Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Chicken breasts slow-simmered in creamy broth made from soup, broth, butter, and onions. Light flour dumplings rolled thin, dropped near the heat edge of the cooker to cook through gently. Break up meat late to keep tender. Flexible timing with focus on liquid coverage and texture cues.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#slow cooker
#chicken
#dumplings
#American Southern
#comfort food
#one pot
#winter meal
Stumbled on this slow cooker setup over winters when snowstorms delayed errands. Low all day, smells like home, warm butter meets mushroom soup richness — not chicken cream of chicken, tried mushroom this time, worth switching occasionally to avoid flatness. Learned rolling dumplings thin really cuts down doughy mouthfeel. Let chicken linger in broth for a long slow simmer before shredding, that’s pure magic. One stove off-day turned kitchen into cozy fog of savory steam. Slow cooker’s edge spots matter; dumplings preferable when they cook near that heat, not sitting in one blob of broth. Tried breaking chicken too early once, meat turned stringy. So took a safe route to wait till last hour, mash gently. Long flavor time but still easy cleanup. This method preserves textures, lets broth thicken naturally without extra thickeners. That sudden bump to high brings dumplings alive, soft chunks of chicken, full-bodied soup aroma fills room.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can water
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons ice cold water
About the ingredients
Butter or margarine for richness, really. Using cream of mushroom soup swaps deadpan cream of chicken to lift flavor with earthier depth. Broth ratio crucial — always cover chicken completely or add a splash more if evaporation is fast or cooker heats unevenly. Water adjustment can mimic soup concentration; be cautious adding too much or broth thins out. Onion must be chopped fine, dissolves and mingles with butter to form subtle mellow base. For dumplings, flour-water ratio key; too wet dough sticks and gets slimey dumplings, too dry cracks and loses fluffiness. Ice cold water slows gluten development for tender dough. No baking powder here; the slow cooker’s steam and heat cook dumplings gently without leaveners but if you try, add a pinch of baking soda carefully. Rolling thickness around 1/8 inch costs less dough but more cooking time; experiment with thickness based on how fast your cooker heats. Use pizza cutter for fast clean squares. No need for salted dough.
Method
- Set slow cooker on low. Add butter, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth plus one can of water, chopped onion, chicken breasts. Flip breasts to ensure full submersion in liquid. If not covered, add splash more broth or water; uncovered meat toughens.
- Cook low for 7 to 7 ½ hours. Smells deepen, broth thickens slightly, chicken fibers start separating without shredding.
- Increase heat to high about 1 hour before eating. Take potato masher or forks, break chicken into chunky pieces inside cooker. Should mash easily into tender morsels — avoid grinding fine.
- Mix ½ cup flour with 5 tablespoons icy water. Add more water or flour until dough feels firm but pliable, able to roll thin without sticking. Dumplings flatter means faster cooking, less doughy bite.
- Dump dough onto floured board, roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Slice into roughly 1-inch squares with pizza cutter or sharp knife. Throw flour behind your back if too sticky.
- Drop dumplings around edge inside cooker where it’s hottest. Stir gently but thoroughly to partially coat dumplings in broth, prevent sticking but don’t bury completely. Dumplings cook best with partial immersion.
- Cover. Cook at high for 40 to 50 minutes or until dumplings fluffed, centers opaque. Pull dumpling once it feels springy yet firm to bite — a touch underdone flour bite ruins texture.
- Taste broth. Add salt, pepper, or a splash of hot sauce if necessary. Stir, then rest covered for 10 minutes. Broth thickens more as dumplings soak flavors.
Cooking tips
Putting it all in low heat first lets flavors meld, butter melts into broth, soup bubbles gently. Chicken softness critical before shredding; poke with fork near end, if sliding apart with little effort that’s your cue. Breaking chicken too early will lead to stringiness and grainy texture because proteins haven’t loosened. Flipping to high near end intensifies bubbling — dumplings cook from submerged steam and hot broth. Don’t just dump dough in the middle — slow cookers have hot edges, dumplings there reach doneness sooner, prevent soggy lumps. Stir carefully; too much stirs dumplings apart too soon, texture suffers. Cover tight to trap steam moisture for dumplings — uncovered they dry out or toughen. The flour-water dough is simple but tricky; test a piece raw if too wet, add flour; too dry looks crumbly toss a splash more water. Dumpling done signal? Springy bounce when poked, a bit firm inside with no raw flour flavor. Let dumplings rest covered after cooking to soak broth flavors, thicken broth slightly. Salt careful at end; soup base often shouldered all salt load. If broth too thin at finish, skim some liquid off or burst dumplings into smaller pieces for body.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Start on low heat. Let butter melt fully first. Listen for gentle bubbling. When broth thickens slightly, chicken fibers separate but not shred. Break only near end; too early grinds texture.
- 💡 Roll dumplings thin, around one eighth inch. Thicker means doughy middle, thinner cooks faster but can tear. Use pizza cutter clean. Flour board and hands well to avoid sticking but toss flour away if too sticky.
- 💡 Add broth or water carefully. Mushrooms soup thick but liquid level critical. Dumplings cook best partially submerged near cooker edges where heat concentrates. Avoid burying them fully or get mushy lumps.
- 💡 Dough feels firm yet pliable using ice cold water. Cold slows gluten, makes tender dumplings. No baking powder here. Steam from cooker does all rising. If adding leaveners, small pinch baking soda only.
- 💡 Break chicken with forks or potato masher late at high heat stage. Break chunky, avoid paste. This preserves tender morsels not grainy strings. Broth aroma intensifies hitting high; dumplings start puffing up visibly.
Common questions
When to break chicken?
Late at high heat increase. Early break shreds proteins too soon. Wait till fibers start loosening naturally then mash chunky inside cooker.
Can I replace mushroom soup?
Try cream of chicken or celery. Mushroom adds earthiness, others less dense. Adjust broth amount if swapping, water helps thin or thicken accordingly.
Dumplings sticky or doughy?
Check water-flour balance first. Too wet sticks, add flour. Too dry cracks, add splash cold water. Roll thin, drops cook more evenly. Cold water slows gluten, key for tender texture.
How to store leftovers?
Cool broth before fridge. Dumplings absorb liquid fast; reheat gently so they don’t break apart. Freeze is okay but dumplings soften after thawing. Stir before serving to rehydrate.
