Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings.
Juicy chicken breasts cooked to tender perfection in the slow cooker in a rich creamy sauce.
Shortcut dumplings make this deliciously comforting meal effortless for a family favorite everyone will agree on.
Chicken and Dumplings are probably the ultimate comfort food. Tender juicy shredded chicken and soft dumplings in a rich creamy brothy gravy.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings from scratch but having a busy household with kids, I know that sometimes time is short and I don’t have hours to spend cooking a full Sunday dinner from scratch.
This recipe uses a few little short cuts to make it really quick and easy to put together while not skimping on flavor.
The best part about this recipe is that it cooks up in the slow cooker all day long.
That means you can spend about 5 minutes prepping and head on out and run your errands (or go for lunch with your friends which sounds much more fun).
The slow cooker does all of the work but the results are just as amazing as a from scratch recipe (there’s a reason this recipe has a five star rating ★★★★★)!
Quick prep with optimal results is my kind of cookin’.
I use a can of premade biscuits to make the dumplings to make this dish totally effortless.
You’re going to want to roll them extra thin as they do puff up a little while they cook.
If you don’t want to use (or don’t have) canned biscuits, feel free to mix up a batch of your favorite homemade biscuits to create your own dumplings (or use Biscuit Mix).
Once you shred the chicken and stir it back in, your dumplings will break up a little bit but don’t worry; the edges soak up a bit of the sauce making for a perfect bowl of comfort.
While I know not everyone likes vegetables with their chicken and dumplings, I sure do!
I love the addition of frozen veggies for color, flavor and some extra nutrients (plus frozen veggies are pretty effortless).
If veggies in your chicken and dumplings isn’t your thing, feel free to leave them out (but don’t skip the onion, it adds lots of flavor)!
How to Make Perfect Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
As easy as this recipe is, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out perfectly for you!
- This recipe is best made in a 6QT crock pot.
- While this chicken and dumplings recipe uses frozen veggies, they should be defrosted before adding to the slow cooker.
- My biscuits are always perfectly cooked after 60 minutes however some slow cookers may require extra time to cook the biscuits.
- Open the lid as little as possible as the slow cooker can lose heat quickly and this can cause your biscuits to not cook properly.
- Boneless chicken thighs make an excellent addition to this recipe.
- Once the biscuits are cooked through they should still have a soft, slightly doughy dumpling-like texture.
- Depending on the size of your slow cooker, this recipe may not double well. To double this recipe, cook the chicken portion as directed. Additional dumplings can be cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven as biscuits.
Dairy (such as cream or milk) doesn’t always do well in the slow cooker; it can often separate or curdle so I’ve subbed in condensed soup in this recipe.
Condensed soups make a great addition to crock pot recipes as they tend to hold up very well in the slow cooker (plus they add lots of flavor to this recipe) without the risk of curdling.
Once you try this easy recipe, it’ll quickly become your go to for slow cooker chicken and dumplings.
Ensure your slow cooker is on high and the liquid should be bubbling along the edges when you open the lid to add your vegetables and biscuits.
It’s really important that you open the lid for as little time as possible and that your vegetables are completely defrosted.
Note: Buttermilk, Country or Homestyle Biscuits work best in this recipe. When adding the vegetables/biscuits ensure the lid is left off as little as possible. Leaving the lid off for long periods of time will drastically increase cooking time.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of celery soup 1 can
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- black pepper to taste
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups frozen vegetables or peas and carrots, thawed
- 16.3 ounces refrigerated biscuits 1 can, Buttermilk, Country, or Homestyle
Instructions
- Add onion to 6 qt crock pot and top with chicken breasts.
- In a small bowl, combine cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper. Spread over chicken breasts. Top with chicken broth and cook on high 5 hours.
- Approximately 1 hour (I allow 60 - 90 minutes) before serving (after 4 hours of cooking time), roll each biscuit thin and flat. Cut into 4 strips. Add vegetables to the slow cooker and stir. Add biscuit strips on top. Replace lid as quickly as possible.
To Serve
- Remove chicken breasts and slightly shred. Add back into slow cooker and stir (this will break up the dumplings somewhat which is ok). Let cook an additional 10 minutes and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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I would love to make this dish and several others.
I hope you love it Bridgette!
Do you put the biscuits in the crockpot raw? Or do you cook them in the oven first?
