Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings (Printable)
Tender chicken and fluffy dumplings with carrots simmered in creamy sauce for a hearty meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken & Vegetables
01 - 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 medium onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Sauce
11 - 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
12 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Dumplings
14 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
18 - 1/2 cup milk
# How-To Steps:
01 - Add chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, chicken broth, thyme, parsley, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir gently to mix.
02 - Cover and cook on low for 5 hours until chicken and vegetables are tender.
03 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in cream until smooth and thickened, then remove from heat.
04 - Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.
05 - Stir the prepared cream sauce into the slow cooker mixture to combine.
06 - In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized portions of dumpling dough over the stew in the slow cooker.
08 - Cover and cook on high for 45 to 60 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.
09 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The chicken becomes so tender it practically dissolves, and those dumplings soak up all the creamy goodness without getting dense.
- You can walk away for hours and come back to a complete, restaurant-worthy meal with minimal hands-on time.
- It's endlessly customizable—add peas, swap in different vegetables, adjust the cream level to your taste.
02 -
- Don't overmix the dumpling dough, or they'll turn out tough and dense instead of light and pillowy.
- Add the dumplings only in the last hour of cooking—if they cook longer than that, they start to break apart and absorb too much liquid.
- If your cream sauce seems too thick or too thin when you stir it in, you can adjust by adding a splash more cream or a ladle of broth.
03 -
- For deeper flavor, add a bay leaf to the broth at the beginning and fish it out before serving—it adds an earthy complexity that takes the dish to the next level.
- If you forget to add the dumplings and the stew cooks the full 6 hours, it's still delicious as a creamy chicken stew; just serve it as is or over biscuits.