When you’re in the deep South and the weatherman even mentions the word snow, folks absolutely go ballistic. People start running around like chickens with their heads cut off. You can’t find a loaf of bread or gallon of milk within 24 hours of the impending disaster. And truth be told, some people are just gun shy after the blizzard of ’93. But I’m still not sure why folks are so interested in milk sandwiches when it snows… 🙂 Anyway, last week they mentioned the word and folks got all worked up in lather. Fearing I might feel left out, I went out and got some movies and a spare propane tank just in case we lost power and we prepared to hunker down. I get back to the house and the phone rings. Heather was on-call and the hospital was afraid she would have trouble getting there if they needed her (it’s about a 20 minute drive) so she had to go in and spend the night in the hospital. We get her packed up with some snacks, movies, the laptop, and send her on her way. J-man and I get all our snow gear ready so we can head out first thing the next morning to play and we head to bed. I get up early the next morning and peer through the blinds to see exactly how much snow we had gotten…. nothing! Just a little ice. Folks about 80 miles north ended up getting something like 6 inches and we get nothing! Ugh! Anyway, it was really cold so we just spent the day watching cartoons (mainly Barney… have I mentioned how much I hate purple dinosaurs?). Heather made it home about lunchtime and hit the sack. She was exhausted. J laid down for a nap and all was quiet for the entire afternoon. I started working on a King Cake recipe (you’ll see that on the blog soon) and these delicious Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings. It was just the kind of day for something warm and filling and with a two-year old cooped up in the house with me all day, the slow cooker was the best option. I was super impressed with this recipe. Lots of other recipes I saw called for canned biscuits for the dumplings, but I’m not a huge thick gooey dumpling fan so I made them the old fashion way. And though it may seem a little daunting it’s really super easy to make your own. Here’s my take on Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings… Y’all enjoy!
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used the 98% fat free to lighten it up a bit)
- 1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons of ice cold water
Directions
- Turn the slow cooker on low and add the butter, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, chicken broth plus one can of water, chopped onion, and chicken breasts. Make sure the breasts are covered with liquid.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- About an hour before serving, crank the slow cooker up to high and break up your chicken. (I used a potato masher and just mashed it up. It should be very tender and easy to piece up.)
- Combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with 5 tablespoons of ice cold water. You may have to add a little more water or a little more flour to get to the right consistency to roll out.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll thin (about 1/8″). Cut into 1″ squares with a pizza cutter or knife.
- Drop the dumplings around the side of the slow cooker where it is the hottest and stir.
- Cover and cook for at least 45 minutes.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (10.75-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup ((I used the 98% fat free to lighten it up a bit))
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
- 5 tablespoons ice cold water
Instructions
- Turn the slow cooker on low and add the butter, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, chicken broth plus one can of water, chopped onion, and chicken breasts. Make sure the breasts are covered with liquid.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- About an hour before serving, crank the slow cooker up to high and break up your chicken. (I used a potato masher and just mashed it up. It should be very tender and easy to piece up.)
- Combine 1/2 cup flour with 5 tablespoons of ice cold water. You may have to add a little more water or a little more flour to get to the right consistency to roll out.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll thin (about 1/8″). Cut into 1″ squares with a pizza cutter or knife.
- Drop the dumplings around the side of the slow cooker where it is the hottest and stir.
- Cover and cook for at least 45 minutes.
Notes
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Grnny
Needto know what it yields nd size of crockpot ued.
Stacey
I use a 4 to 6-quart for this recipe.
Anthony
I just have a question do you cook the chicken on high for the last hour and the dumplings on high for the last 45 mins?
Stacey
Hi Anthony! No, it should take you about 15 minutes to make the dumplings, so by the time you’ve made them, you should have about 45 minutes left of that hour to cook the dumplings. Does that make sense?
Darlene Randazzo
I made this today & it was easy & delicious. I made twice the amount of dumplings & it was perfect!
Stacey
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
CINDY SIMPSON
Hey guys… the ingredient list is missing the 1 can of water. So If you don’t read the directions thoroughly, you might miss it
Sharon Powers
This is my go to recipe for chicken pastry ( as it is called in North Carolina)
Only change I make is to use Anne’s frozen pastry strips instead of making them myself…
Stacey
Don’t those frozen dumplings make things easy!?!? So glad you’ve enjoyed this one, Sharon!
Karen Murphy
These were the best and easiest Chicken and Dumplings I have ever made. I have made several of your recipes and love them all!!!
Thank you so much for the time you spend doing this!
Stacey
Comments like this are exactly why I do what I do! Thanks, Karen! So glad they turned out great for you!
