Description
A nostalgic, homestyle dish featuring tender chicken thighs, hearty vegetables, and fluffy dumplings, all simmered together in a rich, flavorful broth. This slow-cooked comfort food is perfect for cozy dinners and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups water
- 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 5–10 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 cups celery, chopped into ½-inch chunks
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Dumplings:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tbsp fresh parsley)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cold butter
- 3 tbsp shortening
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- Gravy:
- 2 cups cooking liquid from the slow cooker
- ¾ cup cold water
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs, water, chicken base, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and seasonings in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, parsley, and pepper for the dumplings.
- Cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Add buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Remove chicken, shred with forks, return to slow cooker, and stir.
- Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough evenly on top of the chicken mixture.
- Cover and cook on High for 1 hour or until dumplings are cooked through.
- In a saucepan, combine 2 cups cooking liquid and cold water. Bring to a simmer.
- Mix flour and chicken base into a slurry, then slowly whisk into the simmering liquid until thickened.
- Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve chicken and dumplings in bowls, topped with gravy. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Do not overmix dumpling dough to avoid tough dumplings.
- You can use chicken breasts, but thighs yield a more tender result.
- For added flavor, sauté onions before adding to the slow cooker.
- Use fresh parsley for a brighter, fresher flavor in the dumplings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 75mg