Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumplings are an easy dinner recipe for a busy weekday. Put the chicken in the crockpot in the morning and add the dumplings before serving.
I’ve been making slow cooker chicken and dumplings for several years now. It was one of the first recipes I shared back in May of 2011: Chicken and Dumplings.
After making that recipe countless times, I decided it was time for a kicked up version. These Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumplings are very similar to the original version but they include a couple of my family’s favorite things…garlic and cheese.
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Where is the Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Dumplings recipe? In this post, I will share step-by-step instructions with photos for how to make the dumplings, as well as answering FAQs about the recipe and sharing a short video showing the recipe in motion. But you can go directly to the recipes by scrolling down to the bottom of the post.
How To Make Slow Cooker Garlic and Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumplings
(photo from original post in 2014 hence the red crockpot vs the blue one in the other photos)
Step One:
Start by lining my 6-quart slow cooker with a slow cooker liner. It really helps with clean up!
Then, empty two cans of cream of chicken soup in the Crock Pot. Fill both cans with very hot water and dump them in the crockpot.
Add minced garlic and ground pepper and whisk until combined. Next, add two pounds of garlic and herb frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook this on high for 5-6 hours (8-9 on low).
About 1 1/2 hours before serving, use two forks to tear the chicken breast into bite size pieces.
Open a tube of refrigerated biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces.
In a small bowl, mix together one cup of grated parmesan cheese and a half tablespoon garlic pepper.
Roll each piece in the parmesan mixture before placing on the liquid in the Crock Pot.
Put the lid back on and continue cooking on high for another hour or until the center of the biscuits are cooked (the bottoms of the biscuits will remain moist, as they normally do with dumplings).
After 1 1/2 hours have passed and the biscuits are cooked (use a fork to peel back the top of one of the biscuit pieces), sprinkle the top with 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt for 6-9 minutes.
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumpling FAQ’s
1. What kind of chicken breast did you use? I used the Market Pantry brand Garlic Herb Chicken Breasts from Target. If you can’t find garlic herb chicken breasts, just add some extra garlic and some Italian seasoning to the slow cooker when you add the frozen chicken.
2. What kind of biscuits did you use? In the original recipe, I used two of the narrow tubes of Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits, cutting each biscuit into 4 pieces, but they’ve quit selling them (at least in my area they have). So in this updated version, I used one tube of Pillsbury Grands Original and cut them into 6 pieces.
3. Are you supposed to cook frozen meat in the Crockpot? Regarding using frozen meat in the Crockpot…this is directly from the manual: “When cooking frozen meats, at least 1 cup of warm liquid must first be added. The liquid will act as a “cushion” to prevent sudden temperature changes. An additional 4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH is typically required.”
4. Is it normal if the bottoms of the biscuits are very moist/wet? Yes, the generally will be. If you prefer biscuits that are fully cooked all the way through, bake the biscuits in the oven and then spoon the chicken and gravy from the crockpot over the biscuits when serving.
5. How can I get my biscuits to cook on the tops in the way I want them to? You can move the crockpot crockery insert (without the lid) to the oven to finish cooking.
Here Are A Few More Slow Cooker Recipe’s To Try:
Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
is warm, comfort food at it’s finest. This easy, crockpot recipe will quickly become a favorite family dinner!
This Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs recipe is so easy to make and only requires three ingredients. The result is fork tender, delicious BBQ ribs!
Slow Cooker Blueberry Bread Pudding can be used for either dessert or breakfast and one of our favorite things to eat for dinner is breakfast!
This Slow Cooker Seafood Stew by I Heart Naptime is a delicious seafood recipe cooked in a tomato-based broth with potatoes. This stew is comforting and is an easy to make dinner recipe!
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumplings
Adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cans very hot water
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lbs garlic herb frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tube Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands Biscuits
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic pepper
- 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Line slow cooker with a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.
- Put 2 cans of cream of chicken soup in a slow cooker.
- Fill both cans with very hot water and add them to the slow cooker.
- Add garlic and ground pepper and whisk until combined.
- Next, add the garlic and herb frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours (8-9 on low) or until chicken is fully cooked.
- About 1 1/2 hours before serving, cut or tear the chicken breast into bite size pieces and return to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together grated parmesan cheese and garlic pepper.
- Open the tubes of refrigerated biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces and roll it in the parmesan mixture and then place them on the liquid in the crockpot.
- Put the lid back on and continue cooking on high for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the center of the biscuits are cooked. Use a fork to peel back the top of a biscuit piece to check if it is cooked inside.
- Sprinkle the biscuits with finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt for 6-9 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 811mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 41g
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
This immediately went on my menu for next week! Can’t wait to try it. Looks amazing!
Lisa says
Recipe didn’t turn out for us either, I did a combo of the original and this one because my chicken was not frozen. Maybe because we are not Southerners? 🙂 The parm did not stick to the dumplings, they did not get golden like the pictures (not sure how that happens in a slow cooker to begin with) and took about 1.5 hours on high to cook thru.