Eva
Wondering why I follow the dumpling instructions and my dumplings keep coming out “doughy”/ “liquidy”? 🙁
Stacey
Doughy probably means they were too thick to cook through. I’m not sure about liquidy.
Julie
Can this crockpot version be converted to stovetop? Thanks!
Hunter
Thank you, Stacey for the amazing recipe! Made this today for my wife and I to eat tonight and boy was it a hit. This recipe has definitely been saved so I can cook it again in the future. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow. So glad I came across this.
Stacey
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed it!
Beverly
If I use regular flour instead of self-rising, how much baking powder and salt do I need to add, if any? This sounds so good, I really can’t wait to make it!
Stacey
I’d add about 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. 🙂
Carol Belles
Made these today. The broth / gravy was delicious. I used thighs instead of breasst but that is the only change. The dumplings were gummyI checked them after 45 minutes and they were still very gummy like they weren’t done. Cooked them another 30 minutes but that didn’t help. The dumplings generally dissolved in the broth. Those left were still gummy I now have a nice thick gravy that is delicious but only one or two dumplings. I must have done something wrong.
Stacey
Sounds like maybe the dumplings were a bit too thick. Regardless, it sounds like is tasted great!
Jocelyn
Making this during our forth snowstorm in a month. House smelled so yummy when we came in from a round of shoveling
Stacey
Hope y’all enjoy and thaw out soon!!
Jeremiah
The first thing I’ve ever made that myself, the wife, and all 4’of the kids loved. Also the first time there was no leftovers!
Stacey
Nothing makes me happier! So glad everyone enjoyed it!!
Lesley
Hello! My 12 year old son, a budding cook himself, found your website around the holidays and we made your Santa Belly Oreo truffles. They were a HUGE hit at home and at my office, and super fun to make. I also made the pecan snow balls which were delicious. On to this recipe. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was also delicious and easy. My only modification when I make it tonight will be to halve the amount of chicken and quadruple the dumplings! YUM YUM!!
Stacey
Love hearing that, Lesley! If there’s anything I can do to help encourage him, please let me know! I’m so happy you enjoyed the truffles, snowballs, and chicken and dumplings!! I hope you’ll find even more you love just as much!
Amanda
How many does this serve? My family of 6 are big eaters. I would serve it with mashed taters!
Stacey
I would at least double this recipe for 6 folks.
Ashley Edgar
I made your recipe and I have to say it was incredibly easy! I of course made the homemade dumplings & am so excited to try this when the hubby gets home from work! It’s smelled divine cooking in my slow cooker all day! There’s nothing better than a home cooked meal and it’s smell permeating throughout the house. Thanks again for the recipe!
Stacey
Awesome! I sure hope y’all enjoyed it!!
Natalie Green
My dumplings still look like flour in the middle. Help!! What have I done wrong???
Stacey
Were they mixed thoroughly? If so, just keep cooking them.
Claire P
This looks awesomely delicious!!!!! This is going to be my dinner tonight with a glass of red wine. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Stacey
Hope you’ll enjoy!
Supriya Kutty
Amazing Recipe!!! I’ve Bookmarked your website. Do write more so people get help from your Recipe. Thank you.
Stephen
Substitute Squirrel for the chicken and you have the Southern Classic Squirrel and Dumplings -Totally Awesome and so many great memories
jolene ecker
I’ll be making this soon…sounds delish…Do you think some mashed and rolls would go with this? Haven’t made this before and it seems kinda bare…LOL
Elizabeth
This looks so good! Dumplins’ are my absolute favorite. About how many servings would this recipe make?
Stacey
About 4. Enjoy!
LeAnn Wood
Ok, I am making it for dinner tonight. What side dishes do you think would go good with this? I was kind of trying to channel Cracker Barrell 😉 but I wanted to hear what other people have done.
Stacey
Honestly, this is a full meal for us some nights. But, I like your Cracker Barrel idea… green beans, carrots, etc.
Dan
Ingredients doesn’t say one cup water ,but directions call for it is this needed? Sounds delicious just don’t want to make a mistake thanx
Stacey
Yes, since you’re using one can of water and using the can from the chicken broth, it’s not listed first. Enjoy!
Susan Knell
Stacey,
I love your recipes and your stories! I wanted you to know I tried the crock pot chicken and dumplings and it came out perfect! I had never made dumplings in my life and I guess was always a little afraid that I couldn’t do it, but yours were so easy! Whenever I try something new, if my husband really likes it, he says, “you can make that again”, and of course he said it with this recipe! Thanks for your great recipes and stories!
Susan
Stacey
So great to hear! Thanks for your kind words!
