My Katy’s favorite supper in the entire world is Chicken and Dumplings. So much so that I try to never ask her what she wants for supper because I know the answer – and we just can’t have chicken and dumplings seven days a week despite how happy that would make her.
Over the years, though, I’ve come up with a few different ways of making it that suit my schedule a little better. This is my slow cooker version and it is packed with that delicious flavor that leaves you taking one bite and the next thing you know your plate is empty.
This recipe appears in the limited edition magazine, Southern Plate Suppers – and I’m sharing it with you today as a preview of some of the exclusive recipes in that issue! More information on the magazine can be found below the recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 10+3⁄4-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1 10+3⁄4-ounce can cream of celery soup
- 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces *
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces*
- 1 cup chopped carrot I sometimes omit this
- 1 ⁄3 1.5-pound package frozen dumplings, broken into 3 pieces each
Instructions
- In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine broth, soups, poultry seasoning, salt, onion powder, and pepper; stir well. Stir in all chicken and carrot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Add frozen dumpling pieces, one at a time, to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high, stirring twice, until dumplings are tender, approximately 11⁄2 hours. Sprinkle with additional pepper, if desired.
Notes
Yum 
LOVED the chicken and dumplings in your first book. Will have to give this one a try. Do you think it would work just as well to use with pre-cooked chicken? I usually buy up a lot of chicken breast when they are on sale and go ahead and cook them, shred them, then freeze. Makes it super fast to fix a chicken dish when I have the chicken already cooked.
Absolutely, this recipe works great with that! Great thinking!
What are ozen dumplings? Are they a southern dish? I’ve seen chicken dishes that use refridgerator biscuits.
Hey Edith!
Hope you’re having a great day. Was there a typing error in your question? I’m not sure what ozen dumplings are but it may just be something I’ve never heard of. I make them with biscuits myself most of the time, canned, just like you mentioned. Here is my recipe: https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-southern-chicken-and.html
oh goodness, I just caught on! You must have meant frozen dumplings. You can get them in the freezer section near the frozen rolls and bread dough here in Alabama. I’m not sure if they are available in other areas outside of the southeast.
where can i buy your cook books ?
Hey Beverly! The best prices are usually found on Amazon but your local bookstores likely have them as well. Here is an amazon link 🙂 http://amzn.to/2G0OVbK
Can you use dry dumplings for this recipe?
in the recipe above the onion powder amount is not clear as It show me 1 sep 1/2 teaspoon and on he frozen dumplings I see the same 1 sep 1/3 (1.5-pound) pkg so I was wondering what the actual amounts for these items were as this appears to be a typo or overtype of these number amounts.
Yes, most of the fractions are showing incorrectly for me… at first I thought it was 3 and 1/4 poultry seasoning until I saw the rest of the fractions. I am about to make this, so will go with the fractions as if the larger-sized number is little and above the slash (3/4 poultry seasoning). Christy confirmed that the cooking time was one and a half hours for the dumplings in another answer, and it is showing for me as 11/2, so I know I am on the right track.
Thanks for letting me know y’all! I fixed it 😀 Appreciate your help!
How long do you cook this after adding the dumplings? 1 1/2 hours? If I can’t find frozen dumplings, how long would you cook them using fresh?
Yes. 1.5 hours. Fresh would take close to the same time but make sure you have them coated well in flour. I always use frozen in this because they hold up better.
I have never seen frozen dumplings?Be
I absolutely love those frozen dumplings. My life has become much easier after finding them.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve made chicken and dumplings before and in the crock pot before, but I’ve never used frozen dumplings I wasn’t sure how long to put them in. Thanks a bunch
What brand of frozen dumplings do you use in this recipe? Do you thaw them first before adding to crock pot?
I use Mary B’s. Just toss em in frozen 🙂
Mary B’s??? I didn’t know there was another brand…kinda like grits. why Aunt Jemima of course
🙂 LOL
I never knew frozen dumplings existed…where?
sybil, I’m with you … never heard of frozen dumplings before. Never seen them in any of the stores I shop at. Where do I purchase a box or bag of them???
They come in a red and white bag near the frozen rolls where I live. I believe the brand is Mary B’s 🙂
Walmart carries them.
Yes there by the biscuits and garlic bread at walmarts I use them all the time
So does Kroger. They are right beside her bags of frozen biscuits.
Christy, do you think this dish will freeze well? Reason I’m asking, my Mom died several years ago, and when I visit my Dad, I always take him frozen meals (portioned) in small, plastic containers so he can easily heat it up in the microwave. I know he will love this recipe!
I think it would but the only caution I would give is to thaw it in the fridge a bit before heating, rather than heating from frozen. You’re the best kind of daughter!
Can you tell me what the original magazine had on it’s cover, I probably have it already but want to make sure!
Thanks!
It had chocolate pudding with meringue on top 🙂
Do you have a new cookbook?
Thanks!
Sure do! It comes out this fall. Stay tuned for lots of info on it soon!
My daughter doesnt like chicken in her dumplings, just the flavor. Would it be okay to leave out the chicken? Thanks
Absolutely! As a mom, I totally get that and you do what you have to do 🙂
That was always the debate in our house – should it be more chicken or more dumplings? Usually, when I do it, if there’s chicken in it, it’s because there’s chicken in the cream of chicken soup I use! 🙂
More chicken that’s why it’s called chicken and dumplings.
