This crockpot chicken and dumplings is one of my favorite effortless meals. It requires minimal prep, is mostly hands-off, and utilizes refrigerated biscuits to make things super easy. I made this comforting stew with juicy chicken thighs, dried herbs, and cream of chicken soup to make it extra rich and creamy. If you’ve been searching for a slow cooker version where the biscuit dumplings actually come out light and fluffy instead of gummy, this is the one. The biscuits steam right on top of the stew until they puff into soft, pillowy dumplings with golden edges, and the creamy gravy underneath is perfect for spooning over every bite. It’s the cozy dinner I make on chilly fall weeknights and lazy Sundays alike. There’s nothing quite like it!
5-Star Review
“This is soooooo good!!! I’ve tried so many crock pot recipes lately and they’ve all been underwhelming. This is the best one I’ve found…I can’t wait to try the other recipes on this page!” -Julianna
How I Keep Biscuit Dumplings Fluffy, Not Gummy
Chicken and dumplings is such a hearty and comforting meal, and I made it even easier by cooking it in my slow cooker! This delicious stew is full of rich flavors and so creamy. Topped with store-bought biscuit dough, it always makes dinnertime a breeze!
A lot of canned biscuit versions stir the dough right into the liquid. I take a different approach and set the biscuit pieces on top of the stew, so they steam under the lid the same way a biscuit rises in the oven. That’s why they turn out fluffy and flaky instead of dense and pasty, and it’s also why keeping the lid closed matters so much.
In my most recent round of testing, the dumplings still looked slightly raw at the 1-hour mark. They needed a full 1½ hours to turn matte on top and firm to the touch, and the pieces along the rim of the crockpot turned golden brown. Inside, they were soft and fluffy like little pillows, with flaky layers just like a regular baked biscuit. Every slow cooker runs a little hotter or cooler, so plan on 1-2 hours and trust the visual cues below more than the clock.
Prep takes about 15 minutes. The chicken cooks on high for 3-4 hours, then the dumplings need another 1-2 hours. The recipe makes 6 hearty bowls, and almost everything comes from the pantry, like canned soup, broth, and dried herbs. So many readers have told me they’d tried biscuit dumplings before and never had them work until this recipe, and that’s exactly the result I want for you too.
Thick and Creamy or Brothy? Adjust Before the Biscuits Go In
The biscuits soak up a surprising amount of liquid as they steam, so this recipe finishes thick and creamy, closer to a pot pie filling than a soup. That’s how I love it! If you prefer a brothier bowl, readers have had success stirring in an extra ½ to 1 cup of warm chicken broth right before adding the biscuits. Use warm broth so you don’t cool down the stew, since the biscuits need hot liquid underneath them to steam. If you like it even thicker, start with 1¼ cups of broth instead of 1¾ cups.
Tips for Beginners
- Use chicken thighs for the best texture. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs have more fat and connective tissue than breasts, so they stay juicy through 3-4 hours on high and shred into tender, silky pieces. Chicken breasts will work in a pinch, but they dry out faster in the slow cooker and can turn stringy, so check them at the 3-hour mark.
- Know why dumplings turn out raw, gummy, or soggy. It almost always comes down to steam. Every time you lift the lid, the steam the biscuits need escapes, and a slow cooker takes a long time to recover that heat, so keep the lid on for at least the first hour. Pulling them too early is the next most common problem. When I tested this recipe, the dumplings still looked a little raw at 1 hour and needed 1½ hours to cook through. Biscuit pieces that are crowded, stacked, or pushed down into the liquid also stay doughy in the center, because the part sitting in the sauce simmers instead of steaming.
- Don’t let them overcook either. It’s important to neither undercook nor overcook the dumplings. Undercooked dumplings will be raw in the middle and dense, while overcooked dumplings will begin to disintegrate into the gravy. Switch the crockpot to warm as soon as they’re done so they hold their shape until dinner.