Cheyenne
Yum! This sounds absolutely delicious. It’s on our menu for this week. I wanted to ask, how would the dumplings turn out with just all-purpose flour? I typically don’t buy self-rising. Thanks for sharing!
Stacey
They won’t be much different with all-purpose.
Athena
Tried this tonight and just did not like it at all. I usually make mine homemade and everyone loves them but this just tasted like cream of chicken soup with onions. Sorry, I’ll stick to my original recipe. I might try some of your other recipes though! Hey, you can’t please everyone right?
Stacey
Sorry you didn’t like it! Hopefully you’ll find something else you do! 🙂
Stacy
Think I made my dumplings to thick, tried one with 30 minutes left on timer and it’s like a biscuit in the middle. But it still taste good. Next time I will make thinner. Can you use buttermilk in place of the water or season the dough some how?
Stacey
The buttermilk will probably make them puff up even more, that’s why I always use cold water.
Gerri Barron
Getting my menu together for the week, trying to use what I have in the house and freezer. I have frozen dumplings so I going give this a try. Add some cracklin cornbread 🙂
Stacey
Sounds great! Enjoy!
Pam
Made this for my husband and he loved it (as did I)! I’ve tried to replicate his grandmother’s chicken and dumplings for 40 years and your recipe finally did it! THANKS! I don’t have a slow cooker so I made it on the stove and it turned out just fine. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes Stacey.
Stacey
So glad it turned out great for you!!
Al
That was one of the easiest meals I have ever cooked and it was delicious. Best thing was coming home and smelling the food as I walked in the door. One question though is I have a lot left over, can this be frozen and used later? Would love to try it with a bit of curry added. Yummmm!
Stacey
So glad you enjoyed it! I certainly think it could be frozen.
Abby
Hi,
I was wondering if instead of making the dumplings… could we just drop in pieces of canned biscuit dough ?? I know this works on casseroles in the oven, my daughter-law does this all the time —but I have always made my dumplings from scratch, so just not sure how it would be in the crock pot. I appreciate any help -advise you might have.
Thanks
Stacey
I’m afraid the biscuits won’t work in the slow cooker. They probably won’t cook through.
Joanne
Help me, Jesus, this looks good!
I’m from the South and I moved to Missouri about four years ago. I still feel so lost. Thanks for “bringing me home” with your wonderful recipes!
Blessings to you!
Joanne
Stacey
Thanks so much, Joanne!
Gina
This dish was creamy and delicious. It warmed my soul.
Stacey
That’s the BEST kind of food! Glad you enjoyed it!
Gina
The weather report said, sleet and snow today and I’ve been looking at this recipe for a few weeks now. Today was my chance to bring out the crock pot and cook this admired comfort food I’ve loved since childhood. I have a few more minutes for my dumplings to cook and I’m diving in face first! Of course, I have my yeast bread for sopping.! I’ll let you know how it taste as soon as I come up for air.
Robin
This looks awesome – it looks like you are using a smaller crock pot? Do you recall which size you use for this recipe? Our house is for sell and I’m going to have this cooking as prospective buyers view the property – I think it will do the trick! Thank you Stacey!
Stacey
The one I use most is a 4 quart. This homey smell just might do the trick! 🙂 Good luck!
Judith
I make mine the same way except when I throw in the chicken I also add a couple of sliced carrots and a couple of stalks of sliced celery .Then to spice it up a little I add one jalapeno cut in half.Before I add the dumplings I take the veggies out and mash about half of them into the dumpling dough.Delicious !
Stacey
Sounds delish!
Julia Wyrick-Egan
Hi Stacey,
Want to make these with the frozen dumplings(please dont judge me;), about how many dumplings came out of your mix? I dont want to throw the whole package in and ruin the whole pot.
Thank you!!! Julia
Stacey
I don’t judge!! I’d break the dumplings up into squares and use about 20, I would guess.
kim
Add some Evaporated milk and oh so creamy!!
Stacey
YUM!
Jessica
I love these dumplins’ but I make the soup part a bit different. After putting the chicken in I add three cans of broth, one can of cream of chicken, one can of cream of celery, and about 1/2 top of each Thyme, rubbed sage, and rosemary. It turns out incredibly delicious.
Jessica
tsp.
Stacey
Sounds delish!
Kathy Panchyk
Just adding the dumplings. Smells heavenly. Can’t wait to try it!
Stacey
Wonderful! I hope it was delicious!
Pat
This looks so good. I plan to try this soon. Do you serve any other side or bread with the chicken and dumplings?
Thanks!
Margaret
1/2 cup flour sure doesn’t seem like much. But then I usually make dumplings in a stock pot so we can pig out several times.
