Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken & Dumplings (Printer View)

Creamy ranch-flavored chicken stew topped with tender drop biscuits

# What you'll need:

→ 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 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
11 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Drop Biscuits

12 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tbsp baking powder
14 - 1 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 - 1 cup whole milk
17 - 1 can (16 oz) refrigerated biscuit dough, optional substitute

# Method:

01 - Place chicken, onion, carrots, celery, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and thyme in the slow cooker. Stir to combine thoroughly.
02 - Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
03 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred with two forks, then return to the slow cooker. Add frozen peas and stir to combine.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in melted butter and milk until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough on top of the stew in the slow cooker, or arrange refrigerated biscuit dough pieces evenly across the surface.
06 - Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, until biscuits are cooked through and golden.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It practically makes itself while you handle everything else, turning five hours of hands-off cooking into pure magic in a bowl.
  • Those fluffy dumplings soaking up creamy, savory broth hit different when you've made them yourself, but store-bought works beautifully too.
  • Ranch flavoring does something special here, adding depth without ever tasting artificial or overdone.
02 -
  • If your dumplings sink instead of float, your batter was too thick or you overmixed it, so next time go lighter with the milk and use a gentler hand.
  • Don't skip shredding the chicken partway through, because those little pieces distribute throughout the stew and make each bite feel more complete than if you just break it up at the end.
03 -
  • Pat your chicken dry before adding it to the slow cooker, because surface moisture keeps everything from browning and building deeper flavor in that first slow phase.
  • If you want slightly more golden biscuits, transfer them to a baking sheet and finish them under a hot broiler for two minutes after everything cooks, which sounds fussy but makes a real difference in texture and appearance.
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