- Look for doneness cues. Your dumplings are done when they are light, fluffy, and slightly firm. The tops should look matte instead of shiny, and the pieces along the edge should be golden brown. You can insert a toothpick into the center of one, and it should come out clean. The dumplings should be soft, but they should not taste doughy. See photos of done dumplings in the step-by-step section.
- Fix a thin stew. If your soup isn’t thickening, you may have added too much chicken broth. You can thicken it back up by cooking down the mixture on high for a bit before adding the biscuits. I used cream of chicken soup to thicken this stew, but you can also add a roux made from 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour cooked until foaming, or stir in a slurry made from 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water.
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5-6 thighs)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced
- 1 onion chopped
- 10.5 oz. cream of chicken soup (1 can)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 16.3 oz. refrigerated biscuit dough (8 large biscuits)
- chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Shake salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken thighs and arrange in the bottom of the crockpot.1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Add in bay leaf, parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic powder.1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pour in chicken broth, carrot, onion, and cream of chicken soup. Gently stir the top to incorporate the ingredients without disturbing the chicken. It doesn’t have to be completely mixed together.1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 10.5 oz. cream of chicken soup
- Cover crockpot with the lid and cook in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is easy to shred and reaches the internal temperature of 165°F.
- Add the frozen peas. You can shred the chicken if you desire. Remove the bay leaf as well. Stir well to combine.½ cup frozen peas
- Open a can of biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into fourths. Roll each biscuit into a round ball. Arrange the biscuit pieces on top of everything else in the crockpot.16.3 oz. refrigerated biscuit dough
- Replace the lid, turn the crockpot to high, and cook the biscuits until done, about 1 to 2 hours depending on your crockpot. Don’t lift the lid to check on them, if possible. If you have a glass lid, you can peek through the glass. The biscuits should take on a matte look when they are finished. Cut into one biscuit to make sure it’s cooked through.
- When the biscuits are done, adjust seasonings to taste and serve.chopped fresh parsley
Video
Notes
- Raw or soggy dumplings are the most common problem with this recipe, and the fix is almost always more time with the lid closed. In testing, the dumplings still looked raw at 1 hour, so plan on 1½ hours and wait for matte tops and golden edges before you cut one open.
- Chicken breasts dry out and turn stringy over a long cook, so use boneless, skinless thighs for the most tender results. If you do use breasts, check them at the 3-hour mark.
- Cream of chicken soup already adds a lot of salt, which is why low-sodium broth is the better choice here. Taste the gravy once the dumplings are done and season from there.
- The biscuits absorb a lot of liquid, so this finishes thick and creamy. For a brothier stew, stir in ½ to 1 cup of warm broth right before adding the biscuits.
- To cook on low, cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours, then switch to high for the dumplings. The biscuits need the higher heat to steam through.
- Potatoes, celery, or frozen mixed vegetables all work here, but potatoes need the full cook time to soften, so add diced potatoes at the start with the carrots.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The stew freezes well for up to 6 months, but the dumplings turn mushy, so freeze the stew before adding the biscuits and cook fresh ones after reheating.
Nutrition
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together.
Season the Chicken: Shake ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper over both sides of 1½ lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of the crockpot.
Fill the Crockpot: Add in 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp of dried parsley, ½ tsp of dried rosemary, ½ tsp of dried thyme, and ½ tsp of garlic powder. Pour in 1¾ cups of low-sodium chicken broth, 1 peeled and sliced carrot, 1 chopped onion, and 10.5 oz (1 can) of cream of chicken soup. Gently stir the top to incorporate the ingredients without disturbing the chicken. It doesn’t have to be completely mixed together, and it’s fine if the soup still sits in thick dollops.
