Crockpot Comfort Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fluffy Dumplings

Crockpot Chicken Dumplings

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Preparation time:25 Mins

Cooking time:04 Hrs

Servings:6 servings

Ingredients:

• lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• cups low sodium chicken broth
• large yellow onion, chopped
• medium carrots, peeled and diced
• celery stalks, diced
• tsp dried thyme
• /2 tsp dried rosemary
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Tbsp unsalted butter
• Tbsp all-purpose flour (or GF blend)
• cup milk or half-and-half
• Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• cups all-purpose flour (or 1-to-1 GF blend)
• tsp baking powder
• /2 tsp salt (for dumplings)
• /4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (for dumplings)
• /4 cup milk (for dumplings)

Instructions:

• Place chicken breasts/thighs in the slow cooker insert. Add onion, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper over the top. Pour in the chicken broth.
• Cover and cook on Low for 7-8 hours or High for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds easily.
• Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks or a mixer. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt the 4 Tbsp of butter. Whisk in the 4 Tbsp of flour and cook for 1 minute to create a blonde roux. Slowly whisk in the 1 cup of milk until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
• Pour the thickened milk mixture and the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker. Stir gently. Leave the cooker on the High setting to bring back to a simmer.
• Prepare Dumpling Dough: Whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Cut in the 1/4 cup of cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 3/4 cup of milk until just combined into a shaggy dough. Do not overmix.
• Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough directly onto the surface of the simmering stew in the slow cooker, leaving space between each one for expansion.
• Cover the slow cooker tightly. Cook on High for 20-25 minutes without lifting the lid to ensure the steam cooks the dumplings through and makes them fluffy.
• Check one dumpling for doneness (it should not be raw inside). Gently stir the stew, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Calories:714 kcal

Protein:21.3 g

Fat:37.3 g

Carbs:81.0 g

Fiber:43.0 g

Sugar:0.0 g

Sodium:219 mg

Recipe Info

Category:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Unveiling the Ultimate Lazy-Day Comfort Food: Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

There are some dishes that just scream "home," and Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings sits right at the very top of that list. It evokes memories of family gatherings, snow days, and the deep, soul-satisfying warmth that only slow-cooked food can provide. Traditionally, achieving that tender, falling-apart chicken suspended in a rich, herby broth requires hours of patient hovering over a stovetop, often involving making a tricky roux for the gravy. However, with the advent of modern kitchen wizardry, we can now capture all that magnificent flavour with minimal hands-on time. This Crock Pot Easy Chicken And Dumplings recipe ensures you get that authentic, hearty taste of Grandma’s kitchen, all while keeping your evenings gloriously stress-free.

Why Slow Cooking Reinvents This Classic Dish

The beauty of turning this beloved classic into a slow cooker staple is how it fundamentally changes the cooking process for the better. It shifts the entire experience from active cooking to passive magic, yielding superior results in tenderness and flavour infusion.

The Low-Effort Secret to Deep, Savory Flavor

When ingredients—especially chicken thighs, which we highly recommend for their richness—are left to simmer gently for several hours in a seasoned broth, their flavour compounds have ample time to merge with the vegetables and herbs. This prolonged, low-temperature cooking extracts maximum depth from the chicken and aromatics, creating a broth that is naturally more concentrated and savory than a quick stovetop version. This foundational richness is what sets this Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings apart.

Goodbye, Stovetop Stress: Embracing Hands-Off Cooking

The traditional method often demands constant monitoring to prevent scorching or the sauce from breaking. The slow cooker eliminates this entirely. You toss in your raw chicken, the chopped onion, carrots, celery, thyme, and rosemary, cover it with broth, and walk away. This hands-off approach makes preparing this meal incredibly simple, truly earning its place as one of the Big Easy Meals Families Dinners options when weeknights get hectic.

A True 'Proper Job' Meal for Chilly Evenings

When the weather turns crisp, there is nothing more appropriate than a bowl of deeply comforting stew topped with fluffy, steaming pillows of dough. This specific Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe is designed to be a substantial, one-pot wonder. It ticks every box: tender protein, soft vegetables, rich sauce, and starchy goodness, ensuring everyone leaves the table feeling completely satisfied after enjoying this Homemade Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings .

Gathering Your Components for Superior Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

To achieve the Best Crockpot Chicken And Dumplings , the quality of your core components matters. We are aiming for layers of flavour right from the start. For the protein, 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken—thighs preferred for their higher fat content which keeps them moist—will yield enough shredded meat for six generous servings.

The aromatic base relies on the classic trio: one large yellow onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks, all diced evenly to ensure they soften uniformly during the long cook time. The seasoning backbone is simple but effective: 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and half a teaspoon of dried rosemary, along with salt and pepper to taste. These herbs bloom beautifully in the slow cooker environment.

The Starches: Building Blocks for Incredible Dumplings

While the stew base is important, the star of the show is arguably the dumplings themselves. For the dough, we rely on 2 cups of all-purpose flour (or a quality 1-to-1 gluten-free blend if adapting), leavened with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, which is critical for achieving lift. We cut in a quarter cup of cold, cubed unsalted butter—the colder the butter, the fluffier the final result. Finally, milk, about three-quarters of a cup, binds it all together into a soft, shaggy dough.

