Description
A comforting and hearty Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings recipe featuring tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and fluffy homemade dumplings simmered in a creamy, flavorful broth. Perfect for an easy, satisfying meal that cooks hands-off in your slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (or stock)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Cream Mixture
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Prepare the Soup Base: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs at the bottom of the slow cooker as the base layer for the stew.
- Add Vegetables and Seasonings: Add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, minced garlic, chicken broth, frozen peas, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper on top of the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Combine Ingredients and Cook: Stir gently to combine the ingredients in the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks; return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the Cream Mixture: In a separate saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to make a roux. Slowly whisk in 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half) until smooth and thickened.
- Incorporate Cream Mixture: Stir the cream mixture into the slow cooker, mixing thoroughly to thicken the broth and enrich the flavor.
- Make the Dumpling Dough: In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley. In another bowl, mix milk, melted butter, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add Dumplings and Cook: Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter over the simmering stew in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for another 30-40 minutes until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
- Serve: Once the dumplings are cooked, gently stir and serve hot for a comforting and hearty meal.
Notes
- You can use either chicken breasts or thighs depending on preference; thighs are more flavorful and tender.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half-and-half for a lighter dish, or full-fat coconut milk to make it dairy-free.
- Dumpling batter should be mixed lightly to keep dumplings fluffy and tender.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, reduce the dumpling cooking time slightly to avoid overcooking.
- This recipe freezes well; freeze before adding dumplings for best results.
