Make this cozy classic chicken and dumplings recipe from scratch. It’s an old-fashioned comfort food classic with rich broth, tender chicken, and homemade dumplings.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Rich and savory broth is filled with juicy chicken and soft, pillowy dumplings.
- Time-Saving Tip: Use frozen veggies and biscuit mix to keep the prep time low without sacrificing flavor.
- Recommended Tools: A pizza cutter makes quick work of cutting dumplings into perfect strips.
- Serving Suggestions: Let everyone help themselves by keeping this recipe warm in a slow cooker. Just serve some homemade breadsticks on the side to soak up all of that creamy broth.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Base: Use any combination of chicken up to 5 pounds for the broth; a whole bone-in chicken adds richness and body, while individual pieces of chicken work too. If using frozen chicken, thaw it overnight in the fridge.
- Vegetables: Celery, carrots, and onions are the foundation that makes a sweet and savory, balanced base for this recipe.
- Dumplings: These super-easy dumplings are soft and plump, and made with a handful of pantry staples. If short on time, replace them with any pasta that has tubes or ridges to hold the creamy broth.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
- Cook the broth and chicken.
- Prepare the dumplings (full recipe below).
- Strain the broth, shred the chicken, and add it back to the pot.
- Add dumplings to the simmering soup, and cook until tender.
Before serving, adjust the seasonings if needed.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Store leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze chicken separately from the dumplings for up to 4 months in a zippered bag. Dumplings can be frozen separately, but taste best when made fresh.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. If the broth has thickened, stir in a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.
How to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings
Mix cornstarch + cold water into a slurry, then whisk it into boiling broth a little at a time until it’s the thickness you like.
What Goes with Chicken and Dumplings
Something fresh and simple: roasted green beans or broccoli, a basic green salad or Caesar, and dinner rolls or biscuits.
Can You Freeze Chicken and Dumplings?
Yes, but it freezes best without the dumplings. Freeze the broth and chicken, then make fresh dumplings when reheating.
Can You Make Chicken and Dumplings in a Crockpot?
Yes, I recommend following this Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe.
What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings
Did you enjoy this Chicken and Dumplings Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
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.
Wonderful recipes with ingredients that we usually already have, so thank you!!!
Made this today, substituting butter for shortening. I would recommend using the more common method of pinching or scooping chunks of dough instead of rolling and cutting, because there’s not enough space in the pot, meaning that the dumplings are going to layer and stick together anyways, making serving a bit messier than it should be. Otherwise, great taste!
I’d like to have the recipe I seen for chicken and dumplings???
Hi Donald, find our chicken and dumplings recipe here! Let us know how it turns out for you!
I made this last night for dinner, turned out Amazing!! Really easy recipe for a delicious comfort meal for my family! Thanks!!
I want dumplings
Made it today. Changes were that I roasted the chicken, used chicken stock and chicken bullion instead of boiling chicken, and I substituted butter for the shortening. Added a little cornstarch to thicken and served it warm with garden peas on the side. Turned out awesome.
Love this thank you
I never been able to make perfect dumplings for some reason until i tried this recipe, now im a pro making perfect fluffy dumplings, thank u soooo much❤
So happy we could help Ngon!
I’ve always used canned biscuits for my dumplings, but want to try homemade. Can this recipe be pinched rather than cut?
I have not tried preparing the dumplings that way Lisa but I would love to hear how yours turn out!
Super delicious! I grew up in The South and this tastes like I remember…the real thing. Thank you! This recipe will be saved and made over and over again.
Best chicken and dumplings recipe ever! Have been looking for a good recipe for ages. Family loved this recipe! This is the way we make dumplings in the South. Your recipe was perfect…I did omit the carrots because my family doesn’t like them, and used fresh cut up onion and seasoning mix that has celery in it. Dumplings were so soft and delicious and easy to make. Didn’t have to thicken the broth…came out perfect after it cooked. Threw away my other two recipes which never tasted right, and will now make this my favorite! Thank you!
This is such a keeper! While cooking, I was transported back to my mom’s kitchen when we would make chicken and dumplings. Thank you for sharing. ♥️
That makes us so happy to hear Jennie! Glad we could help you take a trip down memory lane.
I made this exactly as stated. I found it extremely bland. Yes, I know by nature chicken and dumplings are bland, but this was like eating bad-tasting paste. I love chicken and dumplings and this looked like what I would love, but unfortunately the whole pot is going into the garbage disposal because my attempts to fix it after eating one bowl have failed.
Sorry to hear that Ty. I am not sure what went wrong, this recipe is loved by so many readers.
Wow, I’m not a great cooker and for me, unlike Ty’s Chicken Dumplings, turned absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe and came out perfect. As far as taste goes I just added more Tony Chachire’s (sp). I would guess for the dumplings may need or be cooked longer than 60 mjn depending in ur crock pot. Try again and good luck!!
I wonder if butter in the place if shortening would make it taste better or extra salt? I’m getting ready to make these. I hope they are good.
Awesome. And a very simple recipe. I would not change a thing! ❤️
Excellent! My husband loved it. Comfort food!
My dumplings melted making a thick soup. I didn’t stir them until they started sticking.
Mine also made a goopy mess. I had extra broth in another pan. Luckily.
Wow! Just wow! This is THE best chicken and dumplings recipe I have ever tried. More like my mama’s than any other. Our family has been having chicken and dumplings for our Christmas dinner for several years, but TODAY was exceptional! EASY recipe and absolutely divine. Thank you!
So happy you and your family loved it Charlotte!
This is good but please read number three under your instructions for the chicken. It says to discard the chicken but also says to set it aside.
#3 is correct, the skin and bones is discarded.
I make this recipe for years, except I leave out the Milk and cornstarch ingredients.
I use the hot chicken broth in my dumplings and I use flour to make a slurry to thicken the broth once the dumplings are cooked. I already have these ingredients handy and prefer the flavors of the broth in my dumplings.
One more thing… I used to use shortening, but now I use Butter, mainly because certain members of the family think shortening is evil…LOL..Either way works great. This just shows how versatile and simple this recipe can be.
Thanks for the great tips Jill! It really is a versatile and simple recipe that can be adapted to suit your personal tastes.
I made this exactly as written, and it was awesome! I’m not usually great with dough, but this was super easy. My southern MIL was proud.