Savory Slow-Cooked Chicken and Dumplings

Looking for an easy comfort meal that requires minimum prep time and slow cooked to perfection? Look no further than chicken and dumplings made in a crock-pot. With its warm, flavorful broth, tender chicken and pillowy dumplings, this classic dish is a great way to warm up on a chilly day.
In this article, we’ll show you the step-by-step process for making chicken and dumplings right in your crock-pot. You don’t have to be a master chef or dedicate a lot of time in the kitchen for this dish. All you need are some simple ingredients and a few hours to sit back and relax while your crock-pot does the cooking. So, grab your ingredients and let’s get started making some delicious chicken and dumplings!

Getting Started: Prepping Ingredients for Your Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Making chicken and dumplings in a crock-pot is an easy and efficient way to create this classic comfort dish. However, to ensure the best results, it is essential to properly prep your ingredients. Here are the essential steps to take before you start cooking.

1. Choose Your Chicken

Making chicken and dumplings requires chicken, obviously. When picking your chicken, choose bone-in chicken pieces, such as legs or thighs. These tend to be more flavorful, tender, and moist when cooked in a crock-pot.

2. Prepare Your Vegetables

Chopped vegetables like onion, celery, and carrots, can impart a lot of flavor to your dish. Clean them thoroughly and chop them into small pieces before adding them to your crock-pot.

3. Get Your Spices Ready

Spices play a vital role in making tasty and flavorful chicken and dumplings. Classic flavors include salt, black pepper, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, or an herb blend of your choice. Make sure you have everything you need to ensure that your dish has maximum flavor.

4. Ready Your Dumpling Dough

When it comes to preparing the dumplings, you can either use pre-made dough or make the dought yourself. Homemade dumpling dough is easy to prepare and can add a personal touch to your meal. You can make it using flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and butter. Combine your ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and leave it to rest.

5. Assemble Your Ingredients

Before you switch on your crock-pot, it’s essential to assemble all your cooking ingredients in one place. This helps you to estimate your cooking time, check your ingredients list, and ensure that you didn’t overlook anything.

6. Measure Your Ingredients

Measuring your ingredients is crucial to creating a delicious crock-pot chicken and dumplings recipe. Ensure that you measure everything you need, including chicken, vegetables, spices, broth, and dumpling dough, according to your recipe.

7. Season Your Chicken

Your chicken should be seasoned with your preferred spice rub and left to sit for 30 minutes or more to ensure maximum flavor and tenderness in the final dish.

8. Brown Your Chicken

While browning your chicken is optional, it can add an extra layer of flavor to your chicken and dumplings. To brown your chicken, heat up some oil in a pan and sear the chicken for a few minutes until golden brown.

9. Make Your Broth

Making your own broth is the secret to creating an unforgettable chicken and dumplings recipe. You can use either chicken or vegetable broth, and it’s essential that you create enough to submerge your chicken and vegetables.

10. Chop and Add Your Vegetables

Once you’ve prepped your vegetables into small pieces, you can now add them to your crock-pot. Layer the vegetables on the bottom of the pot and then place your seasoned chicken on top. This adds extra flavor while ensuring that the vegetables are cooked to tender perfection.

By following these essential steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a mouth-watering crock-pot chicken and dumplings dish in no time. So, gather your ingredients, and let’s get started!

Ingredients for Making Chicken and Dumplings in the Crock-Pot

Are you excited to cook chicken and dumplings in your crock-pot? Before diving into the recipe, let’s talk about the essential ingredients you’ll need to create this comforting and hearty dish.

1. Chicken – You can use either boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts for this recipe. The amount of chicken will depend on how much you’re making and how meaty you want your chicken and dumplings to be.

2. Vegetables – The classic chicken and dumplings recipe calls for onions, carrots, and celery. But you can also add other vegetables like peas, green beans, or corn for a pop of color and additional flavor.

3. Chicken Broth – The base of the soup is chicken broth, which is where we’ll cook the chicken and vegetables. You can use homemade chicken broth or store-bought, whichever is more convenient for you.

4. Flour – We’ll use flour to thicken the soup and create a creamy texture.

5. Milk – Milk is optional, but it adds a richness and creaminess to the soup. If you’re trying to keep it light, you can skip the milk altogether.

6. Biscuit Dough – For the dumplings, you’ll need biscuit dough that you can either make from scratch or use store-bought biscuit dough that’s already been prepared.

7. Butter – Butter adds richness and a silky consistency to the soup.

8. Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and thyme are the primary seasonings for this dish, but you can add other herbs and spices as per your taste buds.

9. All-Purpose Seasoning – If you’re looking to save time, you can use all-purpose seasoning instead of individual spices and seasonings.

10. Slow Cooker – Last but not least, you’ll need a slow cooker to cook this dish. A 6-quart slow cooker will work perfectly, but a smaller or larger cooker can also be used as per your needs.

Now you have your ingredients ready let’s move on to the preparation process of making delicious chicken and dumplings in the crock-pot.

Ingredients

When it comes to making chicken and dumplings in a crock-pot, the right ingredients can make all the difference. Here’s what you’ll need to pull off this delicious meal:

Preparation

To begin, place chicken, broth, water, cream of chicken soup, onion, and garlic in the crock-pot. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours. Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred it using two forks and return it to the crock-pot.

Next, add the frozen peas and carrots to the crock-pot and stir well. Make sure the vegetables are submerged in the broth mixture.

To make the dumplings, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Add milk and melted butter to the mixture and stir until a thick dough forms.

Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the top of the chicken and vegetable mixture in the crock-pot. Cook for an additional 1-2 hours on high heat until the dumplings are cooked through.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken and dumplings in the crock-pot is a classic comfort food that can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas to help you enjoy this dish even more:

• Serve with a side salad for a fresh crunch.
• Top with your favorite hot sauce for extra flavor.
• Pair with a slice of crusty bread or cornbread for a heartier meal.

Leftover Storage

If you have any leftover chicken and dumplings, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply microwave or heat on the stove until warm. For best results, add a splash of chicken broth to the dish to prevent it from drying out.

Variations

While this recipe is delicious on its own, there are many ways to switch it up and make it your own. Here are some ideas for variations on traditional chicken and dumplings:

• Use different types of meats, such as beef or pork, to create a different flavor profile.
• Add different types of vegetables, such as celery or corn, for added nutrition.
• Experiment with different seasonings, such as thyme or rosemary, to add more depth of flavor.

In conclusion, making chicken and dumplings in a crock-pot is a simple and delicious way to enjoy a classic comfort food. By following the steps above and experimenting with your own variations, you can create a meal that everyone in your family will love.

Time to Enjoy Your Homemade Chicken and Dumplings!

Congratulations, you’ve now learned how to make delicious chicken and dumplings in your crock-pot! Imagine yourself sitting comfortably on the couch with a warm bowl of this comfort food, savoring each bite and feeling the stress of the day melt away. So, go ahead and give it a try today! Thanks for reading our article, please come back to visit us soon for more tasty recipes and tips!