Easy Chicken and Dumplings: Slow Cooker Comfort Food
I don’t know about you, but the minute the weather turns cold I am all about slow cooker recipes. Soups, chilis, and stews are the just so satisfying and cozy. Not to mention easy. And this easy chicken and dumplings recipe is one of our favorites. I know it will be one of yours too.
Why You’ll Love It:
Warm. Hearty. Delicious. These easy chicken and dumplings are the ultimate comfort food. It’s the perfect recipe to enjoy after a day of apple picking or before a Friday night football game.
The longer it cooks the more tender the chicken gets and the more flavors meld together. This dish does require a little bit of attention at the end of the cooking time. But you can let the stew cook all day before you have to add the dumplings.
If you’ve never made homemade dumplings you will be surprised how easy they are. A few simple pantry staples is all it takes to make soft, fluffy dumplings.
I love that these easy chicken and dumplings are made entirely from scratch. There’s no cream of chicken soup or refrigerated biscuit dough here. Although, to be fair, for years I did use refrigerated biscuit dough to make my chicken and dumplings. And it was delicious. and super easy.
But then I decided to try dumplings from scratch. I make bread and pizza dough and noodles. I mean, how hard could they be? Turns out, not hard at all. And so delicious! But if the only thing keeping you from making this recipe is fear of dumplings, go ahead and try it with pre-made biscuit dough.
How to Make Easy Chicken and Dumplings:
Slow cooker chicken and dumplings are super easy to make. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. This makes clean up so much easier. Or use these slow cooker liners. I remember the first time I opened the box I was shocked that they seemed plasticky. But I promise, they don’t melt and the work great. Especially for a dish like this where you don’t care about it getting browned or crispy. I know, a slow cooker isn’t traditionally known for browning foods, but there are a few things I find get too soggy with the liners. Luckily, easy chicken and dumplings isn’t one of them.
Add your vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices to the slow cooker. Then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and give quick stir. This will help to thicken your stew. (FYI: I don’t use celery in our recipes. My family doesn’t like cooked celery and picks it out. Any possible flavor oomph isn’t worth it, so I just omit it in all my soups and stews.)
Place the chicken breasts over the vegetable. Add the chicken broth, and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours. You will have one additional hour of cooking time after you add the dumplings.
Once the chicken is tender and broth is bubbling, remove the chicken from crock pot and shred it with two forks.
In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/2 cup of flour into about a 1/4 cup of evaporated milk. You want enough milk to make a paste. Add the paste to the crock pot. This will help thicken the sauce. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir.
Return the chicken to the pot and turn the temperature up to high.
To make the dumplings, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Add the milk and mix until a batter forms that is thick enough to be scooped with a spoon. Allow batter to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Using a small ice cream scoop (1 tablespoon), add dumplings to the crock pot. Cover tightly and let cook for 45-60 minutes until dumplings are cooked through. They will look puffy and be firm when you cut into them.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
I love to add peas to my chicken and dumplings. But not everyone here loves peas. So I use frozen peas and add them to individual dishes.
I think this easy chicken and dumplings recipe is a complete meal in itself. Don’t you just love one dish dinners? But you could serve it with a simple green salad or crispy green vegetable if you wanted.
You can also turn your slow cooker to warm and keep this stew warm for a few hours. It’s perfect for a soup party to tail gate.
And let’s talk leftovers . . . is it just me or do soups and stews always taste better the second day? store int he fridge and heat this up for a tasty lunch or dinner.
Happy Eating!
Want a vegetarian soup recipe? You’ll love this warm and delicious posole.
Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings – Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Chicken Stew
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp flour
- 1 can evaporated milk
Dumplings
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
Chicken Stew
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper and spices. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Place chicken breasts over the vegetable.
- Add broth. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Remove chicken from crock pot and shred it with two forks. Return shredded meat to the crock pot.
- Stir flour into 1/4 cup of evaporated milk to make a paste. Add to crock pot. This will help thicken the sauce. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir.
- Add dumplings.
- Cover the pot and cook for 45-60 minutes until dumplings are cooked through. They will look puffy and be firm when you cut into them.
Dumplings
- Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Add milk and mix until a batter forms that is thick enough to be scooped with a spoon. Allow batter to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
