Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
This is an easy slow cooker recipe that cooks while you are at work It is wonderful on a cold snowy day I have four children who are picky eaters and they LOVE this Enjoy
This is an easy slow cooker recipe that cooks while you are at work It is wonderful on a cold snowy day I have four children who are picky eaters and they LOVE this Enjoy
- Carbohydrate 51.6070906250009 g
- Cholesterol 48.9407812532702 mg
- Fat 21.6975390637337 g
- Fiber 1.51724998980761 g
- Protein 22.6481359375129 g
- Saturated Fat 6.75520625078133 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (313g)
- Sodium 1716.23437500876 mg
- Sugar 50.0898406351933 g
- Trans Fat 2.31839781258637 g
- Calories 494 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
- Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
Ingredient proportions alone do not reveal how thermal mass accumulates inside a lidded ceramic crock over a five-hour cycle, trapping moisture that drastically alters how starches hydrate. Understanding this heat retention prevents the common failure of overcooked poultry breaking down into chalky fibers before the aromatics have even softened. When layering the chicken breasts, butter, condensed soup, and diced onion at the base, ensure the liquid volume just covers the solids without submerging them entirely, because excess water dilutes the fats necessary for a rich mouthfeel. If the broth boils too aggressively against the ceramic walls, the proteins in the chicken seize tightly, turning the meat stringy and dry.
Texture relies entirely on the precise timing of starch gelatinization versus protein toughening, meaning the dough must encounter active heat only during the final thirty minutes of cooking. Dropping refrigerated biscuit pieces into simmering liquid too early causes the leavening agents to exhaust prematurely, leaving behind heavy, dense lumps instead of light, porous dumplings. Opening the slow cooker lid repeatedly to check on the dough drops internal temperatures by ten to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, extending cooking times and creating uneven patches of raw flour. Resist the urge to stir once the dumplings go in, since mechanical agitation dissolves the outer starch layer of the dough into the broth, thickening the pot into a gluey paste rather than a velvety gravy.
Uniform sizing of the sliced carrots and celery ensures that all root vegetables reach tenderness simultaneously by the time the chicken shreds easily with two forks. If the vegetables are cut thicker than half an inch, they will remain crunchy while the surrounding liquid reduces too much, concentrating the sodium from the canned soup and broth bases. Maintaining a consistent slow cooker temperature setting on High guarantees that the ambient heat remains above 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is required to cook the center of the biscuit dough through without dissolving its structural integrity. Testing a single dumpling by splitting it open with a paring knife reveals whether the interior still shows a translucent, wet sheen of uncooked flour.
Leftovers demand careful handling because the starches continue to absorb moisture as the dish cools down in the refrigerator, resulting in a significantly thickened consistency by day two. Reheating portions requires adding a splash of fresh chicken broth or water to reconstitute the emulsion and prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot. Stored in an airtight container below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, this preparation remains safe for up to three days, though the texture of the dumplings will soften further upon subsequent heating cycles. Proper cooling on the counter for no longer than one hour before refrigeration prevents the center of the dense mixture from remaining in the food safety danger zone too long.
