Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings (Print View)

Tender chicken and fluffy dumplings combined with colorful vegetables in a creamy savory broth.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken & Broth

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
04 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 tsp dried thyme
08 - 1 tsp dried parsley
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Vegetables

12 - 1 cup frozen peas
13 - 1 cup green beans, chopped (fresh or frozen)
14 - 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)

→ Creamy Base

15 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
16 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

→ Dumplings

17 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
18 - 2 tsp baking powder
19 - 1/2 tsp salt
20 - 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
21 - 3/4 cup whole milk
22 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Add chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, dried thyme, dried parsley, black pepper, salt, and butter to a large slow cooker.
02 - Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours until the chicken is tender.
03 - Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred using two forks, then return shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
04 - Whisk heavy cream and 1/4 cup flour together until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker to thicken the broth.
05 - Stir in peas, green beans, and corn kernels until evenly combined.
06 - In a medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and parsley to form a soft dough.
07 - Drop spoonfuls (approximately 1 tablespoon each) of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew in the slow cooker.
08 - Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
09 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off; you can prep it and forget about it until dinner smells unbelievable.
  • The dumplings are impossibly fluffy and absorb all those creamy, savory broth flavors.
  • One slow cooker does all the work, which means fewer dishes than you'd expect.
  • It feeds six people for the price of what you'd spend on takeout for two.
02 -
  • Don't open the slow cooker lid constantly; each time you do, you add precious minutes to the cooking time.
  • The dumpling dough should be soft and a little tacky—if it's too dry, they'll be dense; if it's too wet, they'll fall apart.
  • Cooking the dumplings on high (not low) is essential so they actually puff up and cook through rather than getting soggy.
03 -
  • If you want deeper flavor, sear the chicken and vegetables in a skillet with a little oil before adding them to the slow cooker—it takes ten extra minutes but transforms the final dish.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice stirred in right before serving adds brightness that makes everything taste more alive.

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