Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 20 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 50 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
439 kcal
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Course
Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
Description
Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings starts with garlic, yellow onion, celery, carrots, a bay leaf, dried herbs, chicken breast, water, salt, and pepper cooked together in a slow cooker. The chicken is cooked until tender and shredded before being returned to the broth. Dumplings are prepared separately by mixing flour, baking powder, salt, parsley, sugar, cold butter, and milk into a batter resembling damp sand before cooking.
The slow cooking process softens the vegetables and infuses the broth with herb and chicken flavor, producing a fragrant base. The dumplings cook atop the soup, growing fluffy and light with a slight richness from butter, providing a tender counterpoint to the savory liquid and vegetables.
This dish is suited as a standalone comfort meal especially for cooler days. The combination of broth, chicken, vegetables, and dumplings offers balanced textures and flavors, with fresh herbs brightening the rich soup.
Freezing chicken breasts in advance helps manage shopping and preparation timing. Keep the slow cooker mostly covered during dumpling cooking to maintain heat. The dumpling batter requires gentle mixing to achieve the right crumbly texture.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 cloves garlic $0.16
- 1 yellow onion $0.57
- 3 ribs celery $0.80
- 1/2 lb. carrot $0.55, about 4
- 1 chicken breast $1.49, large, about 3/4 lb
- 1 bay leaf $0.15, whole
- 1 tsp basil $0.10, dried
- 1 tsp thyme $0.10, dried
- black pepper $0.05, freshly cracked
- 4 cups water $0.00
- 1 tsp salt $0.05, or to taste
Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.21
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder $0.15
- 1/2 tsp salt $0.02
- 1/2 Tbsp parsley $0.15, dried
- 6 Tbsp butter $0.90, cold
- 3/4 tsp sugar $0.01
- 2/3 cup milk $0.41
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and slice the carrots and celery into small pieces. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, basil, thyme, chicken breast, water, and some freshly cracked pepper to a slow cooker. Stir to combine and then cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
- After cooking for four hours on high or eight hours on low, remove the chicken from the broth and place it on a cutting board (if you cooked on low heat, turn it to high now). Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in 1 tsp of salt to the soup. Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible during this process to retain heat and maintain the temperature.
- Allow the soup to continue to cook on high while you mix the dumpling batter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, parsley, and sugar. Mix well. Add butter in small chunks and cut it in or work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles damp sand. Add the milk and stir until a very soft paste-like mixture forms.
- Remove the lid from the slow cooker and drop the dumpling batter into the soup by the heaping spoonful. Return the lid to the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes they should have fluffed and expanded from the heat. Although they may look moist on the outside, they will be light and fluffy on the inside. Serve hot.
Notes
- Buy chicken breasts on sale and freeze them for later use in this recipe.
- Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible during cooking to maintain temperature.
- Mix the dumpling batter gently and ensure the butter is cold for best texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1Serving | |
| Calories | 439kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 56.52g | 19% |
| Protein | 21.13g | 42% |
| Fat | 15.03g | 23% |
| Sodium | 1057.4mg | 44% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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