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Easy Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 54 reviews

This easy Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe features tender chicken simmered with aromatic vegetables in a creamy broth, topped with fluffy biscuit dumplings. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal, it uses simple ingredients and a slow cooker for hands-off cooking, delivering classic homestyle flavors with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Stew Base

  • 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), trimmed and cut into large pieces
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (or 2 tbsp cornstarch for gluten-free)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (optional, for browning)

For the Dumplings

  • 2 cups biscuit mix (Bisquick) OR 8 refrigerated biscuit dough pieces OR homemade dumpling batter made from:
    • 1½ cups flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp cold butter
    • ¾ cup milk

Finishing

  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • Chopped parsley or chives for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Optional Browning: Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and quickly brown chicken on each side for 1–2 minutes. This step adds flavor but can be skipped; the slow cooker will still tenderize the meat.
  2. Build the Base in Slow Cooker: Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and the browned (or raw) chicken into the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth, flour (or cornstarch slurry), and thyme. Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir gently to combine.
  3. Slow Cook: Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours until the chicken is tender and vegetables are soft. For shredded chicken, remove the chicken pieces, shred with two forks, and return to the pot.
  4. Add Cream and Dumplings: Stir in heavy cream or half-and-half. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit mix or homemade dumpling batter evenly over the stew surface. Cover and cook on LOW for an additional 30–45 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.
  5. Finish and Serve: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives and serve hot, spooning extra broth over the dumplings.

Notes

  • Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for juicier meat; breasts will work but may be drier.
  • For gluten-free, use gluten-free baking mix for dumplings and cornstarch as thickener.
  • Do not stir the dumplings after adding to avoid deflating them; let them steam undisturbed.
  • If the broth is too thin after cooking, thicken by whisking cornstarch in a small amount of liquid and stirring it back into the pot, cooking for 10 more minutes.
  • For extra flavor, add fresh herbs like parsley or a splash of lemon juice just before serving.
  • Leftovers keep up to 3 days refrigerated; reheat gently with added broth to maintain moisture.
  • Freeze stew base without dumplings for best texture on thawing; add fresh dumplings when reheating.

Keywords: chicken and dumplings, crockpot chicken, slow cooker chicken stew, easy comfort food, chicken stew with dumplings

Find it online: https://dinewithlily.com/easy-crockpot-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/