Slow Cooker Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

by
Print PDF eBook

It’s time to stock my freezer with some portions of homemade chicken soup for the cold winter ahead. I’ve made a classic chicken noodle soup in the past, but I wanted to try a little something different this time.

The word “dumpling” has a million different culinary definitions. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but just about every culture has its own version of dumplings and they’re all different. The dumplings that I grew up with were fluffy biscuit-like lumps that floated on top of soup like little delicious clouds. I wanted some of those dumplings. This is not a recipe for the thick, noodle-like dumpling similar to what you’d get at Cracker Barrel.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 4hrs 20mins

Total Time: 4hrs 50mins

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Soup
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 ribs celery
  • 1/2 lb. carrots (about 4)
  • 1 large chicken breast* (about 3/4 lb.)
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Dumplings
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 6 Tbsp cold butter
  • 3/4 tsp sugar
  • 2/3 cup milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and slice the carrots and celery into small pieces.
  2. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, basil, thyme, chicken breast, water, and some freshly cracked pepper to a slow cooker.
  3. Stir to combine and then cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
  4. After cooking for four hours on high or eight hours on low, remove the chicken from the broth and place it on a cutting board (if you cooked on low heat, turn it to high now).
  5. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in 1 tsp of salt to the soup.
  6. Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible during this process to retain heat and maintain the temperature.
  7. Allow the soup to continue to cook on high while you mix the dumpling batter.
  8. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, parsley, and sugar.
  9. Mix well. Add butter in small chunks and cut it in or work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles damp sand.
  10. Add the milk and stir until a very soft paste-like mixture forms.
  11. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and drop the dumpling batter into the soup by the heaping spoonful.
  12. Return the lid to the slow cooker and allow the dumplings to steam for 20 minutes.
  13. After 20 minutes they should have fluffed and expanded from the heat.
  14. Although they may look moist on the outside, they will be light and fluffy on the inside. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.52g | Protein: 21.13g | Fat: 15.03g | Sodium: 1057.4mg | Fiber: 3g

Leave a Comment