Description
This comforting Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe features tender chicken breasts cooked low and slow in a flavorful broth with sweet onions, thyme, and mixed vegetables. Light, fluffy dumplings made from scratch are steamed on top, creating a hearty, satisfying one-pot meal perfect for cozy family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Soup:
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 12 ounces frozen peas and carrots (about 2 ½ cups)
For the Dumplings:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker base: Add the chopped onion and pieces of unsalted butter to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts on top of the onion and butter. Sprinkle dried thyme, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper evenly over the chicken. Add the bay leaves and pour in the low sodium chicken broth.
- Cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred easily.
- Make the dumpling dough: When cooking time is nearly complete, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the whole milk and melted butter using a fork until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for a few minutes to firm up while shredding the chicken.
- Prepare the soup for dumplings: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water together to form a slurry and set aside. Remove the cooked chicken breasts to a plate and discard the bay leaves from the slow cooker. Stir the cornstarch slurry and frozen peas and carrots into the slow cooker. If previously cooked on low, switch the slow cooker to high.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine evenly.
- Add the dumplings and finish cooking: Quickly scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dumpling dough and place them in a single layer atop the soup in the slow cooker, leaving some space between each dumpling for expansion. Spoon a small amount of broth over each dumpling to keep them moist. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the dumplings are fully cooked and fluffy.
- Serve: Once the dumplings have cooked through, ladle the chicken and dumpling soup into bowls and serve warm for a hearty and comforting meal.
Notes
- For a fresh vegetable alternative, substitute the frozen peas and carrots with chopped fresh carrots and celery, adding them to the slow cooker alongside the onions at the start.
- Ensure the dumplings are carefully spaced on top of the soup to allow them to expand as they cook without sticking together.
- Using whole milk yields the best texture for the dumplings, but you may use lower-fat milk if preferred.
- Cooking the dumplings on high heat ensures they cook through evenly without becoming dense.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
