Description

A comforting and hearty slow-cooked classic, Grandma Georgia’s Chicken and Dumplings recipe features tender chicken thighs simmered with fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs in a flavorful broth, topped with soft, flaky dumplings made from scratch. Perfect for a cozy family meal, this crock pot dish delivers homestyle goodness with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Broth

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 cups water*
4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base*
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetables

5-10 carrots (peeled and cut into large chunks)
2 cups celery (chopped into 1/2 inch chunks)
1 large onion (chopped)

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***)

Thickening the Broth

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

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Instructions

Prepare the base: Add the chicken thighs, water, and chicken base to a large crock pot to start building a rich broth.
Add vegetables: Peel and chop the carrots into large 3-4 inch chunks, then add to the crock pot along with coarsely chopped celery and chopped onion.
Season the broth: Add bay leaves, poultry seasoning, dried parsley, sage, salt, and pepper to the crock pot. Stir gently to combine ingredients.
Slow cook the chicken and vegetables: Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for about 7 hours until chicken is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
Create the dumpling dough: In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, parsley, and pepper. Cut in the cold butter and shortening using a pastry cutter or fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the buttermilk and gently stir until just combined to form a soft dough.
Shred the chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it with two forks. Discard bay leaves from the broth.
Thicken the broth: Measure 2 cups of cooking liquid into a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together cold water, flour, and chicken base to make a slurry. Gradually add the slurry to the saucepan, whisking constantly, and cook over medium heat until the broth thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Add shredded chicken and dumplings: Return shredded chicken to the crock pot and pour in the thickened broth. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the top of the mixture. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30-40 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.

Notes

Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for tender, flavorful meat that holds up well during slow cooking.
The amount of carrots can be adjusted to your preference; they do shrink during cooking.
Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base is a concentrated broth paste that enhances flavor but can be substituted with chicken broth cubes or stock if needed.
Cold butter and shortening are key to flaky dumplings.
The ‘cheat version’ of buttermilk can be made by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 & 1/2 cups milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Do not overcook the chicken beyond recommended times to prevent loss of flavor and dryness.
Ensure dumplings are dropped gently and spaced adequately to avoid them sticking together.