Robyn says
Tonia, I have been making chicken and dumplings like this for years and it’s amazing! I use one can of cream of celery soup and 1 can cream of chicken. Yummy!!
Tonia says
Yes! It’s so easy and so delicious that the whole family loves it! Thanks, Robyn! ~Tonia
K. Hall says
The website locator showed Target as having the chicken near me. They didn’t have that brand, but they did have frozen Garlic Herb chicken in their Market Pantry brand, so I bought that. Just wanted to mention that for anyone looking for the seasoned chicken.
jessica says
I saw the recipe calls for garlic herb frozen chicken where do you find that at? Or can I just get regular chicken
Tonia says
Hi Jessica,
I used Gold’n Plump Garlic Herb frozen chicken from my local Ecno Foods. Here is a Gold’n Plump product locator: http://www.goldnplump.com/products.cfm
Yes, you can definitely make it with regular chicken, but the flavor will be different. You could add your own garlic and herbs though. Happy Crocking!
~Tonia
jessica says
Okay great if I can’t find garlic herb chicken in the store I’ll just season the chicken some! Thanks
Ashley G says
I have a question… I am actually making this right now… my question is how do i get more dumplings? My crock pot only fit one can and i have a family of 6…. i already have them cooking so i need another way to make more dumplings with the parm mixture… How can i do this so that they are done in an hour just like my meal will be? PLEASE HELP ASAP! Thanks!
Tonia says
Hi Ashley,
I would suggest removing some of the chicken and gravy mixture from the crockpot and putting it into a casserole dish.
Top it with the bisquits. Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees until the bisquits are cooked.
Hope that works!
Thanks,
Tonia
Ashley G says
Thanks. that is what i did however i just made the broth with the seasoning and then put them on top. i didnt cover it though so they turned out more like biscuits instead of dumplings. Also in my crock pot the dumplings have been cooking for almost 2 hours and are not done. I dont know why but i pulled out like 5 or 6 doughy ones because some are cooking. other then the dumplings everything else cooked great we still are waiting for everything to be done which sucks because it should have been done an hour and a half ago. any suggestions for next time?
Tonia says
I’m sorry Ashley, I really don’t know. I’ve been making this recipe for years and I’ve never had that happen. Here is the first post I did about it back in 2011 if you would like to see more pictures of how it turns out for me: http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/05/mid-week-munchies-chicken-and-dumplings.html Also, the original recipe is from AllRecipes.com with 5600 reviews. You can check that out for more tips and tricks. Maybe someone else ran into the same issue as you: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-and-dumplings/
Amanda says
I just made this recipe and it turned out perfect. I followed the directions exactly. I had the crock pot on high for six hours and the chicken fell apart. The only thing that differed is I got 1 tube of large grand biscuits and cut them into small pieces and only used six of them and the top was covered in “dumplings” that turned out perfect. Thanks for the great and easy recipe!
Brittany C says
What size crock pot are you using? I just want to make sure mine is big enough for this recipe. Thanks!
Tonia says
Hi Brittany,
I no longer have the Crock Pot because it cracked so I’m not sure what size it was. It was one of the bigger ones. If I had to guess, I’d say it was the 6.5 qt size. Happy Crocking!
~Tonia
Hali says
I followed this recipe to a T and it’s turned into a mess. I “rolled” the dumplings in the garlic and cheese mixture, but the dough wasn’t sticky enough to hold onto the cheese. Then when I placed them in the pot, the dumplings absorbed a bunch of the broth, puffed up, and stuck to each other. They are no longer distinct dumplings but just one doughy mess floating on top of the broth and chicken. On top of that, they have now been cooking for two hours and still don’t look close to being done. Meanwhile my poor husband is starving. Am I missing something? Was I supposed to press the dumplings into compact balls or pan fry them first?
Tonia says
Hi Hali,
I’m sorry to hear that you are disappointed in how they turned out. That is never fun especially when your husband is starving! Yes, the dumplings absorb broth which makes them moist. They puff up so that they can cook in the center and they stick together because the crockpot is completely covered with biscuits. They don’t always look like they are done from the top, but if you cut one of the dumplings open, you can see that they are done on the inside. No, I would not suggest pressing the dumplings into compact balls and I’ve never tried frying them first. I’ve been making a recipe similar to this for years. Here is the first post I did about it back in 2011 if you would like to see more pictures of how it turns out for me: http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/05/mid-week-munchies-chicken-and-dumplings.html Also, the original recipe is from AllRecipes.com with 5600 reviews. You can check that out for more tips and tricks. Maybe someone else ran into the same issue as you: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-and-dumplings/ Happy crocking! ~Tonia
Susan says
For those without a crock pot,anything you can cook in a crock pot can be baked in the oven. You just won’t be able to leave it to cook all day, but you could prepare this in an hour or so. This is a big recipe, make sure your baking dish can hold it with room for bubbling up and the biscuits, or use two baking dishes. Precook the chicken on the stove-top. Add the chicken, soups and seasonings to a large baking dish. Cover the soup and chicken mixture with foil, bake till hot and bubbly. ( You could add the soup and other ingredients to the stove-top chicken and heat it thoroughly before adding it to the baking dish to speed this up.) Add the biscuits when the chicken and soup mixture is hot and bubbly. Delish!
