Easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings, made with canned biscuits and cream soups but tastes completely homemade. This comfort food recipe is perfect any time of year
This is my husband’s favorite meal. Before life got hectic, I used to make chicken and dumplings from scratch often. Nowadays, I love easy recipes like this one. You will notice this recipe is a one-pot meal! The dumplings are cut-up Pilsbury Grands Biscuits.
How to make Chicken and Dumplings in the Crockpot
Follow my easy directions for the best Chicken and Dumplings! You will want to have this on the menu every week!
Ingredients:
- Chicken breasts – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut these into large cubes.
- Condensesed soups – Cream of chicken soup and cream of celery
- Water – Just one cup
- Chicken broth – One can is all this recipe needs, this will add flavor and just enough liquid.
- Vegetables – Fresh carrots, celery and onion. Add the frozen peas at the end of the cooking time.
- Seasonings – Freshly ground pepper and thyme. No extra salt is needed for this recipe.
- Biscuits – I use pilsbury brand, I find that this brand always cooks through unlike the organic brand that seems to stay doughy in this recipe.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1 – Add diced chicken, carrots, celery, and onion to a slow cooker.
Step 2 – Add a can of cream of chicken and a can of cream of celery. Also, add thyme and black pepper.
Step 3 – Pour over a can of chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Stir.
Step 4 – Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW. (WAIT TO ADD THE BISCUITS)
Step 5 – After the cooking time is up. Cut up 7 Pilsbury Grand Biscuits into quarters; this is the perfect amount for this recipe; use any extra for another purpose.
Step 6 – Stir in the frozen peas into the soup. Add the cut-up biscuits on top of the soup, spreading them out evenly. Sprinkle over dried thyme and black pepper.
Step 7 – Place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes more. The biscuits are cooked in with the soup.
Step 8 – Serve and enjoy!
What can I use instead of canned biscuits?
- Bisquick – Follow this recipe for Bisquick dumplings from Betty Crocker. Cook the dumplings for the same amount of time I have listed for the canned biscuits (with the lid on).
- From Scratch – Use this recipe for homemade dumplings from Spruce Eats. Cooking time remains the same as my recipe.
- Crescent rolls – you can use the crescent dough the same way this recipe does for biscuits. Cut into small pieces and add to the hot soup.
- Flour tortillas – These can be used if you have none of the above. Cut into small squares and add to the finished soup. Cook for 20 minutes on high.
Can I freeze leftover chicken and dumplings?
- Yes! Let the soup cool off and place into freezer ziplock bags or plastic Tupperware.
- Freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw in the fridge 24 hours before needed.
- Reheat on the stovetop in a pan or in the microwave.
FAQs and Expert Tips for this Recipe
Yes, you can shred the chicken after the cooking time is up, before adding the biscuits
I do not recommend adding any frozen meats to the slow cooker. The chicken may stay in the “danger zone” too long before cooking and is not safe for eating. Plan ahead and thaw your chicken in the fridge; this usually takes about 24 hours.
If you would like to use a rotisserie chicken, dice up the chicken, you can use white or dark meat. Use 3 cups of diced rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Follow recipe the same as using raw, for the vegetables still need a long time to cook properly.
You can use raw or cooked turkey in this recipe if desired with great results. It will be called turkey and dumplings instead!
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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts cubed
- 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 oz. can cream of celery soup
- 1 cup water
- 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
- 2 carrots sliced (about 2 cups after being sliced)
- 2-3 ribs celery sliced (about 2 cups after being sliced)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas optional
- 16.3 oz. Pillsbury Grand Biscuits 8 biscuit sized can note- I only use 7 of these biscuits
- more thyme and pepper for the top of biscuits
Instructions:
- Add chicken, carrots, celery, onions, thyme, and black pepper to your slow cooker.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, chicken broth and water. Stir.
- Cook on HIGH For 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Add peas at this point if you would like. Stir.
- I only use 7 biscuits for this recipe. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Arrange the biscuit quarters evenly over the soup.
- Sprinkle dumplings with a touch of thyme and pepper. Replace the lid.
- Turn your slow cooker to HIGH.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes (DO NOT OPEN THE LID DURING THIS TIME). You will know the dumplings are done when they are no longer shiny.NOTE- If your slow cooker has switched over to warm after cooking for a length of time you will need to cook the dumplings for 1.5 hours so the slow cooker gets back up to temperature.
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- I do not recommend adding any frozen meats to the slow cooker.
- The chicken may stay in the “danger zone” too long before cooking and is not safe for eating.
- Plan ahead and thaw your chicken in the fridge, this usually takes about 24 hours.
