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.
I followed the recipe to the letter but my dumplings were soft and squishy:( I even rolled them out really thin… I’m disappointed:(
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe Jennifer. These are flat dumplings and the texture is intended to be soft although not too squishy. How long did they simmer for?
Growing up, my grandma used the pre-made biscuits from the store and tore them up and put them in. My wife doesn’t eat chicken, so I’m gonna hafta pull this off without the bird. Noodles and biscuits?
Sounds good to me, noodles cooked in broth/gravy are always so yummy!! Enjoy Randall!
Not both. But, I’d be in carboholic heaven with double dumplings:)
If she eats meat, I’ve made ham and dumplings using left-over ham and ham gravy (not red-eye gravy) which is quite delish. I imagine that using braised beef and homemade broth/gravy would be really tasty.
But, if she is a vegetarian, just make it using vegetable stock. I wonder how meaty and good it would be using reconstituted dried mushrooms and using the rehydrating water as broth. hmmmm
My mom also used to occasionally roll out some canned biscuits instead of making the dumplings from scratch. Canned biscuits of today are not as good as they used to be. They are now “flaky” and “layered”. They are just not designed to hold together like they used to be so I’d make the dumplings from scratch.
Thank you for your input and help for Randall, Mrs. H! Great ideas! I do have a recipe for Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings that uses canned biscuits if someone would like to try it :), but I do love these ones from scratch too!
Ok, we’ll this will be my first time trying to make. My husband and brother-in-law keep talking about how much they like the stuff, so I figured I’d give it a try this weekend. I’m planning to use canned biscuts (grands) making sure they are rolled out based on your directions. I do have a couple of question…you said to leave the skin on the onion. Not sure what you mean since the onion is peeled. Also, by putting in the veggies at the same time as the chichken, won’t the veggies be mush since they cook for 45-60 minutes with the chicken? Just let me know. Thanks!
Onion usually has a brown skin on it, I leave it mainly to color the broth. You can peel it if you’d like.
The purpose of the vegetables is to flavor the broth (like when you make a chicken stock). Some people eat them and some don’t but yes, they do get very soft.
This did NOT work for me. The dumplings mostly dissolved into nothing, and the few that survived were soft and squishy. It did make a good cream of chicken type soup but definitely no dumplings.
Sorry this didn’t work out for you Ashley, I can’t say for sure what went wrong. Did your dumplings hold together nicely when you cut them?
These where the best chicken and dumplings I have had in years! Thank you for sharing you recipe.
So glad you loved it Karen!
I’ve been making chicken & dumplings the same way for 40 years but my grandkids weren’t crazy about the dumplings. So I googled dumplings, came across your recipe and decided it sounded like what I was looking for.
I made them and it was like going back to my childhood and my mother’s dumplings. My grandkids loved them. My daughter said they were the best she’d ever had and my husband wanted to know when I was making them again. So tonight I did and they were even better.
The dumplings are tender and a little fluffy. Absolutely perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
Awww Grace, thank you so much! So happy to know that everyone loves this dish so much!
Quick question – how long do you let your dumplings sit before you cut and put into the chicken and broth? Hubby thinks I’m nuts for wanting to try this on a weeknight.. This is on our menu for Tuesday and cannot wait!! Thank you!
I don’t let them sit for a specific time, I usually make them and they are fine on the counter for 15-20 minutes while the chicken is finishing cooking. Hope you loved it Michelle!
Hi Holly I making the dumplings and I am using all purpose flour do I still need to use baking powder?
Yes, you’d still need the baking powder.
Made this tonight, very easy recipe and not.a lot involved yet i did make some changes and i think my version if you have the extra ingredients will taste even better! The dumplins are fantastic as said no changes those.
Great to hear Ken, thank you!
This is my first time making chicken and dumplings. Beyond delicious and super easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Krissy! Love hearing that your first attempt was such a success!
