Description
Experience the comforting taste of Grandma Georgia’s Chicken and Dumplings made easy in a crock pot. Tender chicken thighs simmer with flavorful vegetables and seasonings, topped with fluffy homemade dumplings, and finished with a rich, savory gravy. This slow-cooked Southern classic is perfect for a hearty, satisfying meal that’s ready when you are.
Ingredients
Chicken and Broth
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups water
- 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 5–10 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 cups celery, chopped into ½-inch chunks
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Dumplings
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tbsp fresh parsley)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cold butter
- 3 tbsp shortening
- 1½ cups buttermilk
Gravy
- 2 cups cooking liquid from the slow cooker
- ¾ cup cold water
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker Base: Place the chicken thighs, water, Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and all seasonings into the slow cooker. This mixture forms the flavorful broth and tender chicken base for the dish.
- Slow Cook the Chicken: Cover and cook on Low heat for 6 to 7 hours. This slow cooking process allows the chicken to become fully cooked and tender while infusing the broth with rich flavors.
- Mix Dumpling Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, parsley, and pepper for the dumplings. This dry mix will create the fluffy dumpling texture when cooked.
- Incorporate Fats and Buttermilk: Cut in the cold butter and shortening until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then add the buttermilk and mix gently until just combined to form a dough.
- Shred Chicken and Return to Slow Cooker: Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred the meat finely. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the broth and vegetables.
- Drop Dumplings on Chicken Mix: Spoon the dumpling dough evenly over the chicken mixture in the slow cooker. Distribute the dough to allow even cooking.
- Cook Dumplings: Cover and set the slow cooker to High. Cook for 1 hour until the dumplings are fully cooked through and fluffy on top of the chicken mixture.
- Prepare the Gravy Base: Pour 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker along with ¾ cup cold water into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. This liquid base will be thickened to make the gravy.
- Make Gravy Slurry and Thicken: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base to make a slurry. Slowly add this slurry into the simmering liquid while whisking constantly until the gravy thickens.
- Season Gravy: Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired for perfect flavor balance.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken and dumplings into bowls, topping with warm gravy. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley for added color and freshness.
Notes
- For best flavor, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they stay moist during long cooking.
- You can adjust the number of carrots based on size; 5–10 provides a good carrot-to-chicken ratio.
- If you prefer fresh herbs, substitute 2 tbsp fresh parsley for dried parsley in the dumplings.
- Dumplings are best not overmixed to keep them light and fluffy.
- Make sure to check the thickness of the gravy and adjust by adding more water or flour slurry as needed.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or halved depending on your slow cooker size and servings needed.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on stovetop.
