The classic Southern comfort food gets an easier, quick-prep makeover. Canned biscuit dough tossed in cornmeal turns into soft, pillowy dumplings right in the slow cooker, so you get tender chicken and a creamy, spoon-coating broth with about 15 minutes of hands-on work! If you’re from the South, you already know this one. If you’re not, this is a very good place to start!
More chicken and dumplings recipes:
Before You Get Started
Chicken and dumplings is a forgiving recipe right up until the dumplings go in. These four things are what separate soft, pillowy dumplings from a pot of broken dough:
- Don’t stir the dumplings. They’ll look like they’re sticking together as they puff up and float. Stirring early is what makes them break apart.
- Toss the biscuits in cornmeal. The coating keeps the pieces separate and helps thicken the broth as they steam.
- Turn the pot to HIGH. Low heat doesn’t generate enough steam to cook the dough through in an hour.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
This is about the easiest way I know to make chicken and dumplings! Everything goes into the slow cooker raw, the biscuits go in at the end, and the whole thing thickens itself while you’re doing something else.
Step 1: Load the Slow Cooker
Spray a large slow cooker with nonstick spray, then add the celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth, both cans of condensed soup, the raw chicken, and the poultry seasoning.
There’s no browning and no sautéing here. Just stir it enough to break up the condensed soup and put the lid on.
⇢ Use frozen mirepoix in a pinch. A bag of frozen diced onion, carrot, and celery works fine and cuts your prep down to about five minutes. No need to thaw it first.
Step 2: Cook Until the Chicken Is Tender
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. You’re looking for chicken that shreds with almost no resistance and carrots that give easily when you press one against the side of the pot.
⇢ Cream of celery is easy to swap. Two cans of cream of chicken works, and cream of mushroom gives the broth a deeper, earthier flavor. If a creamy mushroom base sounds better to you, my Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits is built around that.
Step 3: Shred and Season
Pull the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot. Now taste it.
This is the step to season, not the beginning: the condensed soups are already salty, and four to six hours of cooking concentrates everything. Most batches need a generous pinch of salt, a good amount of black pepper, and often more poultry seasoning than you’d expect.
⇢ Rotisserie chicken shortcut: Skip the raw chicken and stir in about 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken right before the dumplings go in.
Step 4: Cut and Coat the Biscuits
Cut each biscuit round into 8 pieces. Drop them into a large bowl or a gallon zip-top bag, add the cornmeal, and toss until every piece is dusted. The cornmeal is what keeps them from fusing into one large dumpling as they steam.
Resist the urge to cut the pieces smaller than eighths. Smaller pieces don’t cook faster; they just have less structure and are more likely to break apart in the pot.
Try it another way
Want a firmer, more baked biscuit? These dumplings steam, so they stay soft. My Chicken and Biscuits bakes the biscuits on top instead, so they come out golden and flaky.
Step 5: Add the Dumplings
Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, scatter the biscuit pieces over the surface, cover, and cook for about 1 more hour. Then leave them alone. They will look like they’re clumping together as they puff and float, and they are not. That’s exactly what they should be doing.
To check for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of the largest dumpling. It should come out clean, with no wet dough clinging to it. The dumplings will still be soft and doughy rather than crisp, because they steamed instead of baking.
⇢ Doubling the batch? Give the dumplings 30 to 45 extra minutes on HIGH and spread them in a single layer. A crowded pot steams unevenly and leaves the middle pieces raw.
Step 6: Stir, Thicken, and Serve
Once the dumplings are cooked through, give everything a gentle stir. The finished dish should look like a thick stew: heavier than a broth-based soup, but still with plenty of rich liquid in the bowl. Both the condensed soups and the starch released by the biscuit dough do that work for you.
Ladle into bowls and finish with minced fresh parsley or thyme. A dash of paprika adds color, and sliced green onion or chives work nicely too.
Too thin? Stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked into 2 tablespoons cold water, then cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes.
Too thick? Loosen it with a splash of warm chicken broth, milk, or heavy cream, added a little at a time.
What to Serve Alongside
Chicken and dumplings is a full meal in a bowl, so a side dish is totally optional here. Something to sop up the broth is the first thing we reach for, and then a green vegetable or something crisp is nice to cut through all that richness.
Cornbread is great, and it’s the better choice over biscuits since there’s already biscuit dough in the pot. Add one green vegetable and one crisp side and the table is set.
- Southern Cornbread
- Southern Collard Greens
- Southern Style Green Beans
- Classic Homemade Coleslaw
- House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Apples
My husband hates my crockpot. He actually said this was the best crockpot meal I’ve ever made! Said the meat wasn’t overcooked and that it had great flavor. Can’t wait to start trying other recipes from this site!
– KCROGERS
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers hold up well, though the dumplings soften a little more each day.