In case I’m not able to find them here in Texas can you use canned biscuit dough in place of the frozen dumplings.
This is how I make them with canned biscuits. I think it depends on your slow cooker and whether or not it would get hot enough to cook them. The frozen ones are a bit sturdier. Either way, here is my canned biscuit version and if you try it in the slow cooker please let us know how it turns out 🙂 https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-southern-chicken-and.html
I am really disappointed that every major item in this recipe is pre-packaged. Its more of a dump and cook. Did not expect that. Why not just go out and buy prepacked chicken and dumplings?
Dump and cook is exactly it, that’s the beauty of it :). In this day and age I could come up with a laundry list of things I could choose to be disappointed in but chicken and dumplings ain’t one of them. 🙂 Have a great day!
I am just in awe of you. I’m 69 years old and love home cooking. However, I’ve been having a hard time cooking the last few years. Have to sit on a stool to do it and have to take a pain pill afterwards. Your recipies have given me a lot of comfort these past years. I can make most of them quickly, especially the dump and run ones, and they are delicious. You are a dear person, and I commend you for the impact you have on other people’s lives.
Oh my goodness. I got so carried away with blessing you, my child, that I forgot to tell you how delightful these chicken and dumplings were. I sent hubby to the store for the dumplings, and he came back with Mary B’s. I hadn’t given him a brand name because I didn’t see it until I was leaving a comment. Surprised me! We’ve made them with biscuits and with dumplings, and the dumplings won. Thanks again, Christy.
Oh my goodness, you are precious Bee!!! Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement!! I am so glad you are finding some of my recipes meet your needs and am so grateful you enjoy them!
You go girl!! I love your recipes. I have the first cookbook you made! It reminds me of home when I was a child. Oh, the great smells coming from the kitchen when my Grandmother and Mother were cooking.
Thank you so much Sherry!!!
I am really disappointed that some people are so techy! Good grief, make it or don’t…apparently you have a lot more time on your hands than most of us, bless your heart.
I love chicken and dumplings. My mom made the best where she made dough, rolled it out and cut it into strips putting them into the pot with chicken and whatever else was in there. She is gone now and I regret that I never learned her “recipe”. She used to make them for my family and they loved them, so I would like to try this and see how they like them. Only thing, I do not like poultry seasoning, seems too much like sage to me (which I REALLY don’t like). Is there something I could replace the poultry seasoning with?
Hi Renee. I have used chicken bouillon crystals or a bouillon cube…instead of poultry seasoning. It’s really good. You may want to use only a 1/2 tsp though….because of the sodium content…in the bouillon. Tammy
Try just some Rosemary & Thyme, along with the Salt & Pepper. I also add a diced onion and some minced garlic to it when it first goes in the crockpot. I’ve also made it with a cup of frozen peas & carrots when I add the dumplings in and from time to time, I’ll even add some boiled/peeled, sliced eggs to it.
Mmmmm! Now I really want chicken and dumplings. It is one of my all-time favorites as well. I love the ease of this recipe and will have to give it a go!
I hope you enjoy it Carlee!!!
Great recipe. I tried and it was wonderful and a big hit with my family..
I am so glad to hear it was a hit!!!
I live in West Africa. No frozen dumplings here. LOl would homemade dumplings work. It sounds so good.
yes ma’am!
Do you think you could make and freeze dumplings that would do as well? Never tried freezing them. Sounds like a good recipe!!
Jean
I would make the dumplings and then lay the strips on a baking pan or plate. Put them in the freezer (uncovered) for appx 30-45 minutes. Then take the dumplings out and put them in a sealed freezer bag. Be sure to freeze them immediately because you want them frozen to keep from sticking together. I do this same method to all my meats before freezing.
I’m giving the Chicken and Dumplings a try as we text got my fingers crossed.
I hope you love them as much as we do!!
Christy, this sounds wonderful. I will be trying it this coming week-end. Thank You so much for all of your emails. We love your recipes. We have Mary B’s frozen dumplings. Thank goodness.
God Bless You!
Do you add the chicken raw or cooked?
Has anyone tried to double this recipe? I’m thinking of using this recipe for our thanksgiving gathering!
I made this today. I’m thinking I used too many dumplings. It is kind of thick and gummy. I added more chicken broth two times. Do you have any ideas how to thin it down?
Hi Christy, yet another go-to recipe! Thank you. I have made it several times, but I’ve yet to figure out a good way to break up the frozen dumplings. Mine are always frozen solid in the package, and I’ve tried using a knife to separate them with a knife but it is not accurate and also a little dangerous! Should I thaw them first? What do you do? Thanks!
When my Mom was still alive, I called her and asked about the frozen dumplings. They were pretty close to what she used to roll out, cut, and dry in white sheets on the table for her chicken and dumplings, so these are Geneva County Alabama Mom-approved.
I love both this and your quick cook recipe. Katy is a smart girl for choosing these as her fav meal. I also like a fluffy dumpling and make a 1/2 batch of drop biscuits and drop them by the heaping tbsp in the pot and let them cook with the lid on (crock pot or reg pot) for about 15 min then gently break them apart and flip them over. I put the lid on and let them cook another 15 – 25 min. I like them a little gummy in the middle sometimes but my son likes them dry.
I always love hearing how you do things and make recipes your own!! I hope you have a blessed New Year sweet Barbara!