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:
- A drop biscuit type – big, puffy drops of biscuit dough
- 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.
Print
Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Description
Old-fashioned Chicken and Dumplings – soft, pillowy dumplings and tender chicken in a rich, flavorful broth. Truly comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients
For the chicken and broth:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 onion, cut into large chunks
- 2 large carrots cut into large chunks
- 3 stalks celery cut into large chunks
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
For the dumplings:
- 1 3/4 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, cold
- 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- parsley for garnish
To finish the soup:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
Prepare the chicken and broth:
- Heat oil in a large pot 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.
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.
Notes
You can substitute rotisserie or left over chicken and 8 cups canned broth.
For a super easy shortcut, roll out canned biscuit dough for the dumplings.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 90
- Category: dinner, soup
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken and dumplings, old fashioned, southern, soup
Enjoy, friends!
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I have never tried the flat noodle type of dumpling…so fun and delicious!
Thanks so much, Angie!
Haha I’m not a baking person or measure if flour projects girl. I love to cook and throw whatever I have in a recipe lol the noodles were yummy but not fun!! Lol
So happy you liked them, Karen!
A perfect soup meal during this cold weather. Outstanding.
★★★★★
Thanks Cookie Monster!
I’ve never made either kind of chicken and dumplings, but wow, yours looks fabulous! Those noodles are so pretty and velvetty!
They have such a wonderful texture, Mimi! Thanks so much!
Ohhh this looks like one hell of a comfort dish! I love it
Thanks so much, Raymund!
I don’t know why but I have never had chicken and dumplings. Your photos certainly make it seem like a delicious meal.
It’s so cozy and comforting! Thanks so much, Karen!
I’ve never had a rolled dumpling before! The method makes perfect sense for an evenly cooked dumpling and now I’m craving chicken and dumplings! Perfect comfort food right now.
I find them to be so much more foolproof than drop dumplings and they’re texture is always perfect. Thanks so much, Susan!
Kelly, this soup sounds so amazing. Hearty, healthy and SO comforting. Exactly what “the dr. ordered!” 🙂 ~Valentina
It’s so cozy and always a family favorite! Thanks so much, Susan!
I never knew they were two types of dumplings! I only knew the drop dumplings that my mother made. I love the look of your flat noodle variety, Kelly. I always learn so much when I come to your blog.
I make both the flat noodle and the drop dumplings. I find the flat noodles easier because they always get perfectly cooked inside. Thanks so much, David!
You just sent me back to my mama’s kitchen. She lived her entire life in Louisiana as did her mother and chicken and dumplings was one of those comfort foods that she made for the family. What a great memory. I can just look at your beautiful picture and smell it simmering on the stove top. YUM!
★★★★★
Such a wonderful memory, MJ! Thanks so much!
I was so leery of making my own dumplings. I bought frozen ones but didn’t like the way they came out of the package. That was it, I was in a pinch and against the wall. Found your recipe and you made them sound exactly like my memories.
I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!
So easy and delicious with a perfect balance between being fluffy and having a little “chew”. You saved the day!
★★★★★
So happy you liked it, Angela! Thanks so much!
I’m not seeing the ingredients list for the soup part. How much butter and flour for the roux?
Hi Lydia, it’s 3 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons flour.
Simple and delicious! I used boneless chicken thighs since that’s what I had in my freezer and it turned out great. I love the flat rolled dumplings.
★★★★★
So happy you liked it, Linda! Thanks so much!
I’ve never made chicken and dumplings prior to this recipe and I’m SO glad I found you!
Spot on! Perfect dumplings. Tender not overdone chicken. I added more veggies (1/2 yellow pepper and a bulb of kohlrabi diced) after I added the broth, and it was just amazing! Just delightful! Thank you for this great technique!
So happy you liked it, Kathey! Thank you!
Perfect chicken and dumpling recipe.
Came out great. Only change was to add onions with carrots and celery. Mirepoix.
Would highly recommend taking the time to make this for your family.
★★★★★
Thanks, Susan! So happy you liked it!
Kelly, you should just use biscuit dough since you are adding baking powder. [1 cup of all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, equal amounts of flour and chicken broth in a mixing bowl; stir, forming a ball, lay out onto a floured surface, roll as thin as you can, cut into strip, cut strips to width of Dutch oven], simmer pot of broth, toss sliders in, stir a bit. Cook 20 minutes. That is my recipe that has worked for 49 years now. Add shredded chicken when the dumplings taste done. Forget parsley, have bread and butter alongside. But thanks for the slider recipe. People nowadays think you drop a spoonful of dough in the pot and call that a dumpling (don’t they).
★★★★★
I’m using your recipe today. It sounds amazing, and I don’t have baking powder anyway. Thank you for including it here.
I was raised on drop buiscuit dumplings, but tried yours a while ago. It was a hit with the guys, and I prefer the noodle dumplings as well. I raise chickens, and this recipe is perfect for an older chicken. After it’s boilded down, I let it cool and take off the bones and skin. I return those to the pot and simmer for an hour, then strain. I use half the chicken for this soup, and still have half for a casserole the next day. I even cook this in the summer. It’s so yummy, and stretches the food budget as well.
★★★★★
So happy you liked it, Rhonda! I do the same with the bones, and love the flavor and extra gelatin it gives to the broth. Great idea to stretch the chicken to two meals. Thanks so much!