Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food, with tender chicken, homemade dumplings, and a flavorful broth that warms you from the inside out. This classic recipe is simple to make from scratch and perfect for a cozy family dinner any night of the week.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Chicken and Dumplings
Flavor: The rich, savory broth, tender chicken, and soft, pillowy dumplings come together to create a comforting, hearty dish with classic homemade flavor.
Recommended Tools: A large soup pot, rolling pin, pizza cutter, and cheesecloth make preparing this recipe easier and help achieve the best results.
Serving Suggestions: I like to serve this chicken and dumplings with a simple green salad.
Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes Serves: 8 Cooking Method: Stovetop
Ingredient Notes
- Whole Chicken: A whole chicken creates a rich, flavorful homemade broth while providing plenty of tender meat. Bone-in chicken thighs are a great substitute.
- Carrots and Celery: These vegetables add savory flavor to the broth as it simmers. For a heartier soup, chop and return them to the pot, or discard them for a smoother, clearer broth.
- Bay Leaf or Poultry Seasoning: While optional, either adds extra savory flavor to the broth. Poultry seasoning, thyme, or a pinch of sage all complement the chicken with a classic, comforting taste.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the homemade dumplings. Keep extra flour on hand for the work surface and dough to prevent the strips from sticking while rolling and cutting.
- Variations: Stir in frozen peas with the chicken for extra color and sweetness. For a richer finish, add a splash of cream before serving. For a shortcut version, use cooked shredded chicken, keeping in mind the broth will have a lighter flavor.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
- Place the chicken, vegetables, and seasonings into a large pot and pour in the chicken broth.
- Simmer the chicken with vegetables, broth, and seasonings.
- While chicken is simmering, start the dumplings. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients and gradually add milk to form a soft dough.
- Gently knead the dough on a well-floured surface a few times until it becomes smooth.
- Roll the dough out thinly and use a pizza cutter to slice it into short strips.
- Strain the broth and shred the cooked chicken while discarding the skin and bones.
- Simmer the dumpling strips in the broth, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, and stir the shredded chicken back in before serving.
Tips for Tender Dumplings
- For Even Cooking: Roll the dumplings thin, about ¼ inch.
- To Prevent Clumping: Flour the dough generously before cutting so the strips do not clump together.
- For Soft Dough: Add the milk slowly to the dumpling dough. Soft dough is good, sticky dough is harder to roll.
- Do Not Over-Knead: A few folds of the dough are enough to bring it together.
- Simmer the Dumplings Gently: A hard boil can break them apart.
- Add the Cornstarch Slurry Slowly: The broth thickens quickly.
Storing The Cozy Extras
- Storing Leftovers: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: The chicken and broth can be frozen for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze before adding the dumplings, then make fresh dumplings when reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave at reduced power, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water if the dumplings have absorbed too much liquid.
Cozy Chicken Dinners
Did you enjoy the following Chicken and Dumplings recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Chicken and Dumplings
This cozy chicken and dumplings recipe is made with rich homemade broth, tender shredded chicken, and soft rolled dumplings simmered right in the pot.
Equipment
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds, cut into pieces*
- 1 yellow onion cut into quarters
- 3 large carrots cut into thirds
- 3 ribs celery cut into thirds
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 bay leaf or a ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, optional
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch plus 4 tablespoons water
For the Dumplings
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- ⅓ cup shortening
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, combine the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf.
- Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. While the broth is simmering, prepare dumplings below.
- Strain broth through cheesecloth. Shred or chop the chicken and discard the skin and bones. Chop the vegetables if desired (or discard). Set aside.
- Add the strained broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil and gently add dumplings to broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- Stir chicken (and vegetables if desired) into the broth and cook about 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
To Make the Dumplings
- Combine flour, shortening, baking powder, and salt with a fork or pastry cutter until shortening is the size of small crumbs.
- Add milk a little at a time and mix until combined (you may not need all of it, you want a soft but not sticky dough).
- Knead 5-6 times on a floured surface until dough is smooth.
- Generously flour your surface and roll the dough out to ⅛-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch x 2-inch strips. Flour generously to avoid sticking.
- Cook in broth as directed above.
To Thicken the Broth
- In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water.
- Add to boiling broth a little bit at a time stirring to reach desired consistency.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: *The whole chicken can be replaced with 3 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs.
- Vegetables: Carrots and celery can be served on the side or chopped and added to the broth along with the chicken. If adding to the broth, frozen peas can also be added.
