Chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food—a hearty, soul-warming stew filled with tender chicken and soft, pillowy dumplings in a rich, creamy gravy. This recipe makes that comfort possible any night of the week by using the slow cooker and the fantastic shortcut of refrigerated biscuit dough for the dumplings.
This is the perfect set-it-and-forget-it meal. With just 15 minutes of minimal prep, you can leave the slow cooker to do the work, transforming simple ingredients into a dish that tastes like it simmered all day long. It’s an easy, creamy, and satisfying dinner that is guaranteed to warm up the whole family.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal Prep, Maximum Flavor: Most ingredients are simply dumped in the slow cooker, and the long, slow cook time builds incredible flavor.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken: Chicken breasts or thighs cook slowly in the creamy sauce, ensuring they remain unbelievably tender and juicy.
- Easy Shortcut Dumplings: Using canned refrigerated biscuits eliminates the need to make dough from scratch, saving over an hour of active cooking time.
- Guaranteed Creamy Gravy: Condensed soup and broth create a thick, rich sauce base that clings perfectly to the chicken and dumplings.
- Feeds a Crowd: This recipe is easy to scale up for larger family gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup (150 g) chopped carrots
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped celery
- 2 (10.5 oz or 298 g) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or one cream of chicken, one cream of celery)
- 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 (16.3 oz or 462 g) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (regular or Grands size)
- Optional: 1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables (thawed)
Equipment
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker (Crock-Pot)
- Two large forks (for shredding chicken)
- Knife and cutting board
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Set the Base
- Layer Chicken and Veggies: Place the chopped onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts (or thighs) on top of the vegetables.
- Mix Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the chicken broth until smooth.
- Season: Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle in the parsley, thyme, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and a light dusting of salt and pepper. (Be mindful that canned soup is already salty.) Do not stir the ingredients—let the chicken cook directly in the base.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours.
2. Shred and Thicken
- Shred Chicken: After the cook time, the chicken should be very tender. Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Add Veggies (Optional): If using, stir in the frozen peas or mixed vegetables and cook for 15 minutes to heat through.
3. Add Dumplings
- Prep Biscuits: Open the can of biscuits. Cut each biscuit into four equal pieces (quarters). For Grands-sized biscuits, cut each into six or eight smaller pieces.
- Add Dumplings: Drop the biscuit pieces evenly over the top of the chicken mixture. Use the back of a spoon to gently push the pieces down so they are submerged in the creamy liquid.
- Final Cook (Do Not Peek!): Cover the slow cooker and turn the heat to HIGH. Cook for 45–90 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuit pieces. Do not lift the lid during this time, as it releases the steam needed to cook the dumplings thoroughly. The dumplings are done when they are puffy and no longer look raw or doughy in the center.
- Serve: Ladle the hot chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve immediately.
Substitutions and Variations
- Thickening: For a truly thick, rich gravy, replace the 2 cups of chicken broth with 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Stir the cream in with the shredded chicken (step 2).
- Homemade Base: For a scratch version, omit the condensed soups. Instead, make a simple roux with 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour, whisk in 3 cups of milk and 2 cups of chicken broth, and season heavily with herbs.
- Dumpling Flavor: Flatten each biscuit piece and sprinkle a pinch of garlic powder and dried chives on top before dropping them into the slow cooker.
- Meat: Substitute the chicken breasts with 1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They stay exceptionally moist and tender during the long cook time.
Pro Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The Lid is Sacred: Do not lift the lid during the final 45–90 minutes of cooking! Lifting the lid releases steam and heat, which will prevent the biscuit dumplings from cooking properly and result in dense, undercooked dough.
- Cut Biscuits Small: Smaller biscuit pieces cook faster and more evenly. Cutting them into quarters or smaller is highly recommended over using whole biscuits.
- Use Low-Sodium Broth: Condensed soups are high in sodium. Using low-sodium broth ensures the final dish isn’t overly salty and allows you to adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Add Flour/Slurry for Extra Thickness: If your soup is too thin after shredding the chicken, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water (a slurry) and stir it into the liquid. Cook on high for 5 minutes before adding the biscuits.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Reheating
- Make-Ahead: You can assemble the chicken, vegetables, and soup base (everything except the biscuits) in the slow cooker insert, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight. Cook as directed the next day.
- Storage (Leftovers): Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dumplings will soften and expand as they soak up the gravy.
- Freezing: Do not freeze the finished dish with the cooked dumplings. The dumplings will fall apart and become mushy upon thawing. You can freeze the soup base (broth, chicken, and vegetables) for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of milk or broth to reconstitute the sauce, as the dumplings will have absorbed most of the liquid.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this classic comfort food immediately, straight from the slow cooker, ladled into deep bowls. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives adds a bright color and fresh finish.
Approximate Nutrition
- Yields: 6 servings
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the total dish
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Protein: 35 g
- Fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
Note: These are approximations and can vary based on the size of the biscuits and the brands of condensed soup used.
FAQs
Q: Can I use homemade biscuit dough for the dumplings?
A: Yes, you can. Drop spoonfuls of your favorite homemade biscuit dough directly onto the simmering stew (step 3) and cook for the same 45–90 minutes, ensuring the center of the largest dumpling is cooked through.
Q: Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
A: Yes, but the total cooking time will increase by approximately 1–2 hours. The high setting is better when starting with frozen chicken.
Q: My dumplings are still doughy in the middle. What went wrong?
A: The lid was likely lifted, letting out the steam and heat. Steam is what cooks the top of the dumplings. Put the lid back on and continue cooking on HIGH, checking every 15 minutes until they are done.
Q: Is it better to cook on HIGH or LOW?
A: If you are home, the HIGH setting (total 4–5 hours) works great and is faster. If you need it to cook all day while you are at work, the LOW setting (6–8 hours) is safer, as it prevents the chicken from overcooking and drying out.
Q: Why do you include both onion, carrot, and celery?
A: Onion, carrot, and celery (called mirepoix) are the classic aromatic base for stews and soups. Sautéing them first (or in this case, cooking them slowly) creates a deeper, richer, savory flavor profile for the final gravy.
