Chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food.

In this recipe, a whole chicken is simmered to create tender meat and a flavorful broth. Dumplings, made with pantry ingredients, are simmered in the broth until plump and tender.

This meal is easy to make from scratch and will be requested again and again.

close up of easy Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings in bowls

Holly’s Recipe Highlights for Chicken and Dumplings

This Homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe is good ol’ comfort food at its best.

  • Flavor: The flavor is savory with broth and herbs—very homey flavors similar to chicken soup or pot pie.
  • Difficulty: This recipe is relatively easy but it does take time to prepare. Most of the time is hands off as the chicken simmers.
  • Dumplings: There are different types of dumplings and while these are rolled out and look somewhat like noodles, the texture (and ingredients) is different—they’re more pillowy than noodles.
  • Time Saving Tip: This recipe is made with awhole chicken to make the meat and broth. You can save time by using boxed chicken broth and cooked rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients Tips For Chicken and Dumplings

The Broth

This is a simple broth made with a whole chicken and vegetables. Onions and carrots add flavor. Use a large onion and leave the skin on to add extra color to the broth. You can add your favorite herbs, such as bay leaf, a pinch of poultry seasoning, and fresh parsley.

We like to eat the veggies as a side dish but feel free to chop the carrots & celery and add them back into your broth.

How to Make Dumplings

This chicken and dumplings recipe uses homemade dumplings, which are easy to make with basic ingredients. Flour, shortening, milk, baking powder, and salt are combined to make the dumplings.

Simply mix and roll, I use a pizza cutter to cut the dumplings.

Lots of dough strips on a cutting board

How To Make Chicken and Dumplings

This is a quick overview of the steps in this chicken and dumpling recipe. Find the detailed recipe below!

  1. Make the broth: Cut the chicken and add all the ingredients to a large pot. Simmer.
  2. Make the dumplings: Stir the ingredients in a bowl, roll the dough, and cut the dumplings (recipe below).
  3. Debone chicken: Remove chicken from the broth. Discard the bones and skin and chop the meat.
  4. Cook dumplings: Add dumplings to broth and simmer.
  5. Serve: Add the chicken to the broth.
Chicken and Dumplings in a silver pot

Holly’s Recipe Tips

  • The dumplings do not have to be perfectly cut, ensure the dough is rolled to about 1/8-inch thick for the perfect consistency.
  • If you’d like to thicken the broth, mix equal parts water and cornstarch in a small bowl. After the dumplings are cooked, add the mixture a little bit at a time until the broth has reached the desired consistency.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • The dumplings should not be frozen in the broth. You can freeze the broth and dumplings separately; the texture of the dumplings will soften slightly, but they’re still delicious. Store in the freezer up to 4 months.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

More Cozy Chicken Recipes

Did you enjoy this Chicken and Dumplings Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Two white bowls of Chicken and Dumplings
4.96 from 904 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Chicken and Dumplings

This old fashioned chicken and dumplings recipe is a family favorite meal that is comforting and delicious. 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
buy hollys book

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
  • 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf or a ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, optional

For the Dumplings

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • cup shortening
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Other

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a large soup pot, combine the chicken, onion, carrots, and celery. Add salt to taste (about ½ teaspoon).
  • 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.
  • Remove chicken and vegetables from the broth. Discard skin and bones and chop remaining chicken, set aside.
  • Gently add dumplings to broth. 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, baking powder, salt, and shortening with a fork until shortening is mixed in.
  • 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 a few 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 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. 
4.96 from 904 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 464 | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4060IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.8mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
bowls of Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings with a title
tender Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings with writing
bowl of Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings with a title
Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings in bowls and close up photo with a title

Categories:

, , ,

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

4.96 from 904 votes (709 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. I have never made true chicken and dumplings until this recipe. I live in NC so this dish is taken rather seriously and your mettle is defined by how you make this dish lol. I served this to a historical society of Civil War folks so the pressure was on.
    I made the recipe almost exactly, subtracting nothing just merely adding. To the broth I used a bouillon paste and added 1.5 T garlic powder, used white pepper in place of black, used both bay leaf and Italian seasoning. To the dough I added about a tsp of onion powder.
    My only issue was actually cooking the dumplings. I didn’t know if it was okay to stir them and did not know the importance of leaving the lid on and not peaking so the steam could do its work. Happily, I figured it out and every cooked to perfection and the dumplings didn’t turn to glue or become chewy.
    My dinner folks said it might be the best or one of the best dumplings they ever had. So definitely give it a try. I did double the recipe and used chicken legs and boneless skinless chicken breast. Nice to know in these days I can still get lucky and find chicken @ $.99 per pound5 stars

    1. While I have not tried it, I think if you substitute self rising flour in place of the all purpose and baking powder it should work just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

  2. Hi, I plan on making this. But I have a question. Have you ever used stock to make your dumplings? Instead of the milk?

