Chicken and Dumplings (2025)

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ByBrandieOctober 5, 2020October 6, 2024

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Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings is a super simple recipe. Flat strips of dough simmered in a yummy broth with tender chicken.

AN OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN STYLE RECIPE

There really is no other recipe that screams comfort food quite like chicken and dumplings. This meal will warm up and comfort any soul on a cold winter’s day! Want an easier version, be sure to check out my Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use chicken thighs or other dark meat?

Absolutely! Use whatever cut of chicken you and your family enjoy! You could even purchase a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this a little faster to prepare.

What can I serve with Chicken and Dumplings?

Personally, I like to serve with some sort of French Bread or Biscuits. If you want some more veggies with your meal, you could serve with a side salad or Green Beans.

What is a “flat” dumpling?

For those of you who didn’t grow up eating this style of Chicken and Dumplings – then youmay have eaten it at a place like Cracker Barrel. A lot of us grew up eating . Flat dumplings are very basic and are meant to soak up the flavors of the broth. It’s an easy, comforting homestyle meal.

Can I add vegetables to chicken and dumplings?

You certainly could. This particular version of chicken and dumplings usually does not have any vegetables added but you certainly could throw in some peas and carrots if you prefer.

How do I store leftovers?

Chicken and Dumplings are best eaten the day they are made. You can store it in a covered container in the fridge; however, the dumplings will continue to soak up the broth and can turn gummy over time.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

chicken broth – if you have any sensitivity to sodium, you can get the low or no sodium option. Alternatively, if you really want to kick up the flavor, try making Homemade Chicken Broth.
all purpose flour – my favorite brand of flour is White Lily but any brand of all purpose flour will work here.
baking powder – it’s super important you make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it isn’t the dumplings won’t puff up at all.
salted butter – it needs to be real butter and not margarine.
milk – whole milk is best if you have it.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS:

Time needed:1 hour and 20 minutes

Cook the chicken
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.Drizzle a little olive oil on the 2-3 chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.Bake for about 45 minutes. Chicken will reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees when fully cooked.
Start preparing the dumplings
Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks.Or, you can put it into a stand mixer and have it do the work for you.Pour 2 quarts of chicken stock or broth into a large pot and start warming it up on the stovetop while you make the dumplings.In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Then add in cold cubed butter.
Cut butter into flour
You can combine it all using a fork or a pastry cutter or your fingers. Just smoosh the butter between your fingers while you gradually mix it in with the flour mixture.
Roll out dumpling dough
Now pour in the milk. Mix it all together.Dust your counter with a generous amount of flour. Place your dumpling dough on the counter and dust it with more flour.With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4″ thickness.Be sure to add flour as necessary to keep it from sticking underneath or to your rolling pin.
Cut out dumpling shapes
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, start cutting out your dumplings into squares.They don’t need to be perfectly shaped. Remember, this dish is rustic and homemade so it should