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Cozy Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch

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A comforting, from-scratch chicken and dumplings recipe made in the slow cooker with a rich, silky broth and fluffy, pillowy dumplings. Perfect for cozy evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole chicken (3–4 pounds)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

  1. Slow Cook the Chicken (6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high): Place the whole chicken in your slow cooker. Add the roughly chopped carrots, celery, quartered onion, smashed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Pour in the cold water — it should come about three-quarters of the way up the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the chicken is fall-apart tender and the broth is fragrant and golden.
  2. Strain and Shred (15 minutes): Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set it on a cutting board or large plate. Let it cool until you can handle it — about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Once the chicken is cool enough, shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. You should have about 3-4 cups of shredded chicken. Set it aside.
  3. Sauté the Aromatics (10 minutes): In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the finely diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften — about 5-7 minutes. Don’t let them brown; we just want them tender.
  4. Make the Roux (2 minutes): Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour over the softened vegetables. Stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and starts thickening your soup. It will look a bit pasty — that’s perfect.
  5. Combine Broth and Roux (5 minutes): Slowly pour in about 2 cups of your reserved warm broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Once it’s smooth, pour the entire mixture back into your slow cooker (or a large pot if you’re finishing on the stove). Add the remaining broth, the milk or cream, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and shredded chicken. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add the frozen peas.
  6. Prepare the Dumpling Dough (5 minutes): In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried parsley. Add the cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Pour in the cold milk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix — a few dry spots are fine.
  7. Add Dumplings to the Slow Cooker (2 minutes): Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the surface of the hot soup. Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons. Drop them evenly, leaving a little space between each one — they’ll puff up as they cook. Don’t push them under the broth; let them rest on top.
  8. Cook the Dumplings (30-40 minutes on high): Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 30-40 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time! The steam is what cooks the dumplings, and peeking lets it escape. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, and the dumplings look puffed and fluffy.
  9. Rest and Serve (5 minutes): Turn off the slow cooker and let everything sit for about 5 minutes. This allows the dumplings to set and the soup to thicken slightly. Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving gets a good dumpling or two, plenty of chicken and vegetables, and lots of that creamy broth.

Notes

Don’t skip the whole chicken step for the best flavor. Keep dumpling ingredients cold. Do not lift the lid while dumplings cook. Thicken the broth with a roux before adding dumplings. Use a cookie scoop for even dumplings. Add peas at the very end. For gluten-free, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. For dairy-free, use olive oil or plant-based butter and unsweetened oat milk or full-fat coconut milk. The soup tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot chicken and dumplings, slow cooker chicken and dumplings, from scratch chicken and dumplings, comfort food, chicken soup, dumplings, cozy dinner

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