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Cozy Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings: Easy Set-and-Forget Recipe

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This set-and-forget crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe features tender chicken, creamy broth, and soft, fluffy dumplings. It’s simple comfort food that changes minds without even trying.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • For the dumplings:
  • 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk

Instructions

  1. Prep the vegetables: Dice the onion, slice the carrots into rounds, slice the celery, and mince the garlic.
  2. Layer the crockpot: Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread the diced onion, sliced carrots, celery, and minced garlic over the top.
  3. Add the liquids and seasonings: Pour the chicken broth over everything. Add the butter, dried thyme, dried rosemary, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir gently to distribute the herbs.
  4. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
  5. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken breasts using tongs and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot. Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Make the dumpling dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. Pour in the milk and stir with a wooden spoon just until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
  7. Drop the dumplings: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the surface of the simmering broth, spacing them out slightly. Do not press them down.
  8. Cook the dumplings: Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 20-25 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time. Dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and they look puffed and fluffy.
  9. Serve immediately: Ladle the chicken, vegetables, broth, and dumplings into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Don’t overcook the chicken; 6 hours on low is ideal. Cold butter is essential for fluffy dumplings. Drop dumplings gently and do not stir after adding. For a creamier broth, stir in ½ cup heavy cream before adding dumplings. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat on stovetop with a splash of broth. Freeze the base without dumplings for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot chicken and dumplings, slow cooker chicken and dumplings, easy chicken and dumplings, comfort food, set-and-forget recipe

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/cozy-crockpot-chicken-and-dumplings-easy-set-and-forget-recipe/