Cook the base: Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is easy to shred and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. By this point, the broth will be bubbling around the edges, and your kitchen will smell like thyme and rosemary. Fish out the bay leaf and discard it. Shred the chicken right in the crockpot with two forks, or leave it in larger pieces if you prefer. Add ½ cup of frozen peas and stir well to combine. The stew should look creamy and lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Add the Dumplings: Open a 16.3-oz can of biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into fourths. Roll each piece into a round ball. Arrange the dough balls in a single layer on top of the stew, letting them rest on the surface instead of pressing them under the liquid. Leave a little room between them, because they puff up as they cook.
Cook the Dumplings: Replace the lid, make sure the crockpot is on high, and cook the biscuits until done, about 1 to 2 hours depending on your crockpot. Mine took 1½ hours. Don’t lift the lid to check on them, if possible. If you have a glass lid, you can peek through the glass.
How to Tell When the Dumplings Are Done
At 1 hour, the dumplings will likely still look a little shiny and raw, so give them more time. They’re ready when the tops look matte instead of glossy, they feel firm when you press one lightly, and the pieces around the rim of the crockpot are golden brown. Cut into one from the center of the pot, since those cook the slowest. The inside should be soft, fluffy, and flaky like a regular baked biscuit. If it looks wet, sticky, or doughy, put the lid back on and check again in 15 minutes.
Season and Serve: When the biscuits are done, taste the gravy and adjust seasonings as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Easy Swaps and Variations
- Add potatoes: Swap the peas for diced potatoes cut about the same size as the carrot slices, and add them at the start with the carrots so they get soft and tender.
- Add celery: A chopped rib of celery added with the onion and carrot gives the stew an even more classic flavor.
- Use mixed vegetables: A bag of frozen mixed vegetables can stand in for the carrot and peas. Stir it in when you would add the peas.
- Go fresh with the herbs: A few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary work in place of dried. Pull out the stems along with the bay leaf before shredding.
- Double the herbs: If you like a bold, herby stew, double the dried herbs and garlic powder.
- Cook it on low: Cook the chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours, then switch the crockpot to high before adding the biscuits.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover crockpot chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dumplings will keep soaking up the gravy as they sit, so expect them to be softer and the stew thicker the next day.
Freezer
Freeze the stew without the dumplings in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Cooked dumplings turn mushy and fall apart once frozen and thawed. Let the stew thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then place it in the slow cooker on high until it’s hot and bubbling, add fresh biscuit dumplings, and cook through.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the thickened gravy. Stir gently so the dumplings stay in one piece. You can also microwave individual bowls, covered, in 1-minute bursts until hot.
Serving Suggestions
The classic way to serve chicken and dumplings is all on its own in a wide, shallow bowl. I ladle in the creamy stew first, then set two or three dumplings right on top so they stay fluffy, and finish everything with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley.
When I want to turn it into a bigger dinner, I always put bread on the table for mopping up the gravy. no-knead Dutch oven bread is my favorite here because the crisp, crackly crust holds up to the creamy sauce, and the rosemary in the dough echoes the herbs in the stew. The dough rests overnight, so I mix it the night before and bake it while the dumplings cook.
This stew is rich, so I like something bright and green next to it. Green beans with bacon take about 20 minutes, which means I can make them during the final stretch of dumpling cooking, and their crisp-tender bite and smoky sweetness cut right through all that creaminess.
More Ways to Make Dumplings
- Chicken and Dumplings: This stovetop version makes fluffy drop dumplings from scratch with flour and baking powder, and the whole pot is ready in about an hour. It’s the one to make when you want classic chicken and dumplings tonight without waiting on the slow cooker.
- Dumpling Soup: Frozen dumplings simmer in a savory miso-ginger broth for a cozy soup that’s on the table in 30 minutes. It’s a quick, fresh take on dumplings for busy nights when comfort food needs to happen fast.
- Apple Dumplings: Whole apples wrapped in refrigerated pie crust bake into golden, cinnamon-sugar dumplings. They use the same store-bought dough shortcut as these biscuit dumplings and make a cozy fall dessert after a bowl of stew.
More crockpot chicken comfort food
Our Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe was originally published 6/4/21. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 10/7/26.
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