Chicken and Dumplings

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.

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

shortening , baking powder , chicken , flour , carrots , celery , bay leaf , cornstarch , onion , milk , broth with labels to make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

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.

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 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

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

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.

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

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

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