The Ultimate Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings: Comfort in Every Bite

There’s something about a pot of chicken and dumplings that just feels like a warm blanket on a cold afternoon. I’ve been making this for my family for years, but I’ll admit my secret isn’t in the recipe—it’s in how long I let the chicken simmer until it practically falls apart, and the moment I add those soft, pillowy dumplings right before serving. I’ve learned the hard way that if you stir too much after dropping the dough in, your dumplings turn out dense instead of fluffy, so I always leave the lid on and resist the urge to peek. Give this one a try when you need a hug in a bowl; it’s simple, hearty, and always puts a smile on everyone’s face at the table.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1319

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Chicken and broth base

• 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs skin-on adds flavor; remove skin before shredding
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth do not use bouillon cubes, they make the broth salty and metallic
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper

Dumpling dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tbsp salt
• 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
• 0.75 cup whole milk cold

Method

 

Cook the chicken

1. Place the chicken thighs, broth, thyme, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.

Prepare the dumplings

1. While the chicken cooks, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
3. Pour in the cold milk and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together; do not overmix, or the dumplings will be tough.

Finish and serve

1. After the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and place on a cutting board. Shred the meat, discarding the bones and skin.
2. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Stir in the cooking liquid to make sure it's evenly distributed.
3. Drop the dumpling dough by large spoonfuls directly onto the surface of the broth. Do not stir; the dumplings will float to the top on their own.
4. Cover and cook on low for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Do not lift the lid during this time, or they will deflate.

Notes

I always add the dumplings for the last hour and a half on low so they puff up without turning to mush. If you're using bone-in chicken thighs, let the meat cook the full time and pull it off, shred it, then return it to the pot before dropping the dumplings in. This keeps the dumplings from getting soggy in the extra cooking liquid.