Description

Grandma Georgia’s Chicken and Dumplings Crock Pot Recipe is a comforting classic Southern dish featuring tender slow-cooked chicken thighs, hearty vegetables, fluffy homemade dumplings, and rich homemade gravy all prepared effortlessly in a crock pot. This recipe delivers a warm, rustic meal perfect for family dinners, with the convenience of slow cooking and the satisfaction of from-scratch dumplings and gravy.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken Stew:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 cups water*
4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base*
5–10 carrots (peeled and cut into large chunks)
2 cups celery (chopped into 1/2 inch chunks)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the Dumplings:

3 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley (OR 2 tablespoons fresh parsley)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cold butter**
3 tablespoons shortening**
1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk (cheat version is ok***)

For the Gravy:

2 cups cooking liquid (from crock pot)
3/4 cup COLD water (or cold chicken broth)
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Prepare the Slow Cooker Base: Add the chicken thighs, 4 cups water, and 4 teaspoons chicken base to a large crock pot. Peel and chop carrots into large chunks, coarsely chop celery, and chop the onion, then add all the vegetables to the crock pot along with bay leaves, poultry seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir everything together.
Cook the Chicken and Vegetables: Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for about 7 hours, ensuring the chicken cooks thoroughly and flavors meld without overcooking.
Make the Dumpling Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, baking powder, 2 teaspoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the cold butter and shortening until pea-sized chunks remain. Stir in the buttermilk gently until just moistened, being careful not to overmix.
Add Dumplings to Crock Pot: Turn the crock pot to high. Quickly remove the lid and take out 2 cups of cooking liquid, setting it aside for gravy later. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Using a spoon or your hands, drop golf ball-sized pieces of dumpling batter on top of the chicken, trying to avoid dropping it directly into the liquid as much as possible. Immediately cover and cook dumplings for 25 minutes.
Make the Gravy: Separate and discard the fat from the reserved 2 cups of cooking liquid using a fat separator or spoon. Pour the defatted cooking liquid into a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. In a separate bowl, whisk 3/4 cup cold water and 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the boiling liquid. Add 1 teaspoon chicken base and reduce heat to medium. Stir continuously until the gravy thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Check Dumplings and Serve: After 25 minutes, test a dumpling center with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, dumplings are done. Spoon dumplings onto a serving platter, using a slotted spoon to transfer chicken and vegetables on top or alongside. Serve with the homemade gravy poured over or passed at the table.
Save Leftover Broth: Reserve any remaining cooking broth for soups or other recipes needing chicken broth.

Notes

* Using Better Than Bouillon chicken base provides rich chicken flavor, but homemade broth can be substituted.
** Cold butter and shortening should be cut into dry ingredients to create flaky dumpling texture.
*** Buttermilk cheat version can be made by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 1/2 cups milk and letting it sit 5 minutes.
The number of carrots can be adjusted depending on preference for more or fewer vegetables.
The dumplings cook best when the crock pot is on high and cooking liquid is hot to set them quickly.
Separating fat from reserved cooking liquid creates a cleaner, less greasy gravy.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Category: Main Dish
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: Southern American