Chicken and Dumplings

Make this cozy classic chicken and dumplings recipe from scratch. It’s an old-fashioned comfort food classic with rich broth, tender chicken, and homemade dumplings.

close up of plated Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Flavor: Rich and savory broth is filled with juicy chicken and soft, pillowy dumplings.
Time-Saving Tip: Use frozen veggies and biscuit mix to keep the prep time low without sacrificing flavor.
Recommended Tools: A pizza cutter makes quick work of cutting dumplings into perfect strips.
Serving Suggestions: Let everyone help themselves by keeping this recipe warm in a slow cooker. Just serve some homemade breadsticks on the side to soak up all of that creamy broth.

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

Ingredient Notes

Chicken Base: Use any combination of chicken up to 5 pounds for the broth; a whole bone-in chicken adds richness and body, while individual pieces of chicken work too. If using frozen chicken, thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Vegetables: Celery, carrots, and onions are the foundation that makes a sweet and savory, balanced base for this recipe.
Dumplings: These super-easy dumplings are soft and plump, and made with a handful of pantry staples. If short on time, replace them with any pasta that has tubes or ridges to hold the creamy broth.

adding broth to chicken and vegetables to make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

ingredients cooking in pot to make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings

Cook the broth and chicken.
Prepare the dumplings (full recipe below).
Strain the broth, shred the chicken, and add it back to the pot.
Add dumplings to the simmering soup, and cook until tender.

Before serving, adjust the seasonings if needed.

This recipe makes flat dumplings by quickly rolling out the dough and cutting. They are tossed in a little bit of flour so they don’t stick together. This also gives the broth more body.
Drop biscuits tend to be more fluffy and biscuit-like. And the biscuits tend to stay on top of the soup as opposed to being stirred in.

adding butter to flour to make dough for dumplings for Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

ball of dumpling dough to make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

For the dumplings, mix the dough just until it comes together. Knead only 5 to 6 times to keep the dumplings tender.
Flour the dumpling strips well and shake off extra so they do not stick together.
Drop dumplings in small batches and give them a gentle stir so they do not stick to the bottom.
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer once the dumplings are added, because a hard boil can cause them to break apart.
Taste the broth at the end. If needed, add a pinch of salt and a small sprinkle of poultry seasoning.

top view of Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings in a pot

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Store leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze chicken separately from the dumplings for up to 4 months in a zippered bag. Dumplings can be frozen separately, but taste best when made fresh.
Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. If the broth has thickened, stir in a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.

How to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

Mix cornstarch + cold water into a slurry, then whisk it into boiling broth a little at a time until it’s the thickness you like.

Can You Freeze Chicken and Dumplings?

Yes, but it freezes best without the dumplings. Freeze the broth and chicken, then make fresh dumplings when reheating.

What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings

Did you enjoy this Chicken and Dumplings Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.

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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