This Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe is a slow cooker version of a classic comfort food! Tender chicken, loads of veggies, and fluffy homemade dumplings are simmered in a thick and flavorful gravy.
Love dumplings? Try my Easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe or these Drop Dumplings for Soup in this Chicken Dumpling Soup, too!
Table of Contents
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings ingredients and substitutions:
- How to make slow cooker chicken and dumplings
- How long should dumplings cook?
- Why are my chicken and dumplings mushy?
- How to shred chicken
- Can you make chicken and dumplings without a crockpot?
- Serving suggestions
- How to store leftover chicken and dumplings
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
We love comfort foods at our house. Mac and cheese, chicken parmesan, chicken pot pie, and of course this crockpot chicken and dumplings!
I love this recipe because not only is it a hit with the kids, but it’s a complete meal with protein, veggies, and carbs. Plus, it’s made in the crockpot so the prep is quick and easy and the rest is mostly hands-off!
Working with less time? Check out my instant pot chicken and dumplings instead!
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings ingredients and substitutions:
For the chicken stew:
- Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth. If you’re using regular broth you may want to adjust the amount of salt you use.
- Chicken Breasts: use boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs will also work, if preferred.
- Carrot, Onion, and Celery: a “mirepoix” which is a trio of veggies used in cooking to add flavor, color, and texture.
- Potatoes: you can use 2 medium-sized potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 10 baby potatoes, quartered.
- Frozen Peas: add a pop of texture in each bite. You can use thawed peas as well, you will just want to add them right before you add the dumplings instead of adding them with the chicken and other veggies.
- Minced Garlic: adds a kick of nutty flavor.
- Salt, Dried Parsley, Dried Thyme, and Black Pepper: a simple spice blend that gives the gravy an earthy, slightly sweet, herbaceous flavor.
- Cream and Cornstarch: makes up a cornstarch slurry which helps thicken the gravy.
For the dumplings:
- All-Purpose Flour: you can also use whole wheat flour, if preferred.
- Baking Powder: helps the dough rise as it cooks so that the dumplings are light and fluffy.
- Salt and Italian Seasoning: gives the dumplings just the right amount of earthy, sweet, peppery flavor.
- Milk: adds moisture to create that dough-like texture. Any milk will work. You can even use an unsweetened plant-based milk for a dairy-free option!
- Canola Oil: keeps the dough from becoming too sticky and adds flavor depth.
How to make slow cooker chicken and dumplings
- Add carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, peas, garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper to a 3-6 quart crockpot and stir well.
- Place chicken breasts on top and add broth.
- While the chicken mixture is cooking, stir together flour, baking powder, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Add milk and canola oil and stir until combined. The mixture should be thick. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to add it to the slow cooker.
- When the cook time is up, remove the chicken, place on a cutting board, and shred.
- Whisk together the cream and cornstarch and stir that into the slow cooker with the shredded chicken.
- Turn the crockpot to high, and use two tablespoons of the dumpling mixture to form rough dough balls and place them on top of the stew.
- Cover with the lid and cook on high for another 1-2 hours or until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
How long should dumplings cook?
In the slow cooker, the dumplings should take anywhere from 60-90 minutes to cook fully.
I recommend cooking at least one hour, and if your filling hasn’t quite thickened there’s no problem in letting everything cook a little longer.
Why are my chicken and dumplings mushy?
If the dumplings ended up mushy, chances are they’re undercooked. This might have something to do with the temperature they’re cooked at. Be sure that you switch the crockpot from LOW to HIGH after you cook the chicken and veggies and before you add the dumplings.
If the dumplings still aren’t quite done after they’re cooked on high for the full hour, your crockpot may just run a little cooler than some and you can add time as needed.
How to shred chicken
There are a couple of super easy ways to shred chicken:
- With two forks: hold one fork in each hand and use them to pull the chicken apart. Alternatively, use one fork to hold the chicken down and use the other to pull it apart.
- With a mixer: you can use either your stand mixer or hand mixer to easily shred chicken. Simply place the cooked chicken in a bowl and mix on low until shredded.
Can you make chicken and dumplings without a crockpot?
Absolutely! You can either check out my instant pot chicken and dumplings recipe or follow these simple stovetop instructions:
- Combine chicken broth, chicken breasts, carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, peas, garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper in a large stockpot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes.
- While that mixture is simmering, make your dumplings by combining flour, baking powder, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Add in milk and oil, then stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
- When the broth mixture is done simmering, remove and shred the chicken, then stir that back into the pot. Whisk together the cream and corn starch and add that as well.
- Portion the dumpling dough out into balls using 2 tablespoons of dough for each, then add that into the broth. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through.
Serving suggestions
This chicken and dumplings recipe contains protein, veggies, and carbs which I would say is a pretty darn complete meal.
However, if you do want to bulk your meal up a bit, try serving it alongside a simple green salad, dinner rolls, or roasted potatoes and carrots.
How to store leftover chicken and dumplings
Leftovers will last in an airtight container or ziplock baggie in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then microwave or warm on the stove with a splash of cream to thin, if necessary.