To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The dumplings will be softer after freezing, so this is best for a batch you plan to eat as a thick stew rather than for company.
To reheat: Warm gently in a saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat just until heated through, stirring as little as possible so the dumplings stay intact. Individual bowls reheat in the microwave in about 1 minute. If the broth has thickened up in the fridge, thin it with a splash of chicken broth or milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my crockpot chicken and dumplings watery, and how do I thicken it?
Most of the thickening happens on its own as the biscuit dough releases starch into the broth, so the first thing to try is simply giving the dumplings their full hour.
If it’s still thinner than you’d like, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water, stir it in, and cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes. Cooking with the lid off is what lets steam escape and the liquid reduce, so leaving it uncovered does real work here.
Why did my dumplings fall apart?
Almost always because they got stirred too soon. As the dough puffs and floats it looks like it’s clumping into one mass, and the instinct is to break it up. Wait until they’re fully cooked before stirring. The other common cause is cutting the biscuit pieces too small, which leaves them without enough structure to hold together while they steam.
Can you overcook the dumplings?
Yes, though it takes a while. Past about 90 minutes the dumplings start to dissolve into the broth, which thickens the dish but leaves you with fewer distinct dumplings. Start checking at the one-hour mark with the toothpick test and pull them as soon as it comes out clean.
My dumplings still aren’t cooked after an hour. What should I do?
First, confirm the pot is on HIGH. Low heat doesn’t produce enough steam to cook raw biscuit dough through, and this is the most common reason it happens. Then just give it another 20 to 30 minutes with the lid on.
If you doubled the recipe, expect to need 30 to 45 extra minutes, and spread the dumplings into a single layer so the ones in the middle aren’t insulated by the pieces around them.
Why does my chicken and dumplings taste bland?
Season at the end rather than the beginning. Condensed soups start out salty, so seasoning early leaves you no room to adjust after four to six hours of concentrating. Once the chicken is shredded, taste and be generous: salt, plenty of black pepper, and often more poultry seasoning than the recipe calls for.
A handful of fresh parsley or thyme stirred in right before serving makes a bigger difference than you’d think.
More Cozy Crock Pot Chicken Dinners
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 (16.3 ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough (I used 8 Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits, but any similar variety will work)
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: minced fresh parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Load the slow cooker: Spray a large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth, both condensed soups, the uncooked chicken, and the poultry seasoning. Stir just enough to break up the condensed soup.
- Cook until tender: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken shreds easily and the vegetables are tender.
- Shred and season: Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper, adding more poultry seasoning if needed.
- Cut and coat the biscuits: Cut each biscuit round into 8 bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large bowl or gallon-size zip-top bag, add the cornmeal, and toss until every piece is coated.
- Add the dumplings: Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Scatter the biscuit pieces over the surface, cover, and cook about 1 more hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean. Do not stir during this hour.
- Stir and serve: Once the dumplings are cooked through, stir gently. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs.
Alternate Oven Directions (not preferred)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large Dutch oven with cooking spray.
- Dice the chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Add the celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth, condensed soups, diced raw chicken, and poultry seasoning to the pot.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cut each biscuit round into 8 pieces and toss with the cornmeal.
- Remove the pot from the oven, stir, and add the coated biscuit pieces. Cover and return to the oven for 15 more minutes, until the dough is cooked through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- Do not stir the dumplings while they cook. They look like they’re sticking together as they puff and float, but the cornmeal coating keeps them separate. Stirring early is what makes them fall apart.
- Turn the pot to HIGH for the dumpling hour. LOW doesn’t generate enough steam to cook the raw dough through.
- Testing for doneness: insert a toothpick into the center of the largest dumpling. It’s ready when the toothpick comes out clean. The dumplings stay soft and doughy rather than crisp, because they steam instead of baking.
- If you double the recipe, add 30 to 45 minutes to the dumpling cook time and spread the pieces in a single layer.
- To thicken: whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water, stir it in, and cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To thin: stir in warm chicken broth, milk, or heavy cream a little at a time.
- Season at the end, not the beginning. The condensed soups are salty and the broth concentrates as it cooks. Taste after shredding the chicken and adjust from there.
- Soup swaps: two cans of cream of chicken work, or use cream of mushroom in place of the cream of celery for a deeper flavor.
- Rotisserie shortcut: skip the raw chicken and stir in about 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken just before adding the dumplings.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring as little as possible.
Nutrition
Originally published in December, 2017, this post was updated in September, 2026.
I absolutely love your dump and bake recipes. They are easy to prepare and use ingredients I can readily find at the store. Please, keep them coming!
Thank you so much, Lynn! I will definitely continue to share at least 1 dump-and-bake recipe each week (and sometimes more)! It’s my favorite way to cook. 🙂
This definitely reminds me of what my mom used to make growing up in upstate NY. I will absolutely be making this after the holidays. The dumplings are exactly what I remember. Hope that you and your family have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Perfect, Cynthia! I hope that you enjoy it! Happy holidays!
