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Best Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

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This slow cooker chicken and dumplings is the kind of recipe that becomes a family legend. It’s warm, filling, and made with love—even if that love mostly involves dumping things into a slow cooker and walking away.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts—thighs are more forgiving and stay juicier in the slow cooker)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I prefer Swanson or Kitchen Basics for a clean flavor)
  • 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup (this is the secret to that rich, creamy broth without having to make a roux)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced (about ½ cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste—broth brands vary in saltiness)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled—don’t scoop directly from the bag or you’ll pack it too tight)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (this is key for flaky dumplings)
  • ¾ cup whole milk (or 2%—avoid skim, the dumplings need the fat for tenderness)

Instructions

  1. Layer the slow cooker base. Place the diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery in the bottom of your slow cooker. This creates a little bed for the chicken and helps the vegetables soften without getting mushy. Add the minced garlic on top.
  2. Season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels (this helps them brown better later, if you choose to sear them). Season both sides with salt, pepper, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
  3. Make the broth mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the chicken broth until smooth. Pour this mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Don’t stir—just let the liquid settle around everything.
  4. Cook on low. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken should be tender enough to shred easily with a fork. Pro tip: Low and slow is always better for chicken—it stays juicier and the flavors have more time to develop.
  5. Shred the chicken. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, carefully remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine.
  6. Prepare the dumpling dough. While the chicken is shredding, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. (This is what makes the dumplings flaky instead of tough.)
  7. Add the milk. Pour the milk into the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Don’t overmix—a few dry spots are totally fine. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
  8. Partially cook the dumplings. Here’s the trick: Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the water (about 2 tablespoons each). Let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes—they’ll puff up slightly and float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate. This step prevents them from turning into gummy blobs in the slow cooker.
  9. Finish in the slow cooker. Gently nestle the partially cooked dumplings into the hot broth and chicken mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the dumplings are fully cooked and have absorbed some of that delicious broth. They should be tender and fluffy, not dense.
  10. Serve and enjoy. Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of broth and vegetables. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you’re feeling fancy—but honestly, it’s perfect just as it is.

Notes

Don’t skip the dumpling pre-cook. It’s the difference between light, fluffy dumplings and dense, doughy lumps. Resist the urge to lift the lid—every time you take the lid off the slow cooker, you lose about 20 minutes of cooking time. Use chicken thighs, not breasts, for best results. Season as you go for more complex flavor. To thicken the broth, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry and stir it into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker, chicken and dumplings, comfort food, easy dinner, one-pot meal, family dinner, chicken thighs, creamy broth, homemade dumplings

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/best-easy-slow-cooker-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/