Easy Dairy Free Chicken and Dumplings Slow Cooker Recipe
This hearty dairy free chicken and dumplings slow cooker recipe is ultimate comfort food that the whole family will enjoy. Packed with beautifully tender chicken, loads of veggies, and topped off with our easy homemade dumplings, it’s not to be missed.
This classic recipe has an added dairy free twist, using vegan butter in the dumplings, making it ideal for anyone on a dairy free diet.
The best part is it’s an easy recipe to make – only taking about 15 minutes to prep – and is absolutely delicious (ok, I might be a bit biased, but I think it’s true!).
You can’t beat a dinner that is quick to prep, easy to make, budget friendly and pleases everyone.
This slow cooker chicken and dumplings dinner recipe is perfect for anyone looking for something low effort but that still feels a little bit special.
The chicken and dumplings make a complete meal, or you could also serve them with dairy free mashed potatoes, broccoli or a salad to balance the yummy richness of the main.
I’m sure this will quickly become one of your favourite comfort foods.
Winner winner chicken dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Dairy Free Chicken and Dumplings Slow Cooker Recipe
- perfect winter warmer
- simple but delicious dairy free recipe
- low effort and only requires 15 minutes prep
Ingredients Notes for Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Ingredients:
- Olive oil: We’re going to use it to soften the veggies.
- Carrots: Slice these up into thicker pieces so that you get a taste with every bite.
- Celery: Slice these to medium thickness and add them in for texture.
- Garlic Cloves: Chop these up and add them for delicious extra flavour.
- Leeks: These add a great additional flavour but can be omitted if you don’t have any. Get home grown if you can – the flavour is incredible.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour will make the chicken mixture thicken.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Add to taste. I like Pink Himalayan Salt but you could use any regular salt that you have.
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you could use skinless chicken breasts instead as they would work just as well.
- Peas: Use frozen peas to make life simpler.
- Thyme: Thyme adds a lovely earthly freshness.
- Sage: Sage brings an earthy flavour that beautifully compliments the thyme.
- Dijon Mustard: It adds acidity and brightness to the sauce.
- Chicken Broth: The chicken stock or broth is added both for flavour and to help cook the meat and veg. Stock made with a cube is absolutely fine.
Dumpling Ingredients:
- White Breadcrumbs: Either buy grocery store breadcrumbs or whizz a piece of bread in your food processor before you start the dumpling dough.
- Self-Raising Flour: This will allow your yummy fluffy dumplings to grow in size as they cook.
- Vegan Butter: I use Flora Plant-Based as it acts really like real butter in this recipe and it’s easier to come by than suet, as is used more traditional recipes.
- Egg: I use medium, free range.
- Parsley: Fresh works best here. It adds a nice light flavour as well as colour to the dumplings.
How to Make Dairy Free Chicken and Dumplings Slow Cooker Recipe
For the crockpot chicken mixture:
- The first step is to wash and peel your vegetables.
- Then, using a sharp knife and a chopping board, cut up your veggies into medium sized pieces. Don’t cut them too small, or they’ll break up after hours of cooking.
- In a large pot or skillet, heat the oil on a medium heat. Once hot, add the carrot, celery, leeks and garlic and cook on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and onions are beginning to soften. This will take around 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour to the vegetables, mix and cook for 1 minute.
- Season the chicken thighs and place in the slow cooker, along with the partially cooked vegetables, herbs, dijon mustard and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Turn the slow cooker on LOW for 6-8 or on HIGH for 4 hours.
For the dumplings:
- While the vegetables are softening in the frying pan, as in step 3 above, roughly cut the dairy free butter into cubes. Cutting it up speeds up mixing time in the food processor.
- Place the self-raising flour, dairy free butter cubes and breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. If you are not using a food processor, chop your parsley with a sharp knife and complete this step using a large mixing bowl and large spoon. I prefer a food processor as it takes less time.
- Crack 2 eggs into the dumpling dough, add the parsley, and turn on the processor again until combined. You should have a well mixed, wet, sticky dough.
- On a floured board, use your hands to roll 6 large or 12 small balls. Place on a plate and refrigerate for later.
- Around 45-60 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the thyme stalk and shred the chicken. The chicken pieces will be tender and fall apart very easily.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, then place the dumplings on top of the shredded chicken and vegetables for the last 45-60 minutes of cooking time, being sure to press them down so that they are just immersed in the liquid. Remember that the dumplings will grow in size as they cook so space them out around the pot. Replace the lid of the slow cooker.
- Once the cook time has finished, serve immediately with green vegetables or salad.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Large skillet / frying pan (Circulon* are the BEST I’ve ever had, I would totally recommend them!)
- Food processor
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring jug
- Weighing scales
Substitutions
Self-Raising Flour: If you don’t have any for the dumplings, you can substitute with 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. If you need a gluten free option, you can replace with gluten free self raising flour.
