Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings (Printable)

Hearty chicken with fluffy dumplings and sweet carrots simmered in a creamy sauce.

# What You'll 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 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ 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 Make It:

01 - Place chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, chicken broth, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker and stir to blend evenly.
02 - Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours, until chicken and vegetables are tender.
03 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add cream, stirring until smooth and thickened, then remove from heat.
04 - Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken directly in the slow cooker.
05 - Add the prepared cream sauce to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
06 - In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just combined without overmixing.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized portions of dumpling dough evenly over the stew in the slow cooker.
08 - Cover and cook on high for 45 to 60 minutes, until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.
09 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Minimal hands-on time means you can actually relax instead of hovering over the stove.
  • Those pillowy dumplings floating in creamy broth hit different when they're homemade and not from a can.
  • It tastes like someone spent all day cooking, but you spent about 20 minutes prepping.
02 -
  • Overmixing dumpling dough turns them dense and heavy; stir just until the milk disappears and stop immediately.
  • Cold butter in the dumpling dough is non-negotiable if you want them fluffy instead of dense, so don't skip chilling it.
  • The cream can break if it gets too hot, so add it after you've already made a roux to stabilize it.
  • Slow cookers vary wildly in temperature, so start checking at 5 hours and add time if the chicken isn't tender yet.
03 -
  • Use chicken thighs instead of breasts; they stay juicy and tender after hours in the slow cooker, never dry or stringy.
  • Make the roux properly with a minute of cooking before you add cream, so it thickens smoothly without lumps.
  • Keep your dumpling dough ingredients cold and work quickly so the finished dumplings puff up instead of sinking.

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