Building the Flavor Base: Chicken, Broth, and Seasonings

The broth is our flavour vehicle. Four cups of low-sodium chicken broth provide the necessary liquid to cook the chicken and vegetables while offering a clean canvas for the herbs to shine. We’ll use the chicken breasts or thighs directly in this liquid for the initial slow cook.

Achieving Creaminess Without the Fuss

Unlike Traditional Southern Chicken And Dumplings which might use a heavy cream reduction, we are opting for a slightly easier path to creaminess. After the chicken is cooked and shredded, we incorporate a mixture made from 4 tablespoons of butter, 4 tablespoons of flour (creating a quick blonde roux), whisked slowly with 1 cup of milk or half-and-half. This thickener is stirred into the broth just before the dumplings go in, transforming the thin broth into a rich, velvety gravy perfectly suited for our Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits (using this dough style).

Checking Your Pantry: Essential Tools for Success

This recipe is remarkably straightforward, requiring only your trusty 6-quart or larger slow cooker. You will also need a standard mixing bowl for the dumpling dough and a couple of forks for shredding the cooked chicken. Having measuring tools readily available ensures the precise ratio of flour to liquid in the dumplings, which is key to their texture.

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Assembling Your Slow Cooker Masterpiece

The initial assembly is incredibly quick. Place your raw chicken pieces into the insert of your slow cooker. Distribute the chopped onion, carrots, and celery over and around the chicken. Sprinkle the dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper evenly over everything. Finally, pour the four cups of chicken broth over the contents. Set the lid on tightly and allow the magic to happen, cooking on Low for 7 to 8 hours or High for 4 to 5 hours .

The Grand Finale: Dropping and Cooking the Dumplings

The last hour of cooking is where this simple preparation transforms into a spectacular comfort meal. Once the chicken is fork-tender, it’s time to transition the stew into its final, glorious state.

Phase One: Loading the Slow Cooker Ingredients

Before proceeding, remove the cooked chicken pieces from the slow cooker and set them aside on a cutting board to cool slightly. The vegetables should now be soft and the broth richly flavoured.

Shredding the Tender Chicken Mid-Cook

Using two forks, or even a stand mixer on a very low setting, easily shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized strips. This tender meat is then returned directly to the slow cooker, coating it in the flavourful broth. At this point, whisk together the melted butter, flour, and milk on the stovetop or in the microwave until it forms a smooth, slightly thickened sauce, and stir this creamy component into the slow cooker mixture. Ensure the stew is back on the High setting and simmering gently before moving to the dumplings.

Mixing the Lightest, Fluffiest Dumpling Dough

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. This dry mixture needs the cold butter cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs—this step prevents the dumplings from becoming tough. Then, gently pour in the milk and stir just until the ingredients are barely combined into a shaggy, sticky dough. Overmixing develops the gluten, which we want to avoid if we are seeking that cloud-like texture characteristic of Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits dough style.

The Crucial Final 30 Minutes: Steam-Cooking to Perfection

With the stew bubbling gently on High, use two spoons to carefully drop rounded tablespoons of the dough directly onto the surface of the simmering stew. Do not submerge them completely; they need to sit on top to steam properly. Once all the dough is placed—leaving a small space between each mound—secure the lid firmly. Now, this is vital: Do not lift the lid for a full 20 to 25 minutes. This trapped steam is what cooks the dumplings through and makes them perfectly light. After 25 minutes, check one; if it’s cooked through with no raw dough, it’s ready to be gently stirred into the creamy stew.

Elevating Your Leftovers and Troubleshooting Common Issues

Leftover Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings is a treasure, but it requires gentle reheating. The stew will thicken considerably as it cools due to the starch from the dumplings. When reheating on the stove or in the microwave, add an extra splash of broth or milk to loosen it back to a desirable consistency.

If your dumplings ended up dense or gummy, it almost always points to two things: either the butter wasn't cold enough, or the lid was lifted too early, allowing the steam to escape mid-cook. Next time, ensure your butter is chilled and adhere strictly to the 20-minute no-peek rule!

Customizing Your Comfort Bowl

While the base recipe is divine as is, it offers fantastic flexibility for dietary adjustments and flavour enhancement.

The Gluten-Free Switch: Adapting the Dumplings

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable. For those avoiding gluten, the substitution is simple: use a high-quality 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (one that already contains xanthan gum) in place of the standard flour for the dumpling dough. The technique remains identical, though you might find the dough slightly more delicate to handle.

Storage Solutions for Next-Day Goodness

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. For freezing, it’s best to freeze the chicken stew base without the dumplings, as the texture of the steamed dough doesn't hold up well after thawing. Freeze the stew flat in freezer bags, then prepare a fresh batch of dumplings when you reheat the base.

Boosting the Herbaceous Notes: Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

While we use dried thyme and rosemary for the initial slow cook because their flavour persists, consider garnishing the final product with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley. The bright, fresh notes of the parsley scattered over the rich stew add a beautiful counterpoint, elevating the entire experience of this Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings . Serve immediately with a side of bright greens for a perfect, balanced meal.