Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe you’ll love! If you’ve never made this old fashioned dish with Bisquick biscuits or frozen dumplings is simple and only requires a few ingredients.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Yes…I’m all about my slow cooker, especially when the school year begins again! When you’re busy with kids like we are it is nice to throw everything in your crockpot in the morning and know your warm meal will be there in the evening ready to eat.

with Frozen Dumplings

Make your own mini biscuit bites with Bisquick or use frozen dumplings to make things even easier. Either you set on top near the end to steam to tender bites of biscuit bites. I have even been known to buy ready made packaged gnocchi to use in there which has been a surprising hit with the kids.

with Canned Biscuits

If you want to just grab a tube of ready made Grands or regular size Pillsbury biscuits that works too. I have done this and just cut each one into about 6 pieces and about 30 minutes before just drop them in to cook in the hot broth, homemade palt is another option.

Ingredient Tips

1. Boneless skinless chicken breasts really is the best choice so you can dice them into bite sizes. I mean you can use chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat but traditionally that is not what is used.
2. Potatoes should be cut into small pieces too so they can get tender with everything else. I use russets with the skin on. Those are high in starch so it helps the soup thicken up more too.
3. Carrots should be peeled and cut into smaller chunks. Better yet, just pick up a bag of baby carrots and dump them right in just as they are!
4. Celery is optional but a nice, cheap, flavorful add in to this. I just slice into small pieces.
5. Cream of chicken soup is condensed and comes in a healthy low sodium variety if you need that. I have found a dairy free version online but that doesn’t taste quite the same. An option though if needed.
6. Milk should be 2% or whole to keep it creamy and thicker. Dairy free alternatives that are best would be plain almond or cashew milk is even better.
7. Use some chicken broth to thin it out to your liking. This is better than water because it offers more flavor.
8. I make this as a Bisquick recipe batter to drop in, you could alternatively cut refrigerated biscuits into quarters and add biscuit dough this way 30 minutes before cooking time end.

Can you use cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken?

Of course, that is a great substitute. We have used either or our or Instant Pot cream of mushroom soup made from scratch too. Use as many veggies as you like but this is a good base, and you can add from there or omit items if you choose as well. Make your prep quicker by choosing items such as baby carrots in the bag that have already been peeled and cut as well as petite potatoes.

If you choose to do this yourself remember that the larger the pieces the more they will stay together. Too small and they may get mushy. I am very much a texture person so my chunks are quite large. In 7 hours time you can get away with just halving russet potatoes or throwing in petites as is after washing.

They won’t be bite size but will keep their shape as they cook and not completely fall apart. If you just love the whole casserole style of it then you may not care either way about this.

Are Chicken Breasts or Thighs better for Chicken and Dumplings?

When it comes to meat you can use thighs or breasts really. I would spend a few more dollars to get either of them boneless skinless. Of course you can remove those two things yourself but it is a pain and usually worth the difference in price to just have it done already.

I will say that I have made this many many times and I’ll admit that thighs have become my favorite cut. With more flavor than the latter, cheaper, and more moist too it’s my go to now. Heck, I have even diced up leftover rotisserie or Frozen Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer and used that too!

FAQ

How can you make this faster?

Now that we have a pressure cooker we’ve made a similar Instant Pot chicken and dumplings version too, which is quite a bit faster. You literally can’t tell the difference as far as these two methods go so if you are short on time I would give this option a whirl.

Easy slow cooker meals you’ll love too

• Crockpot chicken cacciatore needs only a few simple ingredients
• Love this crockpot chicken enchilada soup all year round
• Cheap crockpot salsa chicken recipe is always a win at our home
• I love these slow cooker cheesy potatoes any time of day though.

If you like this try our other easy crock pot chicken recipes. They’re all great dinner on the table ideas for adults and kids alike. Comfort food x100 I tell you.

How to store leftovers

Make sure you add as much of the sauce in your pot with your meat so it stays nice and moist. Airtight containers are a must too. Air is the enemy when it comes to saving food. It gets dried out and it is hard to revive it when you reheat the next day.

First off make sure your mixture is at room temperature. If you add it to a container hot and then throw it into your fridge you are at risk of bacteria growing. Freezer bags works just as well as Tupperware does too. Takes up less room in your cupboards and you can just throw them away at the end.