Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
This crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe is pure comfort food made easy, with tender shredded chicken, a creamy slow cooker gravy, and fluffy biscuit dumplings that cook right in the pot.
The Coziest Bowl of Comfort You'll Make All Week
There is something about the smell of chicken and dumplings simmering away that instantly feels like home. This crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe takes all that nostalgic, slow simmered flavor and makes it almost entirely hands off. You get tender shredded chicken, a rich creamy gravy studded with carrots and celery, and pillowy biscuit dumplings that cook right in the pot. No standing over a stove, no fussy homemade dough. Just load the slow cooker and let it do the work.
If you have ever loved a Spend With Pennies style crockpot chicken and dumplings, or you are searching for chicken dumplings with biscuits made in a crockpot, this version is built to be just as cozy and even easier for a busy weeknight.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients really do make a difference here. A sturdy slow cooker with a reliable low and high setting, a good whisk for smoothing out the gravy, and quality refrigerated biscuit dough all work together to give you that perfect balance of creamy sauce and fluffy dumplings.
Why This Recipe Works So Well in a Slow Cooker
Slow cooking is honestly the secret weapon for chicken and dumplings. The low, gentle heat gives the chicken time to become fall apart tender while the vegetables soften into the gravy instead of turning mushy all at once. Using canned cream of chicken soup as a base keeps things simple without sacrificing that classic silky texture people love.
This method also happens to be incredibly flexible. Whether you start with raw chicken breasts or lean on a crockpot chicken dumplings with rotisserie chicken shortcut, the end result is the same deeply comforting bowl of shredded chicken and dumplings.
Chef's Tip: Cut your biscuit dough into fairly small, even pieces. Smaller dumplings cook through more reliably in the crockpot and soak up more of that flavorful gravy.
A Few Notes on Ingredients
A couple of things make this crockpot biscuit chicken and dumplings recipe extra reliable.
- Chicken breasts work beautifully here, but boneless thighs are a great swap if you prefer a richer bite.
- Cream of chicken soup is the backbone of the gravy. If you want a scratch made version, a homemade roux based cream sauce works too, though it adds extra steps.
- Refrigerated biscuit dough is the easiest path to tender dumplings. In a pinch, frozen dumplings can also be dropped in during the last stretch of cooking, similar to a crock pot chicken and dumplings with frozen dumplings approach, just add a few extra minutes to make sure they cook through.
Some cooks also love adding diced potatoes for a heartier, more stew like dish, similar to a crock-pot chicken and potato dumplings variation. If you go this route, add the potatoes at the start alongside the carrots and celery so they have time to soften.
How to Get Perfectly Cooked Dumplings
The trickiest part of any dumpling recipe is making sure the dough cooks all the way through without turning gummy. The key is layering the biscuit pieces in a single layer across the top of the hot chicken mixture rather than piling them up, and keeping that lid on tight while they steam.
Chef's Tip: Avoid lifting the lid during the dumpling cooking stage. Every peek lets out steam and can add extra cooking time, leaving you with undercooked centers.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
This crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe is pure comfort food made easy, with tender shredded chicken, a creamy slow cooker gravy, and fluffy biscuit dumplings that cook right in the pot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, or use shredded rotisserie chicken for a shortcut
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, 10.5 oz cans, undiluted
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into thin coins
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough, 16.3 oz, cut into 1-inch pieces, for the dumplings
- 3/4 cup frozen peas, optional, stirred in at the end
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instruction
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot.
In a bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth until smooth, then pour over the chicken.
Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender enough to shred easily.
Remove the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks, then return it to the crockpot and stir into the gravy.
Cut the biscuit dough into bite-sized 1-inch pieces and drop them into the crockpot in a single layer over the top of the mixture.
Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through in the center.
Stir in the frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking if using.
Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Two forks for shredding
- Cutting board
Notes
Serving Suggestions and Storage Tips
This dish is truly a complete meal on its own, but a slice of crusty bread or a simple green salad rounds things out nicely if you are feeding a hungry crowd. It is the kind of dinner that feels just as at home on a busy Tuesday as it does at a Sunday family table.
For storage, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Because the biscuit dumplings soak up liquid over time, add a splash of chicken broth when reheating to loosen the gravy back to its original creamy texture. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days, since freezing tends to affect the texture of the dumplings once thawed.
However you serve it, this crockpot chicken and dumplings is proof that a few humble ingredients and a little patience can turn into something everyone at the table will ask for again.