This sounds like a perfect meal after all the rich holiday food. Thanks for the instructions fo 2.
Merry Christmas and wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thank you, Linda! Merry Christmas to you as well! 🙂
Ooooh, this looks amazing! We loveeeee chicken and dumplings!!
So good!!! Thanks, Kristy!
I will be using a 5 qt dutch oven is thy to small for the original recipe?
Hi, Fallyn! I think that will probably work fine! 🙂
This sounds very good but I hate biscuit dough as dumplings. I’ve always made my own. So at what point do you think I would put in my dough? Do you think it would take the same amount of time to cook as biscuit dough?
Hi, Brandy! The total cooking time will completely depend on the size, thickness and type of homemade dumplings that you prefer. You’ll add the dumplings at the same point in the process — whether using homemade dough or biscuit dough. I would start with about 15 minutes of cooking time for the dumplings and then just check them to see if they’re cooked through, adding more time as necessary.
Hi, Chris! The dumplings should cook in the pot with the other ingredients (which helps thicken the broth, too). They should be soft and kind of doughy (but not raw). They won’t be a flaky biscuit-like texture because they’re steaming in the liquid rather than baking. If they were still raw, it sounds like maybe the whole thing just needed to cook a bit longer? You can definitely use pre-cooked chicken that you add at the end, if you like. 🙂
If you’re looking for a similar recipe where the biscuits get firmer and the veggies are cooked in advance, you might prefer these Chicken and Biscuits: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-and-biscuits/
This happens to me when I stew a whole chicken the night before a big family holiday dinner. I stew the chicken, remove it from the broth, strain the broth, cover it and refrigerate it until I’m ready to make dumplings the next day. The broth has always jellied by the next day. I think it has something to do with the chicken. After I heat it for dumplings, the jelly turns into broth again. I’ve been doing this for 52 years, and everything is delicious! This is just natural when cooking chicken and cooling it.
Yes! It’s the collagen in the broth (that’s released when you cook the chicken bones). It’s the healthy stuff that tells you that your broth is rich and delicious. 🙂 As you said, just heat it up and all is fine again!
Hi, Blair! This looks like the type of recipe I am going to need at least much of the type. If I need recipes like this which involve few steps and some convience items, should I look mostly at your dump-and-make category or are there more scattered in the other categories. Are there words to put in the search? As always thanks for all you do, take care and love to you, your menfolk, your sweet little dog, and even that ol’ skeleton on the porch!
Hi Marion! Yes, the dump-and-bake category is a good place to start, but many of my recipes are similar— minimal ingredients and quick prep. I would search based on the ingredients or type of dish that you want to prepare. For instance, look just at the pork recipes or just at the casserole recipes for new ideas — whatever strikes your fancy.
Can you please tell me if the crockpot should be on high or low for the hour you add the dumplings. Thank you.
Hi, Kris! Sorry for that confusion. High heat works best at that point. I’ll update that in the recipe!
I’m happy to report I used chicken breasts and they were so tender a juicy I couldn’t even get them out of the pot. They just fell apart. Unfortunately, I missed the note about not stirring the dough and it added an extra hour of cooking time. Even so, this was delicious and SO easy. Will make this many more times and not mess up the biscuits!
Awesome, Sarah! I’m so glad that you liked it!
My husband hates my crockpot. He actually said this was the best crockpot meal I’ve ever made! Said the meat wasn’t overcooked and that it had great flavor. Can’t wait to start trying other recipes from this site!
We’re so happy it turned out well!
DELICIOUS! the only thing I did differently was I added the parsley and S&P with the biscuit dough while cooking. I will make this again!
Thank you, Ashley! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
This was really good, and couldn’t get any easier! I used mirepoix frozen veggies for the base, and added frozen peas (thawed) and sliced fresh mushrooms. Added a lot more poultry seasoning, and lots of salt and pepper. Overall, a great meal!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Val!
I doubled the recipe and used a Ninja Foodie on the slow cook setting. I followed the recipe to a T (even made the biscuits chunks a little smaller than recommended) and after putting the biscuits in and allowing an hour in the crock pot, the biscuits were still raw. I panicked and asked ChatGPT what to do and ended up have to transfer the soup to a large baking pan and bake it at 425 for 15 minutes. The soup ended up tasting great (needed more salt and pepper than I originally added) but maybe wouldn’t recommend the slow cook method. It could have been because I doubled the recipe, but either way I won’t be making it that way again.
Thank you for the feedback, Jessica. We’re glad you were able to save the recipe and enjoyed it! Doubling the ingredients could definitely impact the cooking time. We do hope you make the dish again and continue to enjoy others on the site.