Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 17, 2025 Crockpot chicken and dumplings is a classic Southern recipe that’s easy to make in your trusty slow cooker. Use simple ingredients like tender pieces of chicken, sauteed veggies, and canned biscuits. Together these pantry staples create the silkiest, most savory and delicious crock pot comfort food meal for cozy weekends!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Chicken and dumplings might be THE prime example of Southern comfort food at its finest. The name says it all… Tender juicy chicken swimming in a rich gravy-like broth, nestled with veggies and pillowy soft dumplings. This is about as cozy a dish as you can get!
We have a fabulous and VERY popular stovetop chicken and dumplings recipe here on the site. (It’s my favorite recipe for dumplings, and I hope you make it one day.) However, for all my crockpot lovers out there, this simplified slow cooker version is silky, decadent, and just as comforting!
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
- Easier than homemade – There’s no need to labor in the kitchen to make biscuit dough from scratch! This recipe uses canned biscuits – or you can even use frozen (and thawed) dumplings if you can find them at your local grocery store.
- Homemade flavor – The biscuits are from a can, but most of the remaining ingredients, including juicy chicken and fresh vegetables, are wholesome and delicious. All of this goodness in a thick and buttery base is absolutely heaven!
- Crock pot convenience – For the most flavor, we recommend briefly sauteeing the veggies and flour on the stovetop first. But the chicken gets dumped in raw for a fabulous slow cooker recipe with minimal effort.
Give this crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe a try on a chilly weekend, and I’m sure you’ll be making it regularly all fall and winter long!
Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken – Use your choice of boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Breasts are leaner, but fattier thighs have a deeper, decadent flavor.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter, so you have total control over how much salt goes into the dish.
- Veggies – The classic home-cooking combo of onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- All-purpose flour – To thicken the chicken and dumpling broth.
- Chicken broth and poultry seasoning – Using both of these simple ingredients adds incredible savory flavor to every bite.
- Canned biscuits – Use “Grands” buttermilk biscuits or other preferred brand. Or, you can make the crock-pot chicken and dumplings recipe with frozen and thawed biscuits, or frozen southern dumplings.
- Fresh parsley – To sprinkle onto the crockpot chicken and dumplings before serving.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings in a Crock Pot
Tips for Success – For best results, sauté the veggies and flour on the stove top before adding them to the crock. This sweetens the veggies and releases the flavors, creating a much silkier texture on the vegetables. It also cooks the flour ahead of time, so it has a nice mellow flavor to thicken the crock pot chicken in dumplings gravy.
Also, once you add the dumplings to the chicken and gravy, be careful not to stir them too much. It’s important that the crockpot is on the high setting at this point so that the dumplings cook, and not break down and disintegrate into the gravy. This can happen if the temperature is too low or if you stir the dumplings too much.
Find the full Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Cool leftover chicken and dumplings completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing – This recipe is great for freezing! Place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container, and wrap the whole thing in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection from freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating – Reheat leftovers in the microwave in short 15-20 second bursts at 50% power, until the dumplings are heated throughout. Be gentle when stirring – the dumplings will already be soft from being stored, and you don’t want to smoosh them apart while reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Sprinkle the top of the chicken and dumplings with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm in large bowls. Loaded with protein-rich chicken, veggies, and cuddly carbs, slow cooker chicken and dumplings is the definition of a one-bowl meal. You already have everything you need right there!
If you’re feeding a crowd, or just like to freshen things up a bit, consider serving a cold and crunchy salad on the table as well. Our romaine hearts salad and classic Caesar salad recipes are quick and simple to put together in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely yes, you can! Crock pots are perfect for slow cooking raw chicken until it’s fork-shreddable and tender.
We like a bit of “soup”-ness to our crock pot chicken in dumplings. If you prefer the base to be a bit thicker, you can make a cornstarch slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cold water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly stir the mixture into the crockpot while it is still on HIGH, and the broth will thicken as it continues to cook.
In this slow cooker recipe, simply add extra broth at the end to reach your desired consistency. Or try our Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ – 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts and/or chicken thighs
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 5 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 12-14 ounces canned buttermilk biscuits or raw frozen biscuits, thawed
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set out a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Then set a large skillet (or sautéed pan) on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Add the butter, chopped onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to the skillet. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the flour, and stir and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the flour is golden-brown. Turn off the heat.
- Scoop the vegetable mixture into the slow cooker. Add the chicken pieces, and pour in the chicken broth. Then sprinkle the tops of the chicken breast with 5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
- Cover and cook the chicken on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Once the chicken is fork-tender, use forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, leaving them in the slow cooker.
- At this point, if you were cooking the chicken on low, turn the crockpot to HIGH so that it simmers around the edges.
- Pop open the can of buttermilk biscuits. Roll the biscuits flat. Then use kitchen shears to cut each biscuit into six wedges.
- Gently stir the biscuit wedges into the crockpot. Once they are all coated and gravy, stop stirring. The more you stir the dumplings, the more likely they are just to disintegrate into the gravy.
- Cook the chicken and dumplings for another 60-90 minutes. The dumplings will absorb the liquid in the crock and thicken the gravy. They should be soft but fully cooked through when ready to serve.
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken and dumplings with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Cool leftover chicken and dumplings completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing – This recipe is great for freezing! Place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container, and wrap the whole thing in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection from freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating – Reheat leftovers in the microwave in short 15-20 second bursts at 50% power, until the dumplings are heated throughout. Be gentle when stirring – the dumplings will already be soft from being stored, and you don’t want to smoosh them apart while reheating.