    1. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Lela. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

  3. My first time making this, my chicken was a little stringy and I cooked my dumplings 15 minutes. They tasted great but I think they needed to cook 20 minutes before thickening the sauce.
    loved this recipe!5 stars

  4. This is an absolutely delicious and easy dinner. The dumplings don’t freeze well, so if your family can’t eat it all within a couple of days, give some to a friend. I guarantee they will love it and want the recipe. I reduce the cornstarch by 1/2 and add the veggies back in after cooking with the chicken. I cut the onion small and do not put in the onion skin. Cooking the veggies full size with the chicken really speeds up the process. You can use bone broth or low salt/no MSG Swanson’s broth to make it a bit more healthy.5 stars

  5. Best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever had. Made them for a thanksgiving potluck where everyone brought soups or chili. I made 2 large pots and I was the only one who walked away with empty pots. Everyone love it.

  6. the soup itself didn’t come out bad, but the dumplings are bland as hell. definitely needs about 4 to 5 times as much salt as the recipe calls for.3 stars

  7. This is so, so delicious. I made my dumplings into little squares and they’re so beautifully pillowy, and l thinly sliced some green onions and added them at the end with the parsley (trying to use up what’s in my fridge!) what a fantastic recipe!5 stars

  8. Love Love Love…..This turned out great for dinner tonight. Made it with a precooked whole chicken from Costco ($5) and removed the meat from the bone. I use ‘Better than Bullion’ Roasted Chicken base instead of bouillon cubes, I used 3 1/2 tbsp per the 8 cups of water. The dumplings turned out great, just the right size. My only mistake was not making a double batch which I will do next time. I’m not much of a cook, especially making anything from scratch so if I can do it anyone can.5 stars

  9. Haven’t made this recipe yet will be making it sometime soon. Looked through all the recipes on line and this one looked the best can not wait to make this

  10. Very similar to chicken & dumplings I’ve been making for about 65 years. However I boil my chicken in water flavoring it with chicken soup base, I don’t add the carrots, just celery & onion. I normally just use self rising flour for the dumplings. I roll them out on a well floured sheet of newspaper to save some clean up but also I allow my dumplings to air dry for awhile before adding into the broth, adding the ‘left over flour from the rolling’ along with the dumplings instead of making a separate thickener. that’s usually more than enough for thickening, I add evaporated can milk & butter then add salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste. I sometimes add a bit of poultry seasoning to my dumplings. I also save the bones & skin to boil further for broth. I have a bag of bones & skin in the freezer until I have enough to make a good amount of broth with flavorings to my taste. Better than any store bought.

  11. I don’t understand why my dumplings didn’t cook. They are mush. Was I supposed to bring it to a boil first then simmer? My dough was kind of sticky at first. Too much milk?
    This was my first try at dumplings!

    1. Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that Lisa. I can’t say for sure what happened as I haven’t had that problem before. Did you use a hard shortening the texture of butter (like Crisco)?

  12. ….. total yum. This was my first in a long time making roll out dumplings, since i usually take the easy way out and use Bisquick. It wasn’t as difficult as thought it would be… next time i will cut them about 2×2″ or bigger, my little ones disintegrated. This had such a great taste.
    I ended up using all of the cornstarch slurry for thickening (and all of the 3/4 cup milk to make to the dumplings). Also, my original 8 cups broth didn’t seem to be enough (but my chicken was really big) so it may have simmered off even though i kept it covered – I added 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 2 cups water extra.
    thank you for the recipe5 stars

  13. This is THE BEST chicken and dumplings. I have made it numerous times and it turns out amazing every time. My family loves it!!5 stars