bourbiza mohamed
This is the BEST homemade chicken and dumplings recipe — cooked in just one pot! Tender chicken and vegetables are simmered in a creamy broth topped with fluffy homemade dumplings to create this ultimate comfort food dinner.
Why This Is The Best Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
You can read all the glowing 5-star reviews first, but here’s why I say this recipe is the best:
- Southern Classic: This homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is a timeless classic. Loved by all ages, it’s a family-friendly meal that brings everyone together around the table.
- Easy: The simple method and instructions make this recipe a breeze to make. Made in just one pot, cleanup is easy too!
- Creamy: The secret to the perfectly creamy chicken soup base for this recipe is a can of evaporated milk.
- Homemade Dumplings: The light and fluffy homemade dumplings are the star of the show. Made from scratch in minutes with pantry staple ingredients, you will be hooked after that first bite!
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or a special gathering, this easy chicken and dumplings recipe is versatile enough to fit any occasion.
Ingredients Needed
Made with common ingredients, you probably have most on hand already! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
Chicken Soup:
- Butter
- Vegetables: I use onion, carrots, celery and garlic. You could also add peas. If you prefer to not use vegetables, still include the onion and garlic for savory flavor.
- All Purpose Flour: See below for gluten free options.
- Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk will create a perfectly creamy soup with less fat than heavy cream. Whole milk or half and half can be used instead.
- Chicken Stock
- Chicken: Using a rotisserie chicken or shredded cooked chicken will make this recipe faster. However, I also included directions for raw chicken breasts or thighs!
- Spices: Thyme, salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
Dumplings:
- All Purpose Flour: See below for gluten free options.
- Baking Powder: Do not swap for baking soda.
- Seasonings: Freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and optional thyme.
- Milk: Use whole milk, 2% milk, or evaporated milk. Do not use fat free or skim milk. Dumplings need some fat to stay soft and moist.
- Butter: Melted.
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
Yes! To thicken the soup, use cornstarch. Before adding the dumplings, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the soup. For the dumplings, many readers have had success substituting this gluten free flour blend 1:1 for the flour.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
Just how hard is it to make homemade chicken and dumplings? Surprisingly easier than you think! Scroll down to the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- Sauté: Melt butter and sauté the onion, carrots and celery until they soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Thicken: Make a roux by sprinkling flour over the veggies and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Simmer: Add the evaporated milk and broth. Bring to a simmer and add chicken, thyme, salt and pepper. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings.
How To Make Dumplings for Chicken and Dumplings
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk to combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
- Add wet ingredients: Add in the butter and milk, stirring together with a wooden spoon, until dough forms.
- Drop the dumplings: Scoop the dough into balls and drop directly into the soup. Lightly press dumplings down under the broth with a spoon.
- Simmer: Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Test: Gently stir the soup. Remove one dumpling and cut in half to make sure it is cooked through. If not cooked through, cook a few more minutes (with the lid on) and test again.
- Serve: Once the dumplings are cooked through, ladle the soup into bowls and serve!
Cooks’ Tips
Still worried about making chicken and dumplings from scratch? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think! However, here are a few tips to guarantee success:
- Scooping Dumplings: Scooping dumplings with a cookie scoop is the easiest method. However, you can use two spoons! Scoop a round of dough with one spoon and push it into the pot with your second spoon. Make sure your dumplings are similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Why aren’t my dumplings cooking through? Make sure you have the lid on the pot! This is important to trap in the heat to evenly cook the dumplings. If you have the lid on and they still aren’t cooking, ensure the heat is high enough that the soup is simmering (a low bubble).
- Dense Dumplings: Too dense or sinking dumplings is usually caused by expired baking powder or improperly measured flour.
- Test if baking powder is still active. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp baking powder. If it bubbles and foams, it’s still good. If not, it’s gone bad.
- Properly measure flour. Fluff the flour in the bag or canister with a fork. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
- Biscuit Dumplings: This recipe uses drop dumplings, but can also be made with canned biscuit dumplings. Follow the dumpling directions from my chicken and dumplings with biscuits to use a can of biscuits.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme adds a great mild herb-y flavor to the soup and dumplings. You can skip it or swap for dried parsley, rosemary or Italian seasoning. If using rosemary, I recommend cutting the amount in half.
- Crockpot: Let the slow cooker do the work with this crockpot chicken and dumplings (with homemade biscuits) or easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings (made with canned biscuits).
How To Store Leftovers
I recommend storing the soup and dumplings separately. If stored together, the dumplings will absorb the extra liquid and become mushy.
- Fridge: Separate dumplings and soup into separate airtight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Place desired amount of soup and dumplings in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, until warmed through. If needed, add additional chicken broth to thin the soup.
Can You Freeze Homemade Chicken and Dumplings?
Yes, but only the soup portion, do not freeze the dumplings. If you freeze the dumplings in the soup, they will absorb all the broth and loose their texture completely.
- Freeze: Enjoy or discard any leftover dumplings. Transfer just the soup portion to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: For best results, transfer soup to fridge to thaw overnight. Reheat soup on the stove and whip up a new batch of dumplings to cook in the soup!
More Comforting Dinner Recipes
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Yield: 6 servings
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
This easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe is loaded with big fluffy dumplings that are made from scratch in just minutes! Tender chicken and vegetables are simmered in a creamy broth topped with fluffy homemade dumplings to create this ultimate comfort food dinner.
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
- ¾ cup (6 oz) whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
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In a large heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
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Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
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Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the evaporated milk and chicken stock, stirring to combine.
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Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings.
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Dumplings: In a large bowl, whisk to combine the 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.
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Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until a dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk.
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Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them.
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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 want the soup to still be simmering to cook the dumplings.
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Cook for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. Gently stir the soup/dumplings and cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through.
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If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes and check again.
Notes
Scooping Dumplings: I find it much easier to scoop dumplings with a cookie scoop. However, you can use two spoons! Scoop a round of dough with one spoon and push it off and into the pot with your second spoon. Try to make sure your dumplings are even in size so they all cook evenly.
Dense Dumplings: Too dense or sinking dumplings is usually caused by expired baking powder or improperly measured flour.
-
- Test if baking powder is still active. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp baking powder. If it bubbles and foams, it’s still good. If not, it’s gone bad.
- Properly measure flour. Fluff the flour in the bag or canister with a fork. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
Evaporated Milk: It is VERY IMPORTANT that you make sure and use evaporated milk and not condensed milk. Many readers have emailed me over the years asking why their chicken and dumplings is weirdly sweet…that’s because they accidentally grabbed sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. If you do not have evaporated milk, whole milk or half and half is are good substitutes.
Gluten Free: Skip adding the flour to the soup and continue on with the recipe. Before you add the dumplings, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water or chicken broth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup. For the dumplings, many readers have commented on having success using this gluten free flour blend. They substituted it 1:1 for the all purpose flour in the dumplings.
Thyme: I love the herbaceous flavor fresh thyme adds to my soup and dumplings, but it’s completely optional. You can also swap it for another mild herb or seasoning mix like dried parsley or Italian seasoning. You can also use rosemary, just go light, as it can quickly become overwhelming.
Storage: Separate the dumplings and soup into separate airtight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Place desired amount of soup and dumplings in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, until warmed through. You can add additional chicken broth, if needed.
Freeze: Only freeze the soup portion, do not freeze the dumplings. Enjoy or discard any leftover dumplings. Freeze just the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Transfer soup to fridge to thaw overnight. Reheat soup on the stove and cook a new batch of dumplings in the soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 667kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1140mg, Potassium: 812mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 3945IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 367mg, Iron: 5mg
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