Description
A comforting and hearty Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings recipe featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs, fresh vegetables, and fluffy homemade dumplings cooked to perfection in a creamy broth. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal that delivers warmth and satisfying flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (or stock)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Finishing Soup
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Prepare the Soup Base: Place the chicken breasts or thighs at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add chopped onion, sliced carrots and celery, minced garlic, chicken broth, frozen peas, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine all ingredients and cover with the lid.
- Cook the Soup: Cook the mixture on low heat for 6-7 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir everything together to combine evenly.
- Make the Dumplings: In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley if using. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: milk, melted butter, and egg. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined into a thick dough.
- Add the Dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough over the chicken and soup mixture in the slow cooker. Space the dumplings out slightly as they will expand while cooking. Cover and cook on high for an additional 1 to 1.5 hours without lifting the lid to allow dumplings to cook through.
- Finish the Soup: Once the dumplings are fully cooked and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to enrich the soup. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve: Ladle the hot chicken and dumplings into bowls. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness. Enjoy your comforting bowl of Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings.
Notes
- Do not lift the lid while cooking dumplings to ensure even cooking and proper rising.
- You can use either chicken breasts or thighs depending on your preference for texture and flavor.
- Heavy cream makes the soup richer, but half-and-half can be used for a lighter version.
- For extra flavor, fresh herbs can be added just before serving.
- Leftovers reheat well and thicken over time; add extra broth or milk when reheating if needed.