Leeks: If you don’t have leeks, yellow onion would be a great alternative.
All-purpose flour: You can use cornstarch to thicken the sauce if you don’t have all-purpose flour. Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the chicken mixture ingredients.
Olive oil: Any oil other than extra virgin is fine here.
Herbs: Use fresh Thyme and Parsley, or swap for dried but use a third of the amount shown in the recipe (dried has a stronger flavour).
What to Eat with Chicken and Dumplings
- Green beans
- Roast broccoli
- Cornbread
- Mashed potatoes
- Salad
Check out our list of favorite sides to eat with chicken and dumplings!
Top Tips
- Don’t cut your veggies too small or they’ll turn to mush after such a long time cooking.
- To save time, prep your dumplings while your vegetables are softening in the pan and refrigerate until needed.
- If you want a more creamy sauce, you could add plant based cream or coconut cream. I haven’t tested these myself but feel free to enjoy experimenting with the recipe!
FAQs
Why not use suet in your dumplings like everyone else?
Many store bought brands of suet have ‘may contain milk’ on the label. For some with dairy free diets this is too much of a risk. Also, I’m all about keeping cooking simple and we’re much more likely to have vegan butter in our store cupboard than suet!
Can I cook this in a regular oven?
Absolutely! Brown the chicken in a little oil on each side first (about 5 minutes on each side) using a dutch oven on the stovetop, set them aside, then soften the veggies in the same pot. Stir in the flour, then add the stock, herbs and seasoning, stir, and bring to the boil. Return the chicken and cover with a lid. Cook in the oven at 180C/350F for 45-60 minutes. Add the dumplings for the last 30 minutes, pushing them down into the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
How can I store leftovers?
Fridge: The chicken and dumplings will be good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Once cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container and store for 2-3 months. To reheat the chicken and dumplings, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before microwaving until hot.
What if I don’t own a food processor?
No problem. You can make the dumpling dough by mixing your ingredients in a large mixing bowl, it will just take you a few minutes longer. Simply chop or snip your parsley into small pieces, place them, with the dry ingredients and butter, in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Then add the egg and mix again until you have the wet, sticky dough we need. Shape and chill the dumplings as described in the rest of the recipe.
Can I make this recipe gluten free as well as dairy free?
Yes, you can make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten free flour blend and bread for the dumplings and ensuring all other ingredients are gluten-free. Also make sure any store-bought broth or stock used is gluten-free.
Is a slow cooker the same as a crockpot?
Yes! We Brits just call them slow cookers, but they are the same thing. You can also use the slow cooking function on an electric pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot) and achieve the same results.
Help, I’ve never made my own dumplings! Is it difficult?
Nope, you can totally do it! I have purposely chosen simple store cupboard ingredients for the dumplings and a simple recipe. Just follow the recipe card and even if they fall apart a bit it wont matter, they’ll still taste fab.
Easy Chicken and Dumplings Slow Cooker Recipe
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Food processor
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring jug
- Weighing cales
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 850 grams chicken thighs, boneless or skinless
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 handful fresh thyme stalks
- 5 leaves fresh sage, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the dumplings
- 140 grams vegan butter, cubed
- 100 grams white breadcrumbs
- 100 grams self raising flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
Instructions
For the chicken
- Season the chicken thighs.
- In a large pot or skillet, heat the oil on a medium heat. Once hot, add the carrot, celery, leeks and garlic and cook on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and onions are beginning to soften. This will take around 5 minutes.
- Add the all purpose flour to the vegetables, mix and cook for 1 minute.
- Place the partially cooked vegetables in the slow cooker, along with the chicken, herbs, dijon mustard and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Turn the slow cooker on LOW for 6-8 or on HIGH for 4 hours.
For the dumplings
- While the vegetables are softening in the frying pan add the breadcrumbs, self-raising flour and vegan butter to a food processor. Pulse for around 30 seconds, or until well mixed.
- Crack the eggs into the dumpling dough in the processor, then add in the parsley. Mix again until you have a wet, sticky, dough.
- On a floured board, use your hands to roll 6 large or 12 small balls. Place on a plate and refrigerate for later.
- Around 45-60 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the thyme stalk and shred the chicken. The chicken pieces will be tender and fall apart very easily.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, then place the dumplings on top of the shredded chicken and vegetables for the last 45-60 minutes of cooking time. Be sure to press them down so that they are just immersed in the liquid. The dumplings will grow in size as they cook so space them out around the pot.
- Once the cooking time has finished, serve immediately with green vegetables or salad.
Notes
- Cutting the veg: Don’t cut your veggies too small or they’ll turn to mush after such a long time cooking.
- Save time: Prep your dumplings while your vegetables are softening in the pan and refrigerate until needed.
- Storage: Fridge: The chicken and dumplings will be good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezer: Once cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container and store for 2-3 months. To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before microwaving until hot.
