Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Dumplings (Print)

Creamy ranch-seasoned chicken stew with tender vegetables and fluffy dumplings, all made effortlessly in your slow cooker.

# Ingredients:

→ 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 - ½ tsp black pepper
11 - 1 cup frozen peas
12 - ½ 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 - ½ tsp salt
18 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
19 - 1 cup whole milk

# Instructions:

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 until well combined.
02 - Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
03 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred with two forks, and return it to the stew.
04 - Stir in frozen peas, heavy cream, and cubed butter until fully incorporated.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter and milk until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
07 - Cover and cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
08 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • The chicken becomes so tender it practically melts, which means less effort and more comfort in every spoonful.
  • Ranch seasoning does the thinking for you—no complicated flavor layering required, just pure, nostalgic deliciousness.
  • Drop dumplings mean you skip the rolling and cutting; just plop them on and let them puff up into clouds.
02 -
  • Don't lift that slow cooker lid obsessively during cooking—every peek releases heat and adds 15 minutes to your timeline, something I learned the impatient way.
  • If your dumpling dough feels thick and paste-like, add milk a splash at a time; if it's runny, the dumplings will sink and disappear instead of sitting pretty on top.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, use a rotisserie chicken shredded and added in step four instead—you'll cut the cooking time in half and still have something that tastes like you've been tending it all day.
  • The secret to perfectly puffed dumplings is switching to high heat at the end; low heat will cook them through but they won't rise and brown the way they should.
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