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Lighter Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings: Easy & Healthy Recipe

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A lighter, healthier version of classic chicken and dumplings made in the slow cooker. Tender chicken, fluffy dumplings, and a creamy broth come together for comfort food that feels good to eat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2–3 breasts)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds (about 1.5 cups)
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup 2% milk

Instructions

  1. Prep the vegetables and chicken (10 minutes): Dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Layer the slow cooker (5 minutes): Place the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables. Pour the chicken broth around the chicken—don’t submerge it completely, just enough to come about halfway up the sides. Add the dried thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and the 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
  3. Cook the chicken (4-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high): Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork. For low, aim for 4 hours; for high, check at 2 hours. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  4. Shred the chicken (5 minutes): Carefully remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bay leaf. Leave the slow cooker on while you do this—you want the broth to stay hot.
  5. Make the creamy base (5 minutes): In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Add the softened cream cheese and whisk until it’s mostly combined—a few small lumps are okay. Slowly pour this mixture into the hot broth, stirring constantly. The broth will start to thicken slightly. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  6. Prepare the dumpling dough (10 minutes): In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and dried parsley. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs—some pea-sized pieces of butter are fine. Make a well in the center and pour in the 3/4 cup of milk. Stir with a fork until just combined. The dough will be shaggy and slightly sticky. Don’t overmix, or the dumpl…
  7. Drop the dumplings (5 minutes): Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the surface of the simmering broth. Don’t press them down—they’ll sink slightly and then puff up as they cook. Space them evenly so they have room to expand. You should get about 12-14 dumplings.
  8. Cook the dumplings (25-30 minutes): Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 25-30 minutes. Don’t lift the lid during this time—the steam is what cooks the dumplings. When they’re done, they’ll be puffed up, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. The broth will have thickened into a creamy, luscious gravy.
  9. Rest and serve (5 minutes): Turn off the slow cooker and let everything sit for 5 minutes. This allows the dumplings to set and the flavors to meld. Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving gets a few dumplings, plenty of chicken, and a generous amount of broth. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

If broth seems too thick after adding dumplings, stir in a splash of warm milk or broth. If too thin, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir in, then cook 5 more minutes. For best results, don’t lift the lid while dumplings cook. Use room temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chicken and dumplings, healthy chicken and dumplings, lighter chicken and dumplings, easy chicken and dumplings, comfort food, slow cooker recipe

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