Stacey
No, this doesn’t make a whole lot of dumplings because they will have to cook in the slow cooker and adding lots of them would cause the cook time to increase. It’s formatted specifically for the slow cooker. I’ve not had any complaints about the amount of dumplings though. I think the ratio of dumplings to chicken is about right.
Tina
I make these everytime I want Chicken and Dumplings….Love it and so easy to prepare! Thank you for sharing!!!
Stacey
Wonderful! I’m so glad you like the recipe so much! Thanks, Tina!!
Kay Overman
Saw your post today. I am so going to try these. I love chicken and dumplings and these dumpling sound great.
Stacey
I hope you enjoy them!!
Debbie Henson
I fixed your chicken and dumplings last night. My husband and I both loved it. It was so good, I looked thru your other recipes and am going to try your Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe tomorrow night. Thanks for posting!
Stacey
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy
This recipe sounds wonderful! I’ve never tried to make chicken and dumplings. I’m
Going to try it tonight though!
Stacey
Good luck! I hope they turn out great for you!
Terry
Made this for supper tonight. Loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Stacey
Wonderful! I’m so glad y’all enjoyed it!!
Sheri A
I tried this recipe last night…letting it cook all night and then making the dumplings this morning. Thedelicious smell wafting through the house woke me up..ha. I made the dumplings…by the way…this is the easiest dumpling recipe I have ever seen..and I decided to double the recipe so there would be plenty of dumplings floating around. It taste wonderful! The only thing is I thought it tasted a bit salty but that was my fault for adding extra chicken bouillon. Will I make this again? You betcha!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Merry Christmas!
Stacey
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Merry Christmas!!
Mary
I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I can’t wait to make it again!! Thanks so much!!!
Val
I make this recipe at least once a month. As a college student it’s great because I make it before class and come home to a great dinner!
Rebecca
I have this in my crock pot now! Smells amazingly good! I have never had good luck with the dumpling part, wish me luck! I will let you know how it turns out! Love this website by the way!!
Wendy
I grew up on this stuff, but here in South Jersey, it was called Chicken Potpie (PA Dutch Style). We never used cream of chicken soup, but made a stock with the chicken and all the seasonings (including onion and celery), removed the chicken and placed the strips of dough (Mom didn’t cute them into squares) into the boiling broth. The chicken was then served on the side. I just love this kind of food (and it loves me, too, since it never seems to leave my sides!) I frequently make it with flour tortillas cut into strips instead of making my own dough.
Again with the timed-out request. Ugh.
Rachel
I made this tonight for dinner since it’s nice fall like weather here in PA today! It was so yummy! And homemade dumplings were so worth it! Thanks for the great recipe!
deidre
Can’t wait to try this, sounds yummy! Could you possibly use the refrigerated pie crusts for the dumplings?
Stacey
Hi Deidre! I’ve never tried the pie crusts but it seems like it would work to me! Good luck!
deidre
OMG…..Stacey, this is to die for! The pie crusts worked great (I’m not a fan of biscuits) Everyone is STILL raving about dinner; my 10 yr. old said “that’s why I love you so much, you’re a good cook!” Got any more slow cooker recipes?
Stacey
Yee haw! That’s awesome! I’m so glad it all worked and that your family enjoyed it! Here are a few more slow cooker favorites: https://southernbite.com/?s=slow+cooker&x=0&y=0
Sandra Mull
I’ve tried refrigerated pie crust and it doesn’t work as well as frozen dumplings. The pie crust has more shortening and they dumplings tend to dissolve a bit as the shortening melts.
Stacey
🙂
C Mays
This sounds wonderful, but I despise making dough for the dumplings. Do you think the frozen dumpling strips would work? I make them on the stove that way, but it’s so hard to keep them from sticking and to get the consistency right, I would love to try it this way!
Stacey
I think using the frozen dumplings will work just fine. They just might take a little longer to cook through since they are frozen.
Libby
Stacey, I want to try these out, and was wondering if the frozen dumplings will work. I have never used biscuits, but the frozen dumplings are really good. I might have to try them out. I would think they would work as good as homemade or maybe better since they are frozen and firm.
Stacey
Libby – I think the frozen dumplings will work just fine, though they might take a little bit longer to cook. Enjoy!
Sandra Mull
I use frozen dumplings (Mary Hill, Mary B’s Open Kettle, or Anne’s) all the time and they are wonderfully light, just like my Grandmother’s were. I let the package thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes, or until softened but still firm, and they are still easy to handle but don’t slow down the cooking. I believe the package suggests partial thawing, also.
Stacey
Great tip! Thanks Sandra!
Judy
Where do you get your frozen dumplings at. My local stores do not carry them!
