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.
My family is gluten free and it was easy for me to use my gluten free flour to make the dumplings. My family loves this recipe.
Absolutely loved this recipe. It was delicious and super easy. It was my first time making chicken and dumplings. The only thing that didn’t really come out right was the dumplings. They kind of dissolved (not all, but some). Not sure why. I did use coconut oil for “shortening”. Do you think that caused it? Please advise! Thank you! I can’t wait to try it again.
Glad to hear that you love the chicken and dumplings! I can’t say for sure why some of the dumplings didn’t hold together. Did your dumplings hold together nicely when you cut them? Did you roll them on the thinner side, or the thicker side?
Thank you for this recipe it was simple and it turned out to be better than expected when I think of chicken and dumplings this recipe is the expectation. I really like the fact that I did not have to add any salt with exception of what was in the dumpling … this was tasty and flavorful.
You’re so very welcome Sherry. Thak you for your comment!
I made it with what I had . It came out yummy!
Even the kitties enjoyed it.(made sure all ingredients were kitty friendly)
Just like the other reviews
Easy!
Definitely a keeper.
Thank you for making it available.
You’re very welcome! So glad you love this recipe!
What a great and easy recipe! The only addition I made was to add fresh garlic. It was perfect.
Looks Good
So I only used the dumpling recipe as I already have my way of making the chicken part. I have to say these were SO easy to make and cooked perfectly! Keeping this recipe and sharing with my friends and family! They were amazing!
Thank you for this recipe! It’s really one of the tastiest things I’ve made in a long time. The only things I did as variation was use water with chicken bouillon in lieu of chicken broth. A little saltier, yes, but using this with the chicken and veggies created amazing flavor for the final broth.
To those who have trouble with the dumplings, follow the recipe exactly (mix the shortening in very well, don’t overmix the dough once everything comes together and don’t roll them too thin).
Make this today…you won’t regret it!
You’re so welcome Rob! Glad you love this chicken and dumplings dish!
Making this C&D recipe for the first time. If I put veggies back in with the dumplings do I chop them up smaller?
I would leave them larger or add them in 15-20 minutes after the chicken in step 2 to prevent them from overcooking. Hope that helps.
This was a fabulous recipe and on this cold snowy winter night I had to whip up some Chicken & Dumplings! I added evaporated milk to make it a creamy dish. I love this and it will be my go to C&D recipe! Thank you!
I forgot to add..I cooked my carrots & onions in a Dutch oven with butter, then added flour to the veggies cooked the flour for a couple of minutes and then added the milk which made a rue, slowly added my chicken broth. Once it came to a boil I added the dumplings, once they became tender there was no need for cornstarch, it thickened up nicely!
Made this tonight, easy recipe to follow
I did not have carrots, celery or onions on hand so had to omit; used broth from cooked chicken; over all family enjoyed stated it was just as good as the chicken and dumpling soup from Mariano
Let me start off by saying…I do not cook on a regular basis but this is one recipe that anyone can do. It is delicious, easy and a family favorite. Highly recommend this chicken and dumplings
I’m so happy to hear that you love the chicken and dumplings Sybil! That made my day!
Do you use self rising flour or regular flour?
For this recipe, we use all-purpose flour.
Holly makes it so easy light and delicious! My son his favorite recipe growing up was old fashioned chicken and dumplings thank you. Holly
So glad you loved it Barbara!
This was delicious!!! I made 1 1/2 of the recipe for my husband and six kids and everyone devoured it and went back for seconds. I don’t remember the last time every single person loved a recipe. Thank you!
I’m so very happy to hear that Melissa!! Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe. I had problems though. Probably my fault. My dumplings were too soft, almost mush. Maybe I cooked them too long or the broth was too hot? Idk.
I made this today with skinless chicken breasts and added a TBSP of butter to it at the end (to make up for the lack of fat from skin in broth…of course my motto is “butter makes everything taste better!”). It came out great and it will definitely be a winter time comfort food at my house from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Fantastic recipe, I’ve made this multiple times for my family and it turned out great every time. Only thing I would say to anyone making this recipe for the first time is to NOT add cornstarch. Once you add the dumplings they’re cook in the soup and thicken it, especially when the soup cools down it’ll get very thick.
I even made this recipe with pre-cooked frozen chicken (got a lot from a family member), cooked the vegetables in the stock without the chicken, added in the dumplings, and put in the chicken last. Turned out just as good as with fresh chicken, and much easier to make quickly.
Other thing, if you want a more flavorful soup add 2-4 cloves of garlic sliced to the soup, 1tsp of dried tarragon (really great for chicken soups), a lot of black pepper, and some red pepper flakes.
Thank you for sharing your tips.
This turned out great!! I added mushrooms about 30 minutes before the chicken finished cooking, it was a great addition! The whole family devoured it, 3 year old who “doesn’t like carrots” included. Lol
Here’s a tip!!! If the idea of cutting in shortening with a fork makes you inwardly groan and almost decide it isn’t worth the effort (which is me), I learned a helpful trick for making biscuits that you can use here as well. Use stick butter, put it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes, and use a cheese grater. NO MASHING ENDLESSLY!!! Just stir it in. Total game changer.
so Rachel, I use stick butter instead of the shortening ? How much butter?
Delish but my dumplings fell apart! I’ve made dumplings before but this was my first time using your recipe.