Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/11/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings in bowls

The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 hrs
Total: 5 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 2 1/2 quarts
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
590 Calories
23g Fat
50g Carbs
45g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 590
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 1689mg 73%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 6mg 32%
Calcium 239mg 18%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 612mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chicken and dumplings, one of America's most popular comfort foods, is super easy to prepare and cook in the crock pot or slow cooker. Condensed soups and refrigerated biscuits make this slow cooker version nearly effortless. To make this hearty dish, all you have to do is combine everything in the slow cooker and press a button! The biscuits are sliced and added about an hour before the dish is done, so hands-on prep time is only about 10 to 15 minutes.

A bowl of chicken and dumplings is hearty enough on its own, but several side dishes can complement the dish and add variety to the meal, such as a tossed salad or fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Or, offer roasted Brussels sprouts or potatoes, steamed broccoli, or green beans. Even though the biscuits have the bread serving covered, many people love to eat cornbread with chicken and dumplings.

"This dish is incredibly comforting and couldn't be easier to make. Everything gets dumped in the slow cooker, no sautéing required. I layered some of my biscuit strips on top of each other and the ones on top turned out toasty and dry. We enjoyed having a mix of moist dumplings and fluffy dumplings." —Danielle Centoni

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup chopped celery

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup

  • 16 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough, 8-count can

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Arrange the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot and then top with the onion, celery, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, thyme, poultry seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

    Chicken, onion, celery, garlic, salt, thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper in a crock pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Combine the chicken broth and condensed soup in a bowl; whisk until well blended.

    Chicken broth and condensed soup in a blue bowl with a metal whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Pour evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the crock pot. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked to at least 165 F.

    Chicken and vegetables with broth in a crock pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Meanwhile, separate the canned biscuits; flatten them, and cut them into strips. Return biscuit strips to the refrigerator until chicken has cooked.

    Canned biscuits separated and sliced into pieces on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  6. After 3 to 4 hours, use two forks to shred the chicken into big chunks in the pot. Add the thawed peas and carrots to the pot; stir to blend the ingredients and then taste and adjust the seasonings.

    Chicken soup cooking in a crock pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Arrange the biscuit strips over the stew mixture. Quickly replace the lid and continue to cook on high for 1 more hour. The dumplings will fluff up a bit, but this type of dumpling will be doughy, not fluffy like biscuit-style drop dumplings.

    Chicken and Dumplings cooking in a crock pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  8. Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls, and serve.

    Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings in bowls and in a crock pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • When adding the thawed vegetables and biscuit strips, replace the lid as quickly as possible. If the chicken mixture cools down too much, it will take longer to cook the dumplings.
  • You may double the recipe by doubling all ingredients except the biscuits/dumplings, but make sure your slow cooker is large enough. An oval 6- to 8-quart slow cooker should be large enough. As a general rule, half to two-thirds full is perfect—try to keep the level no higher than three-quarters full.

Recipe Variations

  • The chicken breasts may be replaced with boneless chicken thighs or use a combination of the two.
  • You can use homemade biscuits to make the recipe. Just cut the biscuits out, roll or press them to flatten, and cut them into slices.
  • For fewer dumplings, use a 10-ounce can of biscuits (5 biscuits).

How to Store and Freeze Chicken and Dumplings

  • Refrigerate leftover chicken and dumplings in a shallow covered container for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze cooled leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight freezer container or zip-close freezer bags for up to 3 months. Defrost the chicken and dumplings in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheat chicken and dumplings on the stovetop or in the microwave oven. The minimum safe temperature for leftovers is 165 F.



Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Yes, it is safe to cook raw chicken and meat in a slow cooker. Both low and high settings are high enough to kill any bacteria.

Can you overcook dumplings in a slow cooker?

This type of dumpling may be cooked a bit longer, though they might break down if cooked for a very long time. The dumplings fluff up a bit but are somewhat doughy, which is normal for Southern-style chicken and dumplings. If you're looking for a fluffy bread-like dumpling, take a look at this recipe for Instant Pot chicken and dumplings.