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Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings: Best Easy Comfort Food

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A hearty, slow-cooker comfort food dish featuring tender chicken thighs, savory vegetables, and pillowy soft dumplings in a rich, creamy broth. Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal prep time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2–3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt (for dough)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (approximate, for dough)
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (optional, for thickening)

Instructions

  1. Chop carrots, celery, and onion into uniform pieces. If chicken thighs are large, cut them in half. Place chicken and vegetables in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
  2. Sprinkle minced garlic, dried thyme, and parsley over the vegetables. Pour in chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Stir gently to distribute herbs.
  3. Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours (or High for 3 hours) until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  4. Remove chicken from the pot and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
  5. If the broth is too thin, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook uncovered for 15 minutes to thicken.
  6. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  7. Slowly add milk, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
  8. Turn the slow cooker to High. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and drop them gently into the simmering broth. Do not stir.
  9. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
  10. Stir in heavy cream to warm through. Remove bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Notes

[‘Do not overmix the dumpling dough to ensure they remain tender.’, ‘Keep the lid on while dumplings cook to trap steam.’, ‘Use cold butter for flaky dumplings.’, ‘Shred chicken before adding dumplings to avoid breaking them.’, ‘Do not freeze the dish with dumplings included; freeze the base separately and make fresh dumplings upon reheating.’, ‘Leftovers taste better the next day as flavors meld.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot chicken and dumplings, slow cooker recipe, comfort food, easy dinner, chicken stew, dumplings, one pot meal

Find it online: https://zoeplate.com/crockpot-chicken-and-dumplings-best-easy-comfort-food/