You can place them directly into the crock pot no pre-cooking necessary Ashley!
can i freeze left over chicken and dumplings for later? thank you
Hi Janet, we haven’t tried freezing this recipe however many readers have had success freezing this recipe. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
I have been dying to make this for the first time and this recipe is perfect!! Very easy to make and tastes AMAZING!! I can’t wait to make this again when the weather gets colder. Thank you!
It is so delicious Kaiemi! So happy you loved it too.
This recipe is so simple and delicious! My kids love it and it’s the perfect comfort food.
That is great Rachel! So happy they love it.
I’m making it right now!!
Do you need to have the chicken already cooked before placing it in the Crock-Pot?
Hi Katherine, for this recipe the chicken goes into the crockpot raw :)
No it cooks in the crockpot
i accidently mixed the chicken broth with the stuff in the small bowl and then put it over the chicken . is it ruined? :(
No, it should work out just fine.
I don’t usually enjoy crockpot meals but this actually turned out AMAZING. Not disappointed at all and I think I will actually eat all of the leftovers lol! Thank you!!!
I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe Tonya!
Can I put chicken & dumplings on low
Thanks: holly
Holly, I personally haven’t however another reader cooked it for 7 hours on low and then added her biscuits and cooked for an additional 90 minutes (on high) with great results. Please let us know how it turns out for you!
Can we get an Instant Pot version of this?
Hi Chris, we don’t have this recipe in an instant pot version but you can check out our Pressure Cooker section for some great Instant Pot inspiration!
Tastes great but came out way too thick, almost the consistency of a pot pie filling (even double checked that I followed the recipe correctly). Next time I’m going to double the broth amount and hopefully that helps but otherwise tasty
Glad you enjoyed it Cara! Let us know how it turns out with the broth doubled.
Has anyone used a rotisserie chicken? I have one that needs to be used up but I’m unsure how this will change the cooking time? Help
Hi Taylor, we have not tried using rotisserie chicken but other readers have with great success. They did reduce the cooking time to approximately an hour before adding the biscuits. Let us know how it turns out!
I accidentally cooked it on low for 5 hours and didn’t realize it was on low until I added the biscuits on top then I switched it to high. Will it be ok?
It will most likely need to cook a bit longer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked Madelyne! But it will still be delicious!
Can I cook this at a low heat? If so, for how long?
7-8 hrs on low should work just fine Galen! Your biscuits may take longer to cook as the slow cooker will be at a lower temperature, so make sure to check on those!
Can frozen chicken breasts be used in this recipe? If so, how does that adjust the cook time? Thank you!
Hi Tina, I haven’t made this with frozen chicken breasts so I can’t say for sure. But you’ll want to ensure your chicken reaches 165°F if you try using frozen!
I have used canned biscuits for dumplings in recipes before and they got slimy. Will not do it again unless there is something I don’t know.
Luv this but it doesn’t say high or low temp
Hi Michele, in step two, once you have added all of your ingredients to the crock pot, cook on high for 5 hours. Enjoy!
I like to make freezer to crockpot meals and I’m thinking this recipe might be a good candidate (minus the biscuits, of course). Do you know if the condensed soups cook well after being frozen first or should I omit the soups and add them to the crockpot at the time of cooking? Thanks!
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe (before biscuits) however many readers have had success freezing this recipe. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Hi Holly. I use this recipe as a guide. Also, I cook in a pot, stovetop. I add potatoes and fresh carrots. Great recipe. I usually freeze and of course, the dumplings get somewhat mushy, but they are like little treasures in the bowl. Works fine for me. Just great.
Thanks, Holly. Your recipes are all simple, practical and delicious!
Thanks for your kind words Ken! You made my day!
Can’t wait to try chicken and dumplings
Let us know how they work out for you John! Enjoy!
Could I do more biscuits that’s it calls for? Like if I used a can and a half to two cans would that be ok? I just like a lot of dumplings in mine. The dumplings are my favorite part. Thanks!
I think as long as the dish isn’t overcrowded it will be fine Amanda. I hope you enjoy!
Has anyone shredded the chicken before adding the veggies and biscuits?
I think that is definitely the way to go, personally.
Did you put the chicken in frozen or thawed? If using thawed chicken does that change the cook time ?
I usually use thawed chicken in this recipe.