Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

I don’t lose many fights in the kitchen. It’s my domain. I rule there. I am the queen.

And I kinda rule like Cersei. We do it my way or I’ll burn everything to the ground. 

But I lost a recent battle. The Battle of the Dumplings. There was a mutiny. Or a boycott, depending on how you look at it.

My whole family. Every last stinking one of them prefers doughy drop dumplings over the rolled noodle-style dumplings I grew up eating and love most. I make them both ways because I know what they like but, ummm… I’M the one doing the cooking soooo… I make them the way I like too.

The last time I made Chicken & Dumplings I told them I was making them my way. Evidently they rallied their bannermen and united their kingdoms because I was officially informed (by the one who drew the short straw while the others hid in the living room) that they weren’t eating supper if I didn’t make drop dumplings. 

Dang it. I might be a powerful force of a woman – especially in my kitchen – but more than anything, I love to feed people. And I especially love to feed my family. And they know it too. The slick devils.

Well, I like drop dumplings too so FINE. 

I think we all like what we grew up with best. I literally didn’t know there was any other sort of dumplings than the kind Nanny made until I was grown and saw them in a magazine and was like: {snort} That ain’t chicken and dumplins!

I make both types of dumplings using the same recipe but Nanny actually made her rolled dumplings using flour and eggs. I’ve tried and tried to make them that way and the texture is never right so I either use this recipe or I use the stash of leftover biscuit trimmings I keep in the freezer.

You can use this very same recipe to make whichever type of dumplings you like best:

• Drop Dumplings: scoop portions of dough with two teaspoons or use a cookie scoop (I used a 1” cookie scoop in the ones pictured here) then drop into gently boiling broth.
• Rolled Dumplings: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface then sprinkle with more flour. Roll into desired thickness (anticipate they will at least double in thickness when cooked). Cut into squares or rectangles (however your granny did it) then drop into gently boiling broth.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

1 – The secret to tender, flavorful chicken and delicious stock is to slowly bring everything to temperature and to never allow it to reach a full, rolling boil. You want it to cook low and slow the entire time. If time allows, the chicken and stock will be EVEN BETTER if you can cook the chicken from start to finish over low heat then allow everything to cool to room temperature in the pot after it’s cooked. TIP: Cook the chicken in the crock pot during the day (low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6) then finish everything on the stove for an easy weeknight meal. 

2 – Don’t use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces can be substituted for the whole chicken in this recipe. If you simply must use boneless breasts anyway, omit the water and broth then use 8 cups chicken stock instead and add a stick of butter. Or consider adding 6 chicken legs or wings to flavor the stock.

3 – For thinner, more noodle-like dumplings (some folks call them “slicks”), make the dumplings before you start the rest of the recipe then let them dry out for several hours (all day is fine) and roll them very thin (obviously). It may take a little longer to cook them when the time comes and you’ll likely need to gently stir them a bit to keep them from sticking to each other.

4 – If you don’t love the idea of the finely chopped vegetables (or know your grandmama didn’t make it that way and want to keep it simple), feel free to just rough-chop a few carrots, stalks of celery, several cloves of garlic and an onion then throw them in the pot when the chicken cooks. That way your stock will still get all the flavor. If you decide to do it this way, still melt the butter then cook the flour for 5 minutes over medium heat. This just makes a little roux to thicken the stock a bit.  You’ll see a lot of recipes that call for a can of Cream of Something soup – this is the homemade equivalent to that.

5 – For an especially Southern spin on Chicken & Dumplings, add several sliced boiled eggs after adding the dumplings. My grandparent’s generation added boiled eggs to all sorts of dishes and I always loved it! I imagine it was a way to add protein to meals during lean times. 

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE

This easy recipe for my family’s favorite creamy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is loaded with big fluffy dumplings that are made from scratch in just minutes!

PREP TIME15 minutes

COOK TIME35 minutes

TOTAL TIME50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
• 32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
• salt, to taste

HOMEMADE DUMPLINGS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven), melt butter over medium-high heat. 
2. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to wilt. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add evaporated milk and chicken stock and quickly stir to combine. 
5. Bring to a boil and add chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings. 
6. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it. 
7. Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk. 
8. Using a large** sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. 
9. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them. 
10. Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat a little to a low simmer (you don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn but also want the soup to still be simmering to cook the dumplings). 
11. Cook for 15 minutes, gently stir the soup/dumplings and then cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through.
12. If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 2-3 minutes and check again. 

NOTES

*You can use a medium sized cookie scoop in place of a large cookie scoop to get more dumplings. Start checking if they are done around the 10 minute mark.