Unbelievable! So easy and tastes better than Cracker Barrel. Followed the recipe exactly and was the best I have ever had
So glad to hear you love the chicken and dumplings Robert :)
I tried chicken and dumplings once before, unfortunately without success. Being one of my favorite comfort foods, I thought I would be forever fated to never having made it myself, from scratch. Boy was I WRONG!! My daughter and husband are instant fans; the flavor of the stock plus the light dumplings are amazing! I’m in love!! Thanks for sharing!!
I am so glad you loved it Betty, it’s one of our favorites too!
This recipe is the best for chicken and dumplings that I’ve ever made. Thank you for the great instructions.
You’re welcome Paula. I’m so happy to hear you loved the chicken and dumplings!
This recipe is spot on and makes yummy, tender dumplings every time! Thank you VERY much, Ms. Holly!
I’ve tried what seems like hundreds of recipes since I lost my German/Irish great-grandma’s recipe and this is the closest I’ve found. This IS THE KEEPER! I made them exactly as directed and they turned out great the first time, as well as when I subsequently added one egg yolk (because I remembered my grandmas being a bit more golden yellow in color and I like the richness). BOTH ways turn out great. This recipe is solid! I have made it with a bit more salt, but I tend to like more salt in most recipes. A couple of other additions, if you’re a fan of German food, is a half teaspoon of ground nutmeg and a couple of shakes of white pepper to the dumpling dough, but that’s just an ethnic thing. I also add a bay leaf of two to my broth. These are great either with or without.
Make sure to follow Holly’s instructions on rolling them out thin enough … that way they cook fast enough to “set” and keep their shape and don’t get tough and end up with a “doughy” inner core.
I always dust mine liberally with flour when rolling out, just as Ms. Kelly directed in this recipe. Because of that, I have never found it necessary to add the corn starch. When you let it simmer long enough, (not a rolling boil!), after adding the dumplings it will thicken just from the flour. I always add half-and-half or whole milk about 5-10 minutes before serving which makes the broth nice and creamy, but try to remember to NOT let them boil after adding the cream if you do that, as we don’t want the cream to separate and curdle, right? Also, keep in mind that the broth is going to thicken a LOT after refrigerating left-overs, so you will likely have to thin the broth the second serving time and that’s with not even adding any corn starch.
Happy cooking and eating! You have a definite winner recipe here, Ms. Holly! Again, thanks for sharing it!
This recipe will always cook up a tender, yet well defined dumplings that don’t just dissolve and disappear. That’s the right balance in my book
Thank you for sharing your ideas Bertie! It’s great to hear about your additions, and I’m so glad you found THE KEEPER :)
This is wonderful! Identical to my Grandmothers! She was known for her cooking and her chicken and dumplings! Thanks for bringing back the memories!
So glad you loved the recipe Judy!
How much chicken do you use for the broth? I’m a little bit confused on that part
I use one whole chicken cut up, about 3-4lbs. You can usually purchase them cut up at the store.
You can also put the chicken in a big pot of water and cook 45 minutes to 60 minutes
Add salt to the water even veggies for a good rich broth.
I haven’t madyered cutting up chicken and I saved money by cooking a whole chicken , too.
I use help from a rotisserie chicken for my version of chicken and dumplings, but I’ve also been wanting to do it the old fashioned way – with a whole chicken! This is a great recipe and I’m going to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Enjoy Jill, we love this recipe!
I love the way you make the dumplings. I can feel it’s so much easier to eat than ones in scoop shapes. Can’t wait to try next time!
– Natalie
The dumplings were spot on! Used my own recipe for the rest. I am sure it’s relative to making bisquits thou. I always make so sticky then use dusting to roll out and cut. The inside sticky dough will get maximum rise while the dry outside will prevent clumping.
So glad you enjoyed them Dan!
Dumpling is so delicious and its good for the dinner I haven’t made in years but after going through the blog I feel like making it tonight for the dinner for my family I’m sure my husband will like dumplings and chicken
Enjoy Supriya!