Featured Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings

Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Dumplings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 h 15 min
Total time: 5 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups diced carrots; 1 ½ cups diced celery; 1 ½ cups diced onions; 3 frozen skinless chicken breasts; 1 can 10.5oz cream of mushroom soup; 1 ½ cups water; 1 poultry bouillon cube dissolved in water; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup frozen peas; 7 refrigerated biscuit dough cans

By Kate

Created on 01 February 2026

Diced carrots, celery, and onions layered at base. Frozen chicken breasts added, covered with creamy mushroom soup, water, poultry bouillon, dried parsley, and oregano. Slow cooked till tender, shredded or chopped chicken folded back in. Frozen peas stirred in for fresh pop. Refrigerated biscuit dough flattened, cut into sixths, layered on top, steamed under lid until puffed and matte. Visual cues key; biscuits needing more time get it. Serve hot, hearty meal. Substituted cream of mushroom for cream of chicken, fresh thyme replacing oregano, adds earthy note. Cook times tweaked slightly. Easy fix ups for thickened broth or biscuit wonkiness covered.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 5h 15min

Total: 5h 35min

Serves: 6 servings

dinner easy recipes American cuisine family meals

Introduction

Carrots, celery, onions chopped into tiny pieces, layered in a 6-quart crockpot base. Why layer? Keeps moisture distribution even. Frozen chicken stacked right over vegetables seals in juices and cooks slowly without drying out. Cream of mushroom soup swapped in for original cream of chicken - depths of umami. Herb switch, thyme instead of oregano, adds brightness without grassy bite. Slow cooking low and slow to shred chicken magically soft. Biscuit dough - yes, dough - cut into chunks, spread carefully, not crowded, lets steam rise and puff biscuits from above instead of heavy layering. That steam is your friend here. Don’t open lid during biscuit phase - worst mistake. Wait with patience, watch for dull, puffed biscuits through glass lid. Not perfect texture yet? More time. No exceptions. Worth the wait.

Ingredients

2 cups diced carrots

1 ½ cups diced celery

1 ½ cups diced onions

3 frozen skinless chicken breasts

1 can 10.5oz cream of mushroom soup

1 ½ cups water

1 poultry bouillon cube dissolved in water

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup frozen peas

7 refrigerated biscuit dough cans

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About the ingredients

Chopped carrots, celery, and onions start, fresh or frozen legumes can swap in for peas. Frozen chicken shoulders get tender fast, but breasts hold shape better for shredding without falling apart too much. Soup base plays massive role - cream of mushroom adds savory earthiness replacing cream of chicken, which can be tired in taste. Bouillon cube dissolved in water for quick stock; use broth if you want deeper flavors but adjust salt accordingly. Parsley mild, dried thyme punches fresh flavor. Ground pepper for background bite. Refrigerated biscuit dough is shortcut but can sub with homemade drop biscuit dough for better texture; just size pieces accordingly. Freeze extra biscuit pieces for next meal to avoid waste that can happen if too crowded.

Method

Layer diced carrots, celery, onions in bottom of 6-quart slow cooker. Mound carefully, no stirring to keep veggies even.

Nestle frozen chicken breasts right on top. No thawing needed; keeps them from drying out.

Mix soup, water, dissolved bouillon, parsley, thyme, pepper in measuring cup. Pour over chicken/veggies. Try to cover cold meat with liquid mostly; speeds even cooking.

Seal lid tight, cook on HIGH 3¾ to 4 hours or LOW 6½ to 7 hours. Around 4 hours HIGH is usually best for tender, shreddable chicken. Peek only if necessary.

A sharp fork slide through chicken signals done. Remove meat, use two forks or spoons to shred into bite-size chunks. Return shredded chicken to cooker; fold gently into broth and veggies.

Stir in frozen peas last to avoid overcooking, just distribute evenly for color and fresh pop.

Open biscuit cans, separate dough. Press/pat each biscuit lightly—don’t mash—into ½-inch thick discs. Cut each biscuit into six pieces, arrange in single layer over crockpot contents. Don’t crowd; extras discarded or saved.

Replace lid, cook on HIGH an additional 1 hour 20 minutes. No peeking. Steam traps inside, cooks dough gently. Surface of biscuits turns slightly matte and puffs up when ready. If raw dough patches remain, keep cooking, checking visually through lid.

Serve hot. Sauce should be creamy but not soupy; if too thin, remove lid last 10 minutes to thicken by evaporation, stirring gently.

Alternative fix: if biscuits cook unevenly, rotate crockpot halfway through final phase. Prevents dough sticking or undercooked spots.

If broth too thick before adding biscuits, loosen with splash more water or chicken stock. Too thin, stir in slurry of cornstarch and cold water, cook until slightly thickened.

Use fresh thyme over oregano for herbaceous lift without overpowering mushroom base. Mushroom soup adds earthiness balancing savory chicken.

If frozen vegetables unavailable, fresh peas added last minute before serving preserves texture.

Avoid opening lid during biscuit cooking; steam is essential cook agent. Crack lid once biscuits visually puffy and matte for final confirmation if needed.

Technique Tips

Layering matters. Don’t stir raw veggies and frozen chicken together. Layering keeps heat distribution consistent and prevents dense clumps. Slow cooker on HIGH for 4 hours softens chicken, but times vary by cooker model. Never rush shredding; fork shred when tender but not falling apart in broth so meat texture holds. Adding frozen peas last saves it from being mushy. Biscuit dough needs careful flattening and cutting - thick chunks don’t cook through, thin ones dry out. Single layer spreads steam evenly, no lid opens during final cook, steam cooks biscuits through gently, removing lid lets steam out, undercooks biscuits. Visual inspection through lid; matte finish and puff size signals done. If biscuits end up raw, extend time in 10-minute increments, no lid removal. For thick broth, remove lid in last 10 min of cooking and stir frequently to reduce liquid. If too thin, cornstarch slurry dissolves well, add slowly and stir. Rotate pot halfway when adding biscuits if your slow cooker runs hot spots.

Chef's Notes

💡 Layering is essential—don’t crowd ingredients in the pot. Vegetables at base help moisture rise. Frozen chicken holds juices, stays tender.
💡 Dissolve bouillon for richer flavor. Check for thickness by the end. Thin broth? Add cornstarch slurry. Keep stirring as it cooks.
💡 Visual cues are critical for doneness—peek only if necessary. Dish must not be soupy. Remove lid last 10 minutes to reduce liquid.
💡 Puff pastry ambiance matters. Biscuits need careful treatment. Press gently, avoid mashing. Thick chunks? Dry in spots. Thin? Risk overcooking.
💡 Don’t open lid when biscuits cooking. Steam needs to build. If uncooked patches remain on top, give 10 more minutes, but no peeking.