There’s nothing like Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings to warm you up on a cold winter night!
Okay, that gratuitously cozy-sounding first sentence was to coax you into reading the rest of this post after you glanced at the featured image.
I’ll be the first to admit that these Chicken and Dumplings pics aren’t the prettiest examples of food photography to ever grace my blog.
BUT! I guarantee you that this dish is one of the most delicious, hearty, and comforting recipes you’ll find on the interwebs.
My photos seriously don’t do it justice, and I apologize for that. I actually debated not posting them, but this recipe is SO DAMN GOOD that I decided to throw caution to the wind and let ‘er rip.
So, loyal Tartlets, please take me at my word when I tell you that Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings is the shizznit. (Urban Dictionary translation for non-Snoop Dogg fans: the bee’s knees.)
And, um… to those of you stumbling across A Well-Read Tart for the very first time? I’M SORRY. Please see literally any other blog post for better food photos.
Why is Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings the book-inspired recipe for Cosy: The British Art of Comfort?
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings is my book-inspired recipe for Cosy:The British Art of Comfort, for obvious reasons. This one-pot meal is on repeat at the Cottage the minute the weather turns a wee bit frosty.
It’s the perfect dish to leave cooking on the countertop as it fills your kitchen with mouth-watering aromas. Pretty soon, everyone in your house will be clamoring to taste the tender, shredded chicken and super-fluffy dumplings simmering in savory gravy.
The slow cooker is the trick to making this dish so easily. All good chicken and dumpling recipes take a few hours to cook. But, with this version, you barely do any work.
Everything goes into the slow cooker, and all you have to do is stick around to stir it every once and awhile, or add an ingredient here and there until it’s ready to serve.
My secret to making perfect dumplings
“What about making the dumplings?” you ask. “Isn’t that difficult?“
I mean, yeah, probably. For some people. Especially since the dumplings have to be perfect; they’re pretty much the stars of the show.
True story: I once served this dish to a friend who, after just one bite, said, “These dumplings are amazing! What’s your secret to getting them so light and tender?”
It was so tempting to boast about my amazing biscuit-making skills, handed down through generations of women, and how I’ve confidently put my own spin on a classic, time-honored recipe.
Instead, I told him the truth: the dumplings in my Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings are actually Pillsbury biscuits.
Yes, I cheated. And you should, too! Using refrigerated biscuit dough in this recipe is a SUPER amazing cooking hack that takes the stress out of making this comfort food classic.
I swear, once you try it, there’s no going back.
Oh, but feel free to roll out the generational biscuit speech if you want. Nothing wrong people thinking you have mad Chicken and Dumpling skillz.
Because with this recipe — YOU DO.
What do you serve with Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings?
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings is a solid meal all on its own — it’s got meat, veg, and carbs in one dish.
Follow up this cozy, comfort meal with an equally cozy and comforting dessert like a hefty slice of Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache, a ramekin of Sticky Toffee Pudding, or oodles of Blackberry Cobbler.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinles chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 10.5-oz cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 10.5 ounces of water
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 12-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Finely dice the onion and set aside.
- Cut the butter into small pats and set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the diced onion and butter to the bowl of a large slow cooker.
- Pour in the condensed cream of chicken soup, then fill one empty can with water and add the water to the slow cooker.
- Add the spices to the slow cooker, then stir all ingredients together.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the mixture, making sure all chicken is completely submerged.
- Place the cover on your slow cooker and set it to HIGH and cook for 3-3.5 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
- Once chicken is cooked, remove to a plate, shred with two forks, then add back into the slower cooker.
- Remove the refrigerated biscuit dough from its packaging and cut each dough round into nine pieces to make dumplings. Add the dumplings into the slow cooker, along with the frozen mixed veggies (do not thaw beforehand).
- Stir to combine, trying to make sure as many dumplings are submerged as possible, then place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stir gently. If the dumplings are still raw (they probably will be), turn the slow cooker to LOW, replace the cover, and cook for another 30 minutes. Dumplings should be fluffy and completely cooked through after this, but if they’re not, cook for additional 10-minute intervals on LOW until dumplings are no longer raw.
