Experience classic comfort food with this hassle-free slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe.
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this easy and delicious crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe, where tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and fluffy dumplings simmer together in a rich, creamy broth.
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The warm, comforting aroma of chicken and dumplings wafting through the kitchen, promising a delicious meal is one of my favorite smells.
That state of pure contentment is exactly what you get with a hearty bowl of slow cooker chicken and dumplings.
If you’ve been here before, you know I love chicken and dumplings and have made several of the best variations chicken and dumplings.
In my opinion, it’s the epitome of comfort food.
And making crock pot chicken and dumplings takes the ease and convenience to a whole new level.
Plus, you can turn it into a complete meal with these side dishes for chicken and dumplings!
The rich broth, tender chicken, vibrant vegetables, and soft texture of the delicious dumplings create a symphony of flavors and textures that will make your taste buds dance with joy.
I’ve made my favorite copycat Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings on the stove top too many times to count!
For a pressure cooker version, I created this recipe for Instant Pot chicken and dumplings.
So of course I knew I needed to have a slow cooker version, which is how this Crock Pot chicken and dumplings recipe was born.
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings Magic
Old-fashioned chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker is a dish that has stood the test of time.
It combines tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and homemade dumplings in a rich, creamy broth that warms the soul.
Traditionally, this dish was made on the stove top, but using a Crockpot allows for more of a hands-off cooking experience.
This means it’s perfect for busy individuals or those who simply prefer an easier approach to cooking.
The beauty of using a Crockpot to make chicken and dumplings lies in its simplicity.
By allowing the ingredients to simmer and meld together over a longer period of time, the flavors intensify, creating a deeply satisfying dish.
Plus, the slow and gentle cooking method ensures that the chicken becomes tender and juicy, while the dumpling dough soaks up all the deliciousness of the broth.
It’s an easy slow cooker chicken recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
More Chicken and Dumplings Recipes:
- Chicken and Dumplings with Tortillas
- Old-Fashioned Southern Chicken and Dumplings
- Oven Baked Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings with Grands Biscuit Dough
- Easy Chicken and Bisquick Dumplings
- Chicken and Dumplings Soup
- Easy Chicken and Frozen Dumplings
- Chicken and Biscuit Dumplings
- Chicken and Dumplings with Noodles
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
This is an easy recipe for making everyone’s favorite classic comfort food in your Crock Pot!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Broth
- Celery
- Onion
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Salt and Black pepper
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Cook the chicken. First you’ll add the raw chicken breasts, broth, celery, and onion to the slow cooker.
Close lid and cook on low for about 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
Shred the chicken. Next, once chicken is cooked through, you’ll remove celery pieces and onion and discard.
Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board or plate and place the lid back on the slow cooker to conserve heat.
Shred the chicken and return to the broth, closing the lid again.
Prepare the dumplings. Then, you’ll prepare dumplings by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Add milk to the flour mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough very thin, about 1/4-inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips or squares about 1 to 2 inches in size.
Cook the dumplings. Then, you’ll remove lid and stir dumplings into the hot broth, then replace lid.
Continue cooking, covered, for about 15 minutes, then give the dumplings a gentle stir (some of the dumplings will fall apart while cooking, which helps to thicken the broth to a gravy-like consistency).
Replace the lid and cook for another 15 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through.
Then season with salt and pepper to taste and stir.
Notes and Adaptations:
- You may be surprised how much flavor is in the broth, just from simmering with the onion and celery. However, you can certainly add more seasonings if you’d like, such as poultry seasoning, onion powder, ground thyme, or garlic powder.
- If your dumplings are thicker, they will likely take longer to cook. Test them at the end of each 15 minute interval and see if you need to cook them longer or not.
- If using frozen chicken breasts, you’ll likely need to cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Be sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- If you’d like to add frozen or raw vegetables, I’d recommend adding them in the beginning and allowing them to cook with the chicken.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. The broth does thicken over time, so when reheating, you may need to add a bit of water or broth to thin it out a bit.
Recommended Equipment:
- Slow cooker
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter (for cutting dumplings)
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
These homestyle chicken and dumplings cook in your slow cooker, making for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 ribs celery, each broken in half
- 1/2 medium onion (keep it as a chunk of onion)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup + 2 TBSP milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts, broth, celery, and onion to the slow cooker. Close lid and cook on low for about 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
- Once chicken is cooked through, remove celery pieces and onion and discard. Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board or plate and place the lid back on the slow cooker to conserve heat. Shred the chicken and return to the broth, closing the lid again.
- Prepare dumplings by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add milk to the flour mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough very thin, about 1/4-inch thick.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips or squares about 1 to 2 inches in size.
- Remove lid and stir dumplings into the broth, then replace lid.
- Continue cooking, covered, for about 15 minutes, then give the dumplings a gentle stir (some of the dumplings will fall apart while cooking, which helps to thicken the broth to a gravy-like consistency). Replace the lid and cook for another 15 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir, then serve warm.
Notes
- If your dumplings are thicker, they will likely take longer to cook. Test them a the end of each 15 minute interval and see if you need to cook them longer or not.
- If using frozen chicken breasts, you'll likely need to cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Be sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- If you'd like to add frozen or raw vegetables, I'd recommend adding them in the beginning and allowing them to cook with the chicken.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. The broth does thicken over time, so when reheating, you may need to add a bit of water or broth to thin it out a bit.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1773mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 32g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Be sure to save this recipe to your easy dinners board on Pinterest!
Thank you for posting this. I have made dumpling for several years, learned from my mother-in-law. I need your opinion. I am going to my sons house for thanksgiving, I travel about 2 hours. I want to make these and take in crockpot with the dumpling contents, so I don’t get in their way while doing their cooking. We usually eat about mid-afternoon. My kids always ask for these and I don’t want to disappoint. How do you think I do this? Really like your opinion, and I would practice ahead of time.
Hi Cheryl! That’s a great question. I think you could probably cook everything the day-of, prior to leaving your house. I would probably add a little extra broth before traveling, as the liquid tends to thicken as it cools, and maybe wrap the crock pot in a towel to help it keep its warmth while driving. Then once you get to their house, plug in the slow cooker and keep it on the lowest setting just to keep everything warm. You may need to add a splash of broth here and there to keep them from thickening too much while you wait to eat, so maybe bring some extra broth with you. Alternatively, you could try cooking the chicken and broth in your slow cooker prior to leaving. I think you could roll out the dumplings and cut them, then put them in a large ziploc bag with a good dusting of flour so they don’t stick together, then add them to the broth to cook once you’ve arrived at your son’s house. I haven’t tried that myself, but it might work? Definitely give it a trial run first, though. Either way, I hope your family loves them! 🙂
Thank you . I will try both methods..
Please let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Do you think it would be ok to just make the dumplings ahead of time? Like the night before? And then cook them the next day w the soup? TIA!
Hi Jessica! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it should work fine! You may need to dust the dumplings with a bit of flour to keep them from sticking together in the fridge. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it works out! 🙂