Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
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Packed with delicious flavor, including oodles of tender chicken pieces and pillowy soft dumplings in a rich creamy sauce, this slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe is Southern comfort food at its finest.
One of my son’s favorite suppers in the entire world is chicken and dumplings. Now, I’ve previously shared my recipe for easy chicken and dumplings with biscuits here. Over the years though, I’ve come up with a few different ways of making it that suit my schedule a little better. Enter, this crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe, which is even easier to make.
It’s packed with delicious flavors, like two different types of creamy soup, chicken broth, and poultry seasoning. Add in tender chicken pieces and pillowy soft dumplings and you have a recipe for success! Nothing beats that rich creamy sauce. The best part is, it’s the easiest chicken and dumplings recipe you’ll ever find. Simply add the ingredients to the slow cooker and walk away. Come back in 4 hours to slowly add the dumplings and in no time at all it’s ready to serve.
Let me tell you, all it takes is one bite, and the next thing you know your plate is empty. It’s just one of those recipes. I love to make chicken and dumplings in the winter, as it’s one of my favorite cozy and comforting main dishes. Luckily my family agrees! Now, let’s get cooking and make this your family’s new favorite supper as well!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken broth
- Cream of chicken soup
- Cream of celery soup
- Poultry seasoning
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken thigh and chicken breast
- Carrot (I sometimes omit this)
- Frozen dumplings
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken broth, cans of soup, poultry seasoning, salt, onion powder, and pepper; stir well.
Then stir in all of the chicken and diced carrot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Add the frozen dumpling pieces, one at a time, to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high, stirring twice, until dumplings are tender, approximately 1.5 hours.
Sprinkle with additional pepper, if desired.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
- Recipes for homemade cream soup can be found in my second book, Come Home To Supper (click here).
- If you like, just add an extra boneless skinless chicken breast in place of the thighs for less fuss.
- If you’d like to add more flavor to your crock pot chicken and dumplings, here are some variations:
- Add 3 chopped celery stalks, 1 cup of diced onion, or 2 diced leeks.
- Substitute the carrot for 2 cups of defrosted frozen vegetables.
- Add more seasoning, like 2 bay leaves, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Serve with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Instead of frozen dumplings, you can also use a can of refrigerated biscuit dough or make your own homemade flaky biscuits. Here’s my easy drop biscuits recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Can you put raw chicken in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can put raw chicken straight into the crock pot for this slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe. The extended cooking time ensures it will be cooked by the end.
How do you check if the dumplings are done?
If you want to double-check the dumplings are cooked, you can insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, you’re good to go!
What do you serve with crock pot chicken and dumplings?
This is already a great family-friendly main meal. But if you like you can make the leftovers stretch further and serve it over mashed potato or rice.
Here are more easy crock pot chicken recipes:
AMAZING & EASY Crock Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Crock Pot Chicken and Cornbread Dressing
Cheesy Chicken And Rice (Crock Pot Version)
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of celery soup
- 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces *
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces*
- 1 cup chopped carrot I sometimes omit this
- 1/3 package frozen dumplings about half a pound, broken into 3 pieces each
Instructions
- In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken broth, cans of soup, poultry seasoning, salt, onion powder, and pepper; stir well. Then stir in all of the chicken and diced carrot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.3 cups chicken broth, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of celery soup, 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup chopped carrot
- Add the frozen dumpling pieces, one at a time, to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high, stirring twice, until dumplings are tender, approximately 1.5 hours. Sprinkle with additional pepper, if desired.1/3 package frozen dumplings
Notes
Nutrition
I live in West Africa. No frozen dumplings here. LOl would homemade dumplings work. It sounds so good.
yes ma’am!
Great recipe. I tried and it was wonderful and a big hit with my family..
I am so glad to hear it was a hit!!!
Mmmmm! Now I really want chicken and dumplings. It is one of my all-time favorites as well. I love the ease of this recipe and will have to give it a go!
I hope you enjoy it Carlee!!!
I love chicken and dumplings. My mom made the best where she made dough, rolled it out and cut it into strips putting them into the pot with chicken and whatever else was in there. She is gone now and I regret that I never learned her “recipe”. She used to make them for my family and they loved them, so I would like to try this and see how they like them. Only thing, I do not like poultry seasoning, seems too much like sage to me (which I REALLY don’t like). Is there something I could replace the poultry seasoning with?
Hi Renee. I have used chicken bouillon crystals or a bouillon cube…instead of poultry seasoning. It’s really good. You may want to use only a 1/2 tsp though….because of the sodium content…in the bouillon. Tammy
Try just some Rosemary & Thyme, along with the Salt & Pepper. I also add a diced onion and some minced garlic to it when it first goes in the crockpot. I’ve also made it with a cup of frozen peas & carrots when I add the dumplings in and from time to time, I’ll even add some boiled/peeled, sliced eggs to it.
I am really disappointed that every major item in this recipe is pre-packaged. Its more of a dump and cook. Did not expect that. Why not just go out and buy prepacked chicken and dumplings?
Dump and cook is exactly it, that’s the beauty of it :). In this day and age I could come up with a laundry list of things I could choose to be disappointed in but chicken and dumplings ain’t one of them. 🙂 Have a great day!
I am just in awe of you. I’m 69 years old and love home cooking. However, I’ve been having a hard time cooking the last few years. Have to sit on a stool to do it and have to take a pain pill afterwards. Your recipies have given me a lot of comfort these past years. I can make most of them quickly, especially the dump and run ones, and they are delicious. You are a dear person, and I commend you for the impact you have on other people’s lives.
Oh my goodness. I got so carried away with blessing you, my child, that I forgot to tell you how delightful these chicken and dumplings were. I sent hubby to the store for the dumplings, and he came back with Mary B’s. I hadn’t given him a brand name because I didn’t see it until I was leaving a comment. Surprised me! We’ve made them with biscuits and with dumplings, and the dumplings won. Thanks again, Christy.
Oh my goodness, you are precious Bee!!! Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement!! I am so glad you are finding some of my recipes meet your needs and am so grateful you enjoy them!
You go girl!! I love your recipes. I have the first cookbook you made! It reminds me of home when I was a child. Oh, the great smells coming from the kitchen when my Grandmother and Mother were cooking.
Thank you so much Sherry!!!
I am really disappointed that some people are so techy! Good grief, make it or don’t…apparently you have a lot more time on your hands than most of us, bless your heart.
In case I’m not able to find them here in Texas can you use canned biscuit dough in place of the frozen dumplings.
This is how I make them with canned biscuits. I think it depends on your slow cooker and whether or not it would get hot enough to cook them. The frozen ones are a bit sturdier. Either way, here is my canned biscuit version and if you try it in the slow cooker please let us know how it turns out 🙂 https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-southern-chicken-and.html
My daughter doesnt like chicken in her dumplings, just the flavor. Would it be okay to leave out the chicken? Thanks
Absolutely! As a mom, I totally get that and you do what you have to do 🙂
That was always the debate in our house – should it be more chicken or more dumplings? Usually, when I do it, if there’s chicken in it, it’s because there’s chicken in the cream of chicken soup I use! 🙂
More chicken that’s why it’s called chicken and dumplings.