Make a quick and easy version of chicken and dumplings using the slow cooker and a can of biscuits for a warm weeknight meal.
One of Justin’s favorite meals is homemade chicken & dumplings. But it takes so much work to make it from scratch that I only do it a few times per year. In the meantime, this recipe for easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings will hold him over for a comforting meal without as much work involved.
I made my own Cream of Chicken Soup when I recently made this meal. The soup was easy to make and the flavor was so much better than buying it canned! At this point, the only thing I don’t make from scratch in this recipe is the biscuits. But overall, most of this meal is made with real foods and simple ingredients.
Plus, slow cooker meals are the best when it’s cool outside and you want some ultimate comfort food. Or when you have a busy day ahead and want dinner ready for the whole family in the evening. Or maybe both. The only work you have to do comes about an hour before the recipe is ready.
Of course, if you are making your own can of cream of chicken (which I highly recommend) then you need about 30 minutes to do that. I made the soup the night before and refrigerated it until I needed it for this meal and it worked just fine.
Serving Suggestions & Tips
- You can replace the boneless skinless chicken breast with boneless chicken thighs, tender chicken tenderloins, leftover chicken from another chicken dinner, or a whole chicken or rotisserie chicken that’s been pulled.Â
- Serve with a side of roasted vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower.Â
- Add a bit of poultry seasoning, a teaspoon of salt, extra black pepper, a bay leaf, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or chopped onion for added flavor.Â
- If you prefer to make homemade dumplings, you can also add those for the last hour of cooking time. I think I’m going to try that next time since we love our dumpling dough recipe using all-purpose flour and chicken stock.Â
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 21 oz cream of chicken soup
- 14.5 oz chicken broth
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 biscuits (homestyle)
- 1 tsp pepper
Preparation
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top each with a piece of butter.
Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, onion powder, parsley, and garlic powder. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours or high for 3 hours.
Shred the chicken and place it back in the slow cooker on the low setting, giving it a good stir.Â
Cut the biscuits into quarters or bite-sized pieces.Â
Place them on top of the chicken mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for at least 1 hour until the biscuits are done in the center. Cooking time may vary.Â
You can either stir the biscuits into the mixture before serving or scoop it out as-is with the biscuits on top. Sprinkle with pepper and serve warm.
Chicken and Dumpling Leftovers
Storage: Let the chicken and dumplings cool to room temperature then store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat the dumplings is in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the final meal because the biscuits will break down in the freezer. You can prepare the chicken and dumplings up to adding the biscuit dough, then freeze the chicken and broth. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a saucepan. Prepare the biscuits according to the package directions, then place them in the soup mixture for the last few minutes of heating.
Recipe
Originally Published On: February 7, 2019
Last Updated On: December 9, 2024
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 21 oz cream of chicken soup
- 14.5 oz chicken broth
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 biscuits (homestyle)
- 1 tsp black pepper
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker
- Cover each chicken breast with 1 tbsp of butter
- Pour in the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, onion powder, parsley, and garlic powder
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 7 hours
- Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it and place it back in the slow cooker
- Mix the chicken into the soup
- Cut the chicken into quarters and place them on top of the soup mix
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, until the biscuits are cooked through
- Either stir the biscuits into the mix before serving or serve with them on top
- Sprinkle with pepper and garnish with parsley if desired
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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Cream of Chicken Soup
- Cream of Chicken Soup (Homemade Alternative for Condensed Soup)
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken over Pasta
- Chicken a la King
- Ultimate Guide to Cooking Chicken
- Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken
- Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
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- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
you always make good food. I will try this recipe at home.
Thanks, Roseline, I hope you enjoy it!
My husband and I haven’t used a slow cooker in forever – and I really want to slow cook chicken now! You make it look GOOD! 🙂
We like to use it in the winter to make some warm meals when it’s cold outside. I don’t use it often during the summer.
I love using a slow cooker, it makes mealtimes so much easier. I really love the slow cooker during the winter months as you can make such wonderful comfort food meals. This chicken and dumplings definitely says comfort food to me!
This is definitely perfect comfort food for the winter. We love the slow cooker for making dinner easy, too!