- Seasonings: While I’ve kept the seasonings simple, any of the following can be added to the broth: ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon ground sage.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 461 | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4756IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
How long do you cook the dumplings in the broth?
I found in recipe. Missed it first time thru
This was really awesome it made me feel like a kid again think you but it made me miss my grandmother that was her favorite
So glad you enjoyed it Jessica, those memories are so special! <3
Loved it! Really made a big hit with my hubby!!! Making again today.
I’m so glad you and your hubby loved this!
Made these dumplings today…..amazing! Had the tenderness that I remember from my grandmothers. SO DELICIOUS! Thank you!!!!
I have tried many recipes and most fall short, but I knew the minute I rolled out these dumplings this was going to be a winner. The aroma filled the kitchen with much anticipation and this recipe did not dissapoint , when my fiancé says tastes just like my moms , I knew we had a winner. Thanks so much for sharing!
YAY! So glad your family loved it Elizabeth!
when simmering the dumplings, do you put a lid on the pot or off?
I leave it uncovered.
I followed the dumpling recipe to the letter–and they were just what I wanted. (I used Kerry Gold salted butter for the shortening.) I think this recipe can also (if thinly rolled) be used for a pie-crust-like cover for a cobbler or a chicken pot pie. I think it would have a flaky biscuit-y quality, unlike the short-flakiness of a pie crust.
YAY, so glad you loved it!
This looks really good and reminds me of my Granny’s recipe. I want to cook it in the instant pot to save time. Any idea how long to cook the whole chicken on high pressure instead of 60 minutes? Maybe 20?
For a whole chicken, I use the meat setting and cook it 25 minutes depending on the size (25 for a 3-4lb chicken, 30 for a 4-5lb chicken). The pressure cooker will require a little bit of broth in the bottom.
I already had my own chicken stock, but made a roux of veggies and then boiled the dumplings in it. The dumplings were fantastic!
So glad you loved it!
Dry easy and delicious
Instead of using shortening or butter, add just enough broth from your cooked chicken to the dry flour mixture, which gives you the shortening plus the liquid..
Great idea, I’ll have to try it.
Can I just ad chicken broth and condensed milk to water used to boil chicken , add all the veggies then use canned biscuits cut into 4ths ?
I have only tried this recipe as written.
Yes, that would work. Just make sure you degrease the cooking water at some point in time before its done.
Yes, that would work. Just make sure you degrease the cooking water at some point in time before its done.
Not condensed milk; that has sugar in it.
This is a wonderful recipe, but the best part is the dumpling. I made these a bit thicker than directed in the recipe, more dumpling than noodle-like. I have been looking for a dumpling recipe that tastes like my grandmother’s (whose recipe I do not have) and this one does. Well done and thank you.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that the dumplings reminded you of your grandma’s!
I made this chicken and dumpling It was so good that my family what me to make it again today . Thank you
What can be used instead of shortening? Also, this reminds me of the way my mom used to make it, I just don’t recall her using shortening. Butter, I think?
Butter can be used, yes, but its lower melting temperature should be kept in mind when making the dumplings. For all it tastes great, butter can be finicky to work with. That said, these dumplings shouldn’t take long enough to have a problem! :)
I make chicken and dumplings every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas with my mother, so it’s a food I really love.
delicious recipe.
A couple of hints – Be sure to mix the dry ingredients together before adding shortening.
Also, don’t overcook it, dumplings will start to disintegrate.
Also, I figured putting in a whole chicken would be way too greasy. So I cooked up a couple of chicken breasts instead. That worked well.
Thanks for sharing your tips Chris!
Could flour be used to thicken the broth instead of cornstarch?
I haven’t tried it although I’m sure that would work just fine!
I have used flour before. It worked for me!!
Very hearty and yummy!!
What type of flour (self -rising or all purpose)?
This recipe uses all purpose flour.
You should have put that in yhe recipe, this is probably why it’s the worst I have ever had. Dumplings look like balloons, that was a waste of a day and a lot of food
Lol for future reference if bread flour is not specified don’t use bread flour – especially if you’re not making BREAD! All purpose flour is always default.
So you boil a whole raw chicken cut up?
Yes, that’s correct.
Just like mom made thanks
let me add do not use bleached flour make sure also unbromolated. or your dumplings will not taste good as a matter of fact do not use bleached flour at all in any recipe. its not good for you I will not comment on recipe till i make it today. but i will add in a package of lipton chicken soup mix it just kicks any homemade chicken noodle soup over the top. remember to use less boillion and salt. ps. salt can always be added at table to his or her liking . once its added you cant take it out thank you