Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Dumplings (Printable)

Creamy ranch-seasoned chicken stew with fluffy dumplings, slow-cooked to tender perfection.

# What Goes In:

→ Chicken & Stew

01 - 2 lbs 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 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
07 - 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
08 - 1 tsp garlic powder
09 - 1 tsp dried parsley
10 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
11 - 1 cup frozen peas
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed

→ Dumplings

14 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
15 - 1 tbsp baking powder
16 - 1 tsp sugar
17 - 1/2 tsp salt
18 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
19 - 1 cup whole milk
20 - 1 can (16 oz) refrigerated biscuit dough, quartered (alternative)

# How to Make It:

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 to mix thoroughly.
02 - Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
03 - Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred with two forks, and return it to the stew.
04 - Stir in frozen peas, heavy cream, and cubed butter until combined.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter and milk until just combined, avoiding 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 30-45 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does almost everything, so you can actually relax instead of hovering over the stove.
  • Those dumplings absorb all the ranch-infused broth and come out impossibly soft and flavorful.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to be a skilled cook or spend hours in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step in your mind—sometimes the best shortcuts actually require patience, and rushing to add dumplings before the chicken is tender means they absorb raw-tasting broth.
  • The peas go in at the very end because they'll turn mushy and gray if they cook the whole time, and nobody wants that.
03 -
  • Brown your chicken in a skillet for five minutes before adding it to the slow cooker if you want deeper, caramelized flavors—it's an extra step but worth it for special dinners.
  • Make the dumpling dough while the stew is cooking on low so it's ready to drop on top when you need it, keeping everything on schedule.
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