Sandra Mull
Reply to Judy
All the supermarkets and Walmart carry them in GA, in the ‘pasta and bread’ section of freezer items. The brand I prefer, Mary Hill, is probably not available outside the south, but Anne’s and Open Kettle should be found in most locations.
Judy
I live in Kentucky so I guess Walmart is just out for now. I just haven’t been able to find any anywhere yetI I will keep a watch thou. Thanks for replying back to me!
Beth
Looks yummy! However, I think your instructions are missing a step. Shouldn’t you cut the butter into the flour before adding the water?
Stacey
The butter goes in the crock pot with the chicken, not in the dumplings. The dumplings are just flour and water.
Pony
I happened upon this page this morning. (thank you, Google!) I immediately printed the recipe and headed for the kitchen. I set my empty bowl in the sink a few minutes ago, and placed the recipe in my “Keeper” file. Dang, that was good! Thank you so much for the recipe. 🙂
Stacey
Yes, thank you Google! I’m so glad you found us and that you enjoyed the recipe!!
Kathy
This turned out perfect! Thank you so much! ????
Stacey
So glad you enjoyed it!
Jalee Scott
So great! Made it yesterday and my family LOVED it!
Kari
This looks good. Historically, I’ve used bisquick for dumplings. These homemade ones look like they’ll be even better! My chicken is cooking in the crock pot now with the soup, broth water and onion. I also added some chopped garlic, fresh chopped basil and parsley (just a pinch), carrots and salt and pepper to mine. Looking really forward to dinner tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberly
Thanks for sharing. I have never made this before and it looks and smells really good. My 12 year old is now whining because she has to wait 30 more min. before she can eat it.
Shauna and Allan Anderson
I made these for dinner tonight and they were great and so easy!
Stacey
Wonderful! I’m so glad y’all enjoyed them!
Mozzie Starlet
Stumbled across this today and it’s in the crockpot simmering for tonight’s supper. I love Chicken n Dumplings and this was too easy to pass up! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
greta
Thank you for this recipe! I’m trying it today! I was looking for something like this because I can’t quite get my mom’s Lancaster, PA “potpie” right when I try it on the stovetop. I’m hoping the crockpot version will work better for me. And, like the others who left comments, I refuse to use the canned biscuits for this! 🙂
Stacey
Props to you for saying no to canned biscuits! I’m so excited to hear how it turns out!
Michelle Halcomb
So, I’ve been browsing your recipes and I came across this…I have to laugh, doesn’t it just tickle you a little when people use can biscuits? I like bread, I like dough even, I love dumplings, but these can biscuit dumplings? Eeewww, I’ve tried it, guh-ross. Two words. I look forward to trying this new dumpling recipe, thanks for sharing. OH- I live in IN and we get snow, a lot in the winter and folk around here do the same darn thing. Like we are NEVER going to get back into civilization again…always turns out I just need groceries, but the whole town has bought out everything. Too funny.
Stacey
You know, I have no problem with folks making things easy, but that’s just one short cut I can’t make. These dumplings are super easy and delish.
Wendy
This looks fantastic. I grew up in South Jersey where Pennsylvania Dutch Style (aka Rolled) Chicken Potpie was very popular (and still is in some areas). It bears a striking resemblance to your chicken and dumplings (which I’ve had in Knoxville and love) other than the chicken is served separately, not incorporated into the broth. Mom made her strips without self-rising flour, but the difference stops there. She’d roll it out, cut it into long strips and let it sit while she made the broth/stock. The chicken came out and was kept warm and then the strips were added to the stock and cooked until everything was thick and wonderful. When she was young, she liked potatoes in hers (whole potatoes boiled in the stock), but I prefer just the “dumplings”. It was and is my ultimate comfort food and my body is proof of just how comforting it has been over the years! 😉 I will be trying this method as soon as I can. I have self-rising flour and the rest of the ingredients, and I’m in need of some comfort, so it’s about time! Thank you for this!!!
Stacey
Wendy, thanks for the wonderful story! I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe. And trust me, my body know all to well how comforting some foods can be! 🙂
Tracy Griffin
I made these tonight and they were wonderful and so easy!! Can’t wait to try some other recipes!
Stacey
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them!
Rachelle
Just put this in the crockpot to cook. Can’t wait to have it for dinner tonight!
Stacey
I’ve been debating whether to ask if you enjoyed it or not since I haven’t heard back from you… So at the risk of being told it was gross… how was it?
Lethia B
Two thumbs way up for making your own dumplings. Homemade are just indescribably better than canned biscuit dumplings. 🙂
Belinda
Yum…..that really looks good!! I’ll have to try that.