This Southern chicken and dumplings recipe using canned biscuits is an easy slow cooker recipe that is pure comfort food. Made using convenience ingredients and your crockpot, this take on chicken and dumplings will be your new family favorite.

Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Biscuits

So.. I’ve got to be honest … never was a big Chicken and Dumplings fan. (Gasp!!) … I am more of a Cajun 15 bean soup girl.. a Guinness beef stew girl… a Pasta e Fagioli girl…

Girl, you are from the South!!! I know.. I know .. it’s a ‘wet bread’ thing so when it came to chicken and dumplings, i would politely eat the chicken and left the dumplings every time.

Until now..

What Are Chicken and Dumplings

Well, if you are not from the South or are just not familiar with this classic comfort food dish.. let me break it down like this.

Chicken that is simmered in lots of seasonings and flavors like thyme, parsley, garlic and then the broth is what is used to help make the flour dumplings so all of those flavors are in everything. You end up with tender chicken in a thickened sauce with little pillows of dough… throw in some veggies like peas and carrots (probably not traditional) and you have one of the South’s greatest ‘stick to your ribs’ dinners.

Why This Recipe Works

Easy – This version of Southern chicken and dumplings is made with convenience items you probably already have in your pantry.
Crockpot– By adding this recipe to your slow cooker, you are letting that magical device do all the hard work for you.
Biscuits – My friend, I am going to embrace the goodness that is Pillsbury and grab a can of Grands butter biscuits and call it a day on those dumplings.
Flavor – What you save in dumpling making effort, you will make up for in adding all the flavor. We are mixing in more than just salt and pepper!
Dumplings – Using canned biscuits creates the most beautiful, pillowy, puffy dumplings you could ever hope for.. without being soo tender they are mushy like a lot of slow cooker dumplings turn out to be.

Ingredients for Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken breasts
Can of Grands biscuits
Onion
Frozen bag of peas and carrots
Chicken broth or stock
Cream of chicken soup
Seasonings like garlic, onion, thyme, parsley

How You Make Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Biscuits

Start by adding cream of chicken soup and seasonings to a medium size bowl and mix to combine. (you can also do this straight in the slow cooker)

Lightly spray your slow cooker vessel with non-stick cooking spray and then add your soup mixture to the bottom of your crockpot along with your chicken breasts.

Pour in your chicken broth along with the onion and the butter. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours.

After the five hours, carefully remove the chicken breasts and using two forks, shred your chicken before returning it to the slow cooker.

Add in the peas and carrots and stir gently to combine.
Pour 1/2 cup of flour into a bowl and open up the can of biscuits. Cut each biscuit into bite size pieces (I cut the biscuit in half and then each side in quarters) and lightly dust each piece of biscuit completely in the flour.

Once all of the biscuit pieces are coated, add the in a single layer to the top of your crockpot and gently push the down into the broth.

Replace the lid, turn the slow cooker up to High and cook for another 1-2 hours or until the biscuits are cooked through, depending on your slow cooker. Don’t cheat and lift the lid.. but do cut into one after the time passes to make sure they are fully cooked.

*** I like my chicken and dumplings served up on the thick side and dusting in flour thickens this broth beautifully but I like mine just a bit thicker so I added 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/3 cup of milk, whisked into a slurry and poured it in my slow cooker.. stirred everything together and cooked it for another 15 minutes to thicken things up even more. This step is totally optional.
When the biscuits are fully cooked, adjust any seasons as needed, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Expert Tips

This Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Biscuits recipe can be a lot as far as sodium goes. Please adjust your ingredients as needed by choosing low sodium soup, etc..
I am a huge fan of the Better Than Bouillon condensed base flavors. If you have the chicken flavor on hand, feel free to add in to this recipe, as well.
As mentioned above, the cornstarch slurry is totally optional. I just like the chicken and dumplings made in my slow cooker to be a bit thicker.
Don’t feel you need to spend the extra money on the ‘GRANDS’ name brand biscuit ,. you grab whatever works for you!

Best Way to Store Chicken and Dumplings

To store chicken and dumplings, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days; you can also freeze them for longer storage by placing them in a freezer-safe container once chilled in the fridge, allowing you to reheat them when ready to eat.

Key points about storing chicken and dumplings:

Refrigeration: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing: To freeze, let the chicken and dumplings cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe container.
Reheating: When reheating frozen chicken and dumplings, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before warming them on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Enjoy!