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
Chicken Stew
- 3 large carrots, (peeled and chopped)
- 2 ribs celery, (finely chopped)
- 2 medium potatoes, (peeled and cut into ½″ pieces)
- ½ medium onion, (finely chopped)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , (about 1 lb)
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, (130g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
Chicken Stew
- Place the carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, peas, garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and stir well.
- Place the chicken on top and add the broth.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are nearly tender.
Dumplings
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Add the milk and oil and stir until combined. (The batter will be thick.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to add to the slow cooker.
Assembly
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove it to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Taste the stew mixture and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Turn the slow cooker to high.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the half-and-half and cornstarch and stir into the slow cooker.
- Stir shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and top with dumplings, using two tablespoons to form rough balls of dough and dropping them onto the top of the chicken and vegetables.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the dumplings are puffed and cooked through. You can poke them with a toothpick to be sure! Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Amanda roberts says
Dumplings are gross and dense – not a thick broth more liens creamy chicken noodle soup omit the noodles. Not for me thanks
Ashley Fehr says
It sounds like too much flour was added or your baking powder might be out of date.
Savannah says
Delicious! Even my picky kids enjoyed it 🙂 perfect for a cold winter day
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Savannah!
Kristena Mitchell says
Overall this was a pretty flavorful recipe. I was looking for the other style of dumplings and I realize that now, but this is a good version for the drop biscuit style dumplings. I found the liquid to remain too thin for my tastes, so I thickened it with cream cheese as suggested in the comments. This helped some. I would make this again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Kristena!
Bruce Hall says
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for such a nice recipe. I love the fact that it had a nice clean ingredient list with no canned soups. The sauce came out a bit thinner than I would like. Any suggestions for thickening?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Bruce! You can always stir in a bit of a corn starch slurry after cooking if it is not as thick as you like. A bit of cream cheese stirred in would thicken but would add some flavor as well.
Evangeline Lam says
Can I have the brand of the lower sodium chicken broth? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
I use Campbells, but you really can use any low sodium or no salt added variety
Sherry B says
I would like to make this. Would I be able to use gnocci instead of the dumplings?
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely!
Susan says
My family was disappointed to be honest. Did not like the flavor.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that Susan! What didn’t they like about it?
Jessica says
I unfortunately messed up and put the half and half in at the beginning of the recipe is it ruined now? 😕
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jessica! It is likely fine. How did it turn out?
Angela says
Can I double this recipe? Would everything be the same, just doubled ingredients and added time? How much time would this add to both the first round on low and the second round on high? Thanks so much! Making this for my family and to take to the nursing home this evening!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Angela! It can be doubled but you would need a very large slow cooker or maybe two. If using two then it would not add to the cook time. If using one that is very full, you may need to add a bit of time but it’s difficult to say exactly how much because it depends on the type of slow cooker and the size.
Melanie Ellis says
Excellent recipe! I added an extra bag of veggies and chunked up chicken thighs before cooking to hurry up the cooking not realizing that I wanted cheddar drop biscuits on top. It worked really well but adds 2 hours for the biscuits. Very filling and great taste!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Melanie!
Sarah says
Made this today and it was my first time making Chicken and dumplings. It was delicious!! Will definitely make it again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your review Sarah!
Carol says
Hello, I used your recipe for the dumplings. I used all of the ingredients that you mentioned except I added more flour to it as I like to roll out my dumpling dough and make “noodles” . So that is what I did. Recipe came out super fantastic!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Bernadette Dickson says
This was so delicious! Followed it exactly. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Bernadette!
Bernadette Dickson says
Made it for the second time and again so perfect annd comforting Only difference is I use 2% milk instead of half-and-half. This will be my go to recipe from here on out! thank you.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Bernadette!
Liz S. says
Made this tonight using frozen chicken breasts which worked just fine. This was so great in a very cold night! Definitely adding to my winter rotation!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Liz!
Tonya Wohlever says
I decided to make this recipe today after I realized I was sick, not just tired. I’m not a fan of celery or peas so I subbed broccoli and Vidalia onion. I added in sauteed mushrooms right before adding the cornstarch and I thought it was easy and it came out delicious!! I was able to rest and sleep in between steps and then I got to enjoy a wonderful brothy bowl full of flavor that soothed my scratchy throat and throbbing sinuses. My husband loved it also after a long day outside. It is filling and comforting and completely yummy and warm! My dumplings came out perfect… wondering if I could use EVOO instead of canola? This was done after 5 hours on low and two hours on high. Thank you!! I feel like I can cozily sleep all night now. 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Tonya! You can absolutely swap EVOO, it just has a stronger flavor and less Omega 3s and 6s. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Julie says
I have made this recipe many times and my family has greatly enjoyed it! If I were to use chicken that has already been cooked and shredded how would you adjust the cooking instructions on the recipe? Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Julie! If your chicken is already cooked, I would probably cook the vegetables alone and then stir it in before adding the dumplings.