- If you would like to use a rotisserie chicken, dice up the chicken, you can use white or dark meat.
- Use 3 cups of diced rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
- Follow recipe the same as using raw, for the vegetables still need a long time to cook properly.
- Bisquick – Follow this recipe for Bisquick dumplings from Betty Crocker. Cook the dumplings for the same amount of time I have listed for the canned biscuits (with the lid on).
- From Scratch – Use this recipe for homemade dumplings from Spruce Eats. Cooking time remains the same as my recipe.
- Crescent rolls – you can use the crescent dough the same way this recipe does for biscuits. Cut into small pieces and add to the hot soup.
- Flour tortillas – These can be used if you have none of the above. Cut into small squares and add to the finished soup. Cook for 20 minutes on high.
- Yes! Let the soup cool off and place into freezer ziplock bags or plastic Tupperware.
- Freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw in the fridge 24 hours before needed.
- Reheat on the stovetop in a pan or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Liz says
I have a smaller crock pot (3 quart), do you think if I half this, it will work? I’ve been in the mood for nice soup during these rainy days
Leslie says
I’ve made this recipe a couple times now and my boys and I love it! I followed directions to a T except we don’t like peas so I leave them out. I cook it on high for 4 hours. The first time I shredded the chicken, the last time I made it I did the cubed chicken and I like that method better. When the chicken was all shredded it seemed to absorb a lot of the creaminess to the dish. Cubed it was perfect! Thank you for this recipe!!
T says
Cooked all day put biscuits in over an hour ago and they are still not done. Ordering pizza as we speak :/
Kate says
Sooooo great! Whole family absolutely loved it! I didn’t change a thing. My biscuits took about an hour and ten minutes to ge done. Definitely pay attention to the “shiny” note.
Sarah Olson says
So glad to hear!
Brittany says
Should I boil my breast first before adding the shredded chicken or diced chicken to slow cooker so that I can pull off bone?
Sarah Olson says
Hi! Do you have bone-in chicken? I would remove the skin and add the raw bone-in chicken to this recipe. When the cooking time is up, remove and shred then add back into the soup. Then add your dumplings.
Laura says
How would I make this in the oven? I like to cook my chicken slow and low for 7 hours, but time will not allow that today.
Sarah Olson says
I can’t say without testing it first. I apologize.
Vee says
If I have a mixed bag of frozen peas and carrots when should I add it? Or should I separate them lol
Sarah Olson says
I would separate or add halfway through the cooking time. 🙂
Dustin says
I totally messed up and put peas in right away. I guess we will see how it turns out. 3hours left on high
Sarah Olson says
It will be fine!
Donna Bishop says
cook frozen vegetables in microwave then add to slow cooker last few minutes or on side for those picky eaters….I once put in a large bag of mixed frozen vegetables and it brought down the temp in my crock pot and took forever to finish cooking.
Maee says
If I add potatoes should I do anything different?
Sarah Olson says
I would cut them in small cubes and keep the lid on. They will take the full 8 hours to soften.
Kristen says
What kind of Grands do you use? Flaky or homestyle?
Sarah Olson says
It doesn’t matter. Though, for this photo shoot I used Grands southern homemade.
Jerry says
Hi. I made this yesterday with Honey Butter Pillsbury Grands. They added a certain sweetness to this that was delicious.
Diane Cohen says
I made this tonight, it was cold and rainy outside. It was the perfect comfort food. We all loved it-my husband had several helpings and is bringing leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I put the chicken breasts in and cooked for 6 hours (my slow cooker seems to cook faster), shredded the chicken in the pot, and then added the biscuits, cooking as directed. I will definitely be making again!
Sandra Edwards says
Made this yesterday to celebrate first cold snap of the year along with the first snow, and needing some ‘comfort food’. Can’t describe how wonderful is this meal! It is deeply satisfying without being too filling. The ingredients combo, while are just right. Must admit to adding a little roux just before topping with the biscuits. I was skeptical, at first of using refrigerated biscuit dough, being a ‘made from scratch’ maven. But they are fantastic. And ,finally, used poultry seasoning rather than Thyme, due to pantry limitations. Not only would I make this again, willdefinitely make it for picky company. Thank you for this recipe. Based on my experience, I will look more carefully at the rest your site has to offer.
Kassi says
If I don’t have cream of celery can I substitute cream of mushroom?
Sarah Olson says
Yes, that will work fine.
Michelle says
I used an extra can of cream of chicken mixed with a little bit of sautéed celery.
Donna Bishop says
any cream of soup will do.
Charlott says
Absolutely great thanks