Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings {with canned biscuits}
164 Comments Aug 25, 2021
Updated Apr 22, 2025
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This easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe comes together with canned biscuits and cream soups but delivers rich, homemade flavor. A true comfort food classic, it’s perfect for any season.
This is my husband’s all-time favorite meal. Before life got busy, I used to make chicken and dumplings from scratch, but now I appreciate easy, comforting recipes like this one. It’s a true one-pot meal, with fluffy dumplings made from cut-up Pillsbury Grands Biscuits.
Follow my simple steps for the best Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings—you’ll want to add this to your weekly menu! My Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie is similar — but with baked biscuits!
What you need:
- Chicken breasts – Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut these into large cubes.
- Condensed soups – Cream of chicken soup and cream of celery
- 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 Pillsbury brand, I find that this brand always cooks through unlike the organic brand that seems to stay doughy in this recipe.
- {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images}
How to make Chicken and Dumplings in a crockpot:
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. Pour over a can of chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Stir. 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 3 – After the cooking time is up. Cut up 7 Pillsbury Grand Biscuits into quarters; this is the perfect amount for this recipe; use any extra for another purpose.
Step 4 – 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 5 – Place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes more. The biscuits are cooked in with the soup.
Variations and Tips
- 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!
- Other additions; potatoes, mushrooms or bacon can be added for more heartiness.
- The chicken breasts can be left whole, then shredded before adding the dumplings (biscuits).
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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
More recipes to try:
- Slow Cooker Ham Hocks and Dumplings
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Ala King
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
How to Video
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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!
- Other additions; potatoes, mushrooms or bacon can be added for more heartiness.
- The chicken breasts can be left whole, then shredded before adding the dumplings (biscuits).
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Didn’t care for this recipe. Pilsbury biscuits just wasn’t right in this recipe. I’d rather use real dumplings.it’s ok if that’s all you want.
Can I prep this the night before, so I can turn it on before work in the morning?
You can, though beware the slow cooker can crack if put on straight out of the fridge (I’ve never had it happen, but others have).
How long do you think I can keep the biscuits in the sauce before serving? I want leave a meal for someone to eat later, but not sure the biscuits will be ok. I need add the biscuits to be served 4 hours later!
I think they would continue to soak up the sauce. You could bake the biscuits and serve on the side.
Trying this tonight! If I double the chicken and veggies, should I double the sauce? I’m afraid it will have too much liquid. (Planning to do biscuits separately not in the crockpot). Thank you! Your recipes are great!
It will probably be fine, you may just want to add one more can of soup.
Thanks for the reply! I didn’t see this in time, but had skipped adding any water besides the broth (had already doubled the soup), and it was still way too liquidy. I added a lot of cornstarch near the end and allowed some time for bubbling, and it did thicken up nicely. It was very tasty and very much enjoyed and already looking forward to the leftovers. Next time, I won’t plan on doubling everything. 🙂 Thanks so much!
I tried making this and the biscuits never seemed to cook. They are gooey. I have continued to cook them but it hasn’t helped. Not sure what I did wrong. It smells amazing so the chicken and broth part seems delicious
Make sure your slow cooker is on high, add the biscuits and keep the lid on. You don’t want to add the biscuits if your slow cooker has switched to warm for a long period of time. It won’t be hot enough to cook them.
How do I make it thicker. It was very good.
You can add two tablespoons cold of water to two tablespoons of cornstarch (mix well). Add that at the end before adding the biscuits.
I am having same issue as some others. Following the directions. Exact. Yet biscuits are not cooked. Not sure what else to do!
Be sure your slow cooker has not switched to warm, the soup needs to be hot before adding the dumplings.
Can I make this in a 4 qt crock pot?
Thanks, Jo
I don’t think it will fit with the dumplings.
Just wondering can I use canned chicken in your crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe or any of the others calling for cubed chicken? Thank you!!
I don’t see why not. You’ll still have to cook quite a long time if there are veggies like carrots or potatoes, they take just as long as meat to cook.
Wow, this is delicious! Thank you for creating this recipe.
I used a can of peas vs frozen, putting them in for the last 45 minutes, and they were great.
We got a late start on our morning, so we cooked this on low for about 6 1/2 hours, then high for 30 minutes, then high again for 45 minutes for the biscuits and peas.
It all turned out fabulous.
Glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of our favorites.
I’m going to have to try this one this one seems to be an easy recipe
First off let me say I love this recipe!! Great!! Although I added a couple extra items. (1 can cream of mushroom, garlic salt, seasoning salts, and 2 Tbsp of flour to thicken up)
However I am from the south, our chicken and dumplings are a litttlw different. I do believe this dish would be more appropriately called “Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie”!