Ooh, this looks good! This is a great warming winter meal – I love dumplings!
I love dumplings too, but making them from scratch is so time-consuming. The biscuits make a great substitute for something quick!
My coworker was just talking about wanting to make chicken and dumplings, will pass this recipe along to her. Thanks.
What perfect timing! It’s such an easy meal to make.
I’m sold on any meal that can be cooked in a slow cooker. Chicken and dumplings is a favorite meal in our house so I love the idea of being able to set it and forget it!
Yes, the slow cooker makes a meal that’s so close to traditional dumplings but without all the work.
If this is your easy recipe I would be curious about how you make them otherwise. It sounds good for sure!
My other recipe is on here, too, if you search for it. The recipe requires making homemade dumplings by mixing the dough together, rolling it thin, cutting it, and boiling it all together. It’s a lot more work!
Oh, Stephanie, this looks soooo good!!! The weather has turned colder here today, so all I can think about is warming up and comfort food. This looks like the perfect answer on both counts! 🙂
Ugh, the weather got colder here again too. We went from a high of 75 yesterday to waking up to 36 this morning! These meals are perfect for the cold weather.
Omg can we say yum?!? I just love chicken & dumplings! Must give your recipe a try. Delicious
It’s my husband’s favorite meal! I hope you enjoy it, too!
It looks pretty amazing. Definitely a dish I would like to try. I think I will do the biscuits on the top instead of just stirring it in. Mouthwatering pictures though.
If you add them to the top at the end, you just need to make sure you cook them ahead of time. By adding them to the slow cooker, they are cooked with everything else.
Today is cold and rainy and this is the absolute perfect recipe for this weather! I really need to start using my slow cooker more.
We use it a lot this time of the year. The cold yucky weather just makes me want warm comfort food!
This looks simply delicious.. one of the many reasons why I love the slow cooker.. such simply recipes and great food.
You’re right, the slow cooker makes such easy recipes!
I haven’t owned or used a slow cooker but have been thinking of getting one for my ratatouille and vegetarian chilli. The meal looks perfect for the cod season.
I love my slow cooker! You should definitely try to get one. You can often find them at thrift stores for cheap if you aren’t sure how much you will use it.
I have always been worried about raw meat in a slow cooker– but this looks amazing. I am going to have to try this and take that leap!
I put raw meat in the slow cooker all the time. It always cooks through and we’ve never had a problem with it. I’ve tested a few times with a thermometer and the meat always gets to a high enough temperature as long as you cook it long enough.
This recipe looks like just the thing for a cold winter night! Love your recipes!
It’s perfect when it’s cool outside. You can start it early and come home to a warm dinner that’s almost ready when you are!
yummy. My grandmother used to make us chicken and dumplings whenever we visited her. They were one of my favorites, but I actually haven’t tried making them one my own. Time to fix that!
This is the easy version, I have the regular, fully handmade one on here too. But sometimes I need something easy and it’s a great place to start as the other version takes a lot more time.
Oh yeah this is definitely quicker and easier than the chicken dumplings recipe we usually do. Looks so good! Can’t wait to try it out.
Hah, yeah, much easier. It’s not quite the same, but it’s a great way to have the meal when you don’t have all the time it takes to make homemade dumplings.
We love slow cooker meals! They are so easy and always make the house smell so good!
I do too, especially on the days/nights that we have a lot going on!
I loved your blog and the recipe. It seems like a hit for sure. I love the way it’s so simple
Thanks, Norma! It’s a delicious meal and so easy to put together.
With the super cold and wild weather this kind of comfort food is just what is needed. Love how all your guides are so clear and step by step too xx
It’s the perfect comfort food. We are about to get another cool front here, so I am looking forward to making it again soon!
Even though it takes so much time to get this recipe, but it’s worth it. You got really great cooking skills and this looks delicious.
It takes some time, but the majority of that is the slow cooker doing its job. Your actual hands-on time is very minimal.
I just made chicken and dumplings this week! But it wasn’t slow-cooked (as I don’t have a slow cook). But it was super delicious!
Oh, so yummy! The slow cooker version is just a way to make them quick and easy. But chicken and dumplings are always such a delicious meal.