Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Dumplings (Print View)

Creamy ranch-seasoned chicken stew with fluffy dumplings for a comforting meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken & Stew

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 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 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Dumplings

12 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
14 - 1 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 - 1 cup whole milk
17 - 1 can (16 oz) refrigerated biscuit dough (store-bought alternative)

# Directions:

01 - Combine chicken, onion, carrots, celery, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and thyme in slow cooker. Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
02 - Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 hours until chicken reaches full tenderness.
03 - Remove cooked chicken from slow cooker, shred using two forks, then return shredded meat to slow cooker. Add frozen peas and stir to combine.
04 - In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter and milk, stirring until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough across stew surface in slow cooker, or arrange pieces of refrigerated biscuit dough on top.
06 - Cover slow cooker and cook on high setting for 1 hour until biscuits are cooked through with fluffy texture.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's practically hands-off once everything goes into the slow cooker, leaving you free to actually enjoy your day instead of standing over a stove.
  • Ranch seasoning transforms ordinary chicken and vegetables into something that tastes like pure nostalgia in a bowl.
  • Those drop biscuits become this irresistible golden-brown crust that contrasts perfectly with the creamy filling underneath.
02 -
  • If you overmix the biscuit dough, you'll end up with tough, hockey-puck-like results instead of fluffy clouds—the dough should look lumpy and rough, almost unfinished.
  • Don't skip switching to high heat for the final hour; low heat won't cook the biscuits through, and you'll get gummy tops instead of golden brown fluffy ones.
  • Frozen peas go in just before the biscuits, not at the beginning, otherwise they turn into mushy little ghosts.
03 -
  • Let your biscuit ingredients come to room temperature before mixing—cold ingredients make the dough shaggy and harder to work with.
  • If you're using chicken thighs instead of breasts, they'll take closer to 4.5 hours on low to become fall-apart tender, so don't rush it.
  • Save any leftover soup for a simple lunch the next day—it actually gets creamier as it sits because the flavors continue melding.
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