • ½ cup (120 ml) red wine or beef stock /broth
  • 2 red onions , sliced
  • 7 oz (200g) mushrooms , sliced
  • 3 carrots , diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 cups (480ml) beef stock using a stock cube or canned broth
  • 2 tbsp Worcester sauce
  • 1 bay leaf

For the Biscuits

  • 1 ¾ cups (250g) self-rising flour (or see notes)
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup (55g) butter , cubed
  • ½ cup (60g) cheddar cheese , grated
  • ¾ cup (150g) Greek yogurt
  • milk , as needed

Instructions 

Prepare the beef stew

  • Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Cut the beef into bite sized chunks and season liberally with salt and pepper.
    2 lbs (950g) beef, cubed, salt and pepper
  • Heat the oil in a deep pot (Dutch Oven) and sear the beef cubes over high heat, in batches, until nicely browned. Set aside.
    2 tbsp olive oil
    Chunks of raw beef for a hearty beef cobbler are being seared in melted butter inside a round, white pot with blue handles, set on an electric stovetop.
  • Stir in the butter and flour and gradually add the wine, scraping any browned bits with the spoon. Lower the heat and add the onions, mushrooms and carrots, cooking for about five minutes, stirring.
    1 tbsp butter, ½ tbsp flour, ½ cup (120 ml) red wine, 2 red onions, 7 oz (200g) mushrooms, 3 carrots
    A blue-handled pot on a black electric burner contains chopped mushrooms and sliced red onions being cooked together, the perfect base for a hearty beef cobbler.
  • Add the salt, pepper, brown sugar, tomato paste, minced garlic and bay leaf.
    2 tbsp tomato puree , 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp brown sugar
    A hand holds a small bowl with tomato paste and minced garlic over a pot of chopped carrots, mushrooms, and onions simmering on the stovetop as the base for a hearty beef cobbler.
  • Pour in the stock (broth) and Worcester sauce. Bring to a simmer then add the browned beef. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 90 minutes.
    2 cups (480ml) beef stock, 2 tbsp Worcester sauce, 1 bay leaf
    Two images of a blue pot on a stove: the left shows chopped vegetables and mushrooms with liquid being poured in; the right shows large chunks of beef added to the simmering stew for a hearty beef cobbler.

Make the biscuits

  • Prepare the biscuits about an hour into the stew bubbling away in the oven. Combine the flour, salt, butter and grated cheese in a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the butter into the flour.
    1 ¾ cups (250g) self-rising flour, 1 tsp mixed herbs, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup (55g) butter, ½ cup (60g) cheddar cheese
  • Stir in the yogurt, Worcester sauce, herbs and a little milk to create a sticky dough. Add just enough milk until the mixture comes together but is on the drier side.
    ¾ cup (150g) Greek yogurt, milk
  • Tip onto a lightly floured worktop. Gather the dough with your hands and press into a rectangle about an inch high (you can very briefly knead it but don’t overwork it).
    Split image: Left—liquid being poured from a metal cup into a bowl of flour mixture. Right—two hands kneading dough on a lightly floured surface. Both images show essential steps for preparing dough for beef cobbler.
  • Use a round cutter to cut out 8 disks (or up to 10), patting any leftover scraps of dough down to cut more scones. Leave the scones for 10-15 minutes or so before adding to the stew.

Assemble the beef cobbler

  • Take the stew out of the oven using pot holders. Check there’s enough liquid, adding a little hot water if the pot is looking a bit dry. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
    Split image: Left side shows dough being cut into circles with a round cutter on a floured surface. Right side shows the cut dough circles topping a beef cobbler casserole with a dark filling in a blue dish, ready to bake.
  • Place the biscuits over the stew, spaced slightly apart. Brush with a little milk. Increase the oven temperature and cook the cobbler, with the lid off, for a further 35-40 minutes or until risen and golden.
  • Discard the bay leaf and check the seasoning. Serve the beef stew with the scones and some steamed greens or over mashed potatoes.

Notes

  • If you are using all-purpose flour for the biscuits then sift the flour and four teaspoons of baking powder into the mixing bowl before adding any of the other ingredients.
  • The scones need a light touch. Avoid overworking the dough, just pat it together until it forms a ball.
Making Beef Cobbler in a Slow Cooker
Brown the beef then add together with remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 7 hours or on high setting for 4 hours.
Add the scones and cook on the high setting for an additional hour or until they are cooked through.
Freezing and storage
Leftovers will keep very well in the fridge for 3 days. The stew can also be frozen for up to three months without the scones.

Nutrition

Calories: 1163kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 81g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 29822mg | Potassium: 1880mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 8313IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 307mg | Iron: 9mg

Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.

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5 from 3 votes

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5 Comments

  1. David says:

    Love cobbler tecipe

  2. Carol Evans says:

    5 stars
    Delicious Dish. So So easy to prepare and cook. A great success in the slow cooker

    Thankyou

  3. Michelle Turner says:

    5 stars
    brilliant recipe, easy to follow and the end result was amazing

  4. Wendy says:

    5 stars
    Very tasty indeed

    1. Lucy Parissi says:

      thanks Wendy, so glad you enjoyed it:P