Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Old-fashioned Chicken and Dumplings – soft, pillowy dumplings and tender chicken in a rich, flavorful broth. With both made from scratch and quick and easy versions. Truly comfort food at its finest!

The BEST Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate cozy dish. The VERY BEST Chicken and Dumplings recipe has:

• Soft, light, and tender dumplings that don’t fall apart when cooking
• Tender chunks of juicy chicken
• A perfectly thickened broth

I love Southern Chicken and Dumplings, but I’m very particular about how I like my dumplings.

Dumplings should be:

• Light and fluffy
• Tender
• Cooked through
• Have a slight chew

They should never:

• Fall apart in the broth
• Be raw or doughy inside
• Be tough
• Be mushy

Dumplings (in Chicken and Dumplings) are generally of two types:

1. A drop biscuit type – big, puffy drops of biscuit dough
2. A flat noodle type – biscuit dough that’s rolled out and cut into noodle shapes

This recipe is for rolled dumplings. They’re also referred to as slick dumplings or sliders.

They’re not tough and chewy like an egg noodle. They’re made of the same dough as the drop biscuit type, however because of their shape, they cook evenly. When they cook, they puff slightly, becoming pillowy soft.

You can make this Chicken and Dumplings recipe completely from scratch, the quick and easy way, or somewhere in between:  

Southern style Chicken and Dumplings from scratch

Simmer a whole chicken to make a rich broth then debone it to have the chicken to add to the soup. Make your dumplings from scratch as shown in the recipe.

How to make Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Use rotisserie or leftover chicken and chicken broth. This way the dish comes together in about 30 minutes.

For Ultra-Easy Chicken and Dumplings, use a can of biscuit dough for the dumplings. Simply roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into dumplings.  

I’ll show you how to make Chicken and Dumplings from scratch, but any of the above shortcuts can be substituted.

How to make Chicken and Dumplings

 Prepare the chicken and broth

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until browned on both sides. This browning step adds a lot of flavor to the stock.

Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, broth, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, pepper, and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Strain the broth. Remove and debone the chicken. You should have 2 quarts of broth (8 cups). Add a little water if necessary.

How to make the dumplings

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter is mixed in and in small pieces.

Add the milk, little by little, and mix gently until combined.

Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a few times on until dough comes together.

Roll the dough out on a generously floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough. Cut the dough into 1 inch by 2 inch strips. A generous amount of flour will prevent the dumplings from sticking and will also help to thicken the broth.

To finish the soup

Melt the butter in the large pot. Sauté the chopped carrot and celery for about 1 minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir to thoroughly coat the vegetables. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

With the heat on medium-high, drop in the dumplings one by one, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Turn the heat to medium low, and cook until the dumplings are tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and remove from heat.

Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

For a creamier soup, stir in a bit of cream at the very end.

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Enjoy, friends!

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