Description
A slow-cooker chicken and dumplings recipe that yields tender, falling-apart chicken and fluffy, pillowy dumplings in a creamy, savory broth. Perfect for busy weeknights and ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2–3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- Optional: 1 cup diced celery, 8oz sliced mushrooms, or corn
Instructions
- Prep the chicken and vegetables: Cut raw chicken into large chunks. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add chicken, onion, garlic, celery (if using), dried herbs, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Pour in chicken broth and stir gently.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or on High for 2-3 hours, until chicken is cooked through and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Add cream and vegetables: Stir in heavy cream (or half-and-half) and frozen peas and carrots. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour until vegetables are tender and cream is heated through.
- Make the dumpling dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Make a well and pour in milk. Stir gently with a fork until just combined; do not overmix. The dough should be sticky and shaggy.
- Drop the dumplings: Using a spoon or scoop, drop dollops of dough onto the simmering stew. Do not stir. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.
- Serve: Ladle stew and dumplings into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread or rolls.
Notes
Do not overmix the dumpling dough to ensure they remain fluffy. Keep the lid on while dumplings cook to trap steam. For a thicker stew, add a cornstarch slurry. This recipe does not freeze well due to the dumplings and cream sauce; freeze the chicken base separately if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with dumpling
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
Keywords: crockpot chicken and dumplings, slow cooker recipe, comfort food, easy dinner, chicken stew, dumplings, family friendly, meal prep