Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Dumplings (Print Version)

Tender chicken and vegetables in a creamy ranch stew with fluffy dumplings, slow-cooked to perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Stew

01 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
07 - 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix
08 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
10 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1 cup frozen peas
12 - ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

→ Dumplings

14 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
15 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
16 - 1 teaspoon sugar
17 - ½ teaspoon salt
18 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
19 - 1 cup whole milk
20 - 1 can (16 ounces) refrigerated biscuit dough, quartered (alternative)

# How-To Steps:

01 - In the slow cooker, combine chicken, onion, carrots, celery, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
02 - Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
03 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the stew.
04 - Stir in frozen peas, heavy cream, and cubed butter until fully incorporated.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter and milk until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew, spacing them apart, or place biscuit dough pieces on top.
07 - Cover and cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's truly hands-off: Everything goes in the slow cooker at breakfast, and dinner practically makes itself while you handle the chaos of the day.
  • Those dumplings are the real star: They're pillowy and perfect, soaking up all that creamy ranch goodness in the last thirty minutes.
  • It tastes way more complicated than it actually is: Your guests will assume you've been cooking for hours when you barely spent twenty minutes prepping.
02 -
  • Don't overmix your dumpling dough: I learned this the hard way by making tennis balls instead of fluffy pillows, and it changed everything once I stopped fussing with the batter.
  • The frozen peas go in right at the end: Adding them at the beginning turns them into sad, mushy gray bits, so patience here pays off in color and texture.
  • Low-sodium broth is essential: The ranch packet is already pretty salty, so regular broth will make the whole thing unpleasantly salty.
03 -
  • Resist the urge to peek: Every time you lift that lid in the first few hours, you're letting heat escape and extending cooking time, so trust the process and leave it alone.
  • Make the stew a day ahead: The flavors actually deepen overnight, so this is perfect for entertaining since you can finish it with dumplings right before serving.
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