Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Two forks (for shredding)
- Medium mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or fingertips
- Tablespoon or small cookie scoop
- Ladle
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6 thighs
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz each, undiluted
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whole milk stirred in at the end
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots no need to thaw
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
For the Drop Biscuit Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 2/3 cup cold whole milk
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, optional garnish
Instructions
Build the Slow Cooker Base
- Place the chicken thighs in an even layer in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the diced onion, sliced celery, and minced garlic on top of the chicken.
- Spoon both cans of condensed cream of chicken soup directly into the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over everything. Add the frozen peas and carrots, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir gently to combine the liquids without moving the chicken too much.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the chicken is completely tender and easy to shred.
Shred the Chicken
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker — it should fall apart effortlessly. Stir the shredded chicken into the broth.
- Stir in the 1/2 cup of whole milk. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH if it isn't already.
Make the Drop Biscuit Dumplings
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- Add the cold cubed butter. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
- Pour in the cold milk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Do not overmix — a few lumps are fine and will result in more tender dumplings.
Cook the Dumplings
- Make sure the broth is actively bubbling (if not, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and wait 10 minutes). Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop rounded spoonfuls of dumpling batter directly onto the surface of the soup, spacing them slightly apart. You should get approximately 12–14 dumplings.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 40–45 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time — the trapped steam is what cooks the dumplings through. They are done when they look puffed and matte on top (no longer wet and shiny).
- Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving gets 2–3 dumplings. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: The soup base stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Dumplings are best made fresh — they become dense when reheated. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat, then drop in a fresh batch of dumpling batter. Make-Ahead Tip: Prep and refrigerate the dry dumpling mixture (flour + butter rubbed in) up to 24 hours ahead — just add the milk right before cooking. Chicken Breasts: Can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts; reduce cook time to 5–6 hours on LOW to prevent drying out. Thicker Broth: Whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water and stir into the broth 30 minutes before adding dumplings.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 32gFat: 16gSodium: 920mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g