To make this a freezer meal, place chicken in a freezer bag, cheeses in freezer bags, and use frozen biscuits placed in another bag. Place all the bags in one larger one. (lots of bags, I know) Label the soups for this recipe and place them in the pantry. Label the freezer bag with directions. OR: Combine soups, water, seasonings and chicken in one large bag ready to dump in the crockpot frozen or thawed, bag the cheeses and frozen biscuits.
Tonia says
Thank you for the great tips Susan!
Lisa says
Susan, thank you for the notes on doing this in the oven! I just got everything out and realized my chicken was fresh not frozen. This recipe is my plan for dinner tonight and leftovers tomorrow. I will cook the chicken on the stove warm with the sauce and toss into the oven to finish the dumplings! Thank you!
Diana B. says
Made this last night. For normal chicken and dumplings, this is great, but to have garlic in the name, it needs WAY more garlic. I couldn’t taste any garlic at all. I used plain frozen chicken because I couldn’t find frozen garlic herb chicken at the store. Maybe that would have made the difference in garlic flavor, but I doubt it. This also needs WAY more pepper! It was good, but I felt that the flavor was really lacking, that’s even after I put 2 cups of sharp cheddar on top instead of 1. Also, I think using a 3 pound bag of frozen chicken would have made it less soupy, but I just ate some for lunch today and as microwaved leftovers it’s a lot less soupy. But my picky eater husband really liked it, so that’s all that matters 🙂
Kristen Duke says
Wow that seems too cold for me in Minnesota! This recipe sounds like the perfect meal for a cold day!
Danielle says
Tonia, you’re a smart lady. I’ve already bookmarked that white chili with chicken as my next recipe to try! Glad I found your site today. I can’t wait to explore more of your recipes and other ideas.
Danielle says
Love this recipe! Like others, I have never tried chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker. My family is sure to love this. One question: If I wanted to use fresh (not frozen) chicken, how would I adjust the cooking time? Thanks so much.
Tonia says
Thanks Danielle! When I made my slow cooker white chili with chicken, the fresh chicken was cooked after 5 hours (I didn’t check it sooner than that though). http://www.thegunnysack.com/2014/01/slow-cooker-white-chili-with-chicken.html
latasha says
um, about the 2 lbs garlic herb frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts. is that just marinated chicken breast? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in my grocery stores. I don’t remember seeing it anyways. my husband doesn’t like chicken & dumplings but he has agreed to try this so thank you so much!
Tonia says
Hi Latasha,
Yes! I bought the ones that were pre-marinated. These are the ones I used: http://www.goldnplump.com/grocery_product.cfm?id=52&ns=1 But you could use plain chicken breasts. Thanks for stopping by!
~Tonia
latasha says
ok, thanks so much! I look forward to trying this!
kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor says
Delicious…I love Chicken & Dumplings in the crockpot…love the cheesy party of your recipe!! Mmmm!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom says
I have tried countless things in the Crockpot, but never chicken & dumplings – that WILL change! This looks amazing!
Tonia says
Thanks Kelly! You are going to love it!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
OH goodness….this looks like the perfect comfort dinner! And I love that it’s easy – my speed!!
Sofia Lokke says
I’m SO glad I found your page! 🙂 I finally got myself a crock pot for Christmas. Believe it or not, it’s a “new”thing over here. Pulled pork is like the coolest and most stylish dish you can serve… 😉 Nobody here have ever heard of a crock pot, and I sure missed having one. Now, I found one in Sweden, that I didn’t have to pay an arm and a foot for… Only a toe. So I’m looking forward to try out some of your recipes. 🙂 Yum!
Rhonda says
Slow cooker baked potatoes! My family loves baked potatoes, thanks for the recipe!
Tonia says
Thanks Rhonda! I made the slow cooker baked potatoes on Christmas. Since the service was later that day, I put them on low in the morning. Becky and Kirsten and their families came over and we all had the potatoes as part of our meal. Yum!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Oh yeah, chicken dumplings with garlic and herb cheese? Are you kidding me? Fantastic!
Tonia says
I know! Comfort food, right?
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
This is definitely my kind of comfort food!
MeganM. says
This looks AMAZING. I’m not a soup person, but I have a cold and don’t feel good and then seeing this makes me need it NOW! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. I’m totally going to make it. 🙂
Anna Bennett says
Tonia,
Your Recipe looks & sounds awesome. I wish we were able to make it now with it being so cold out.But we have to wait till my daughter is able to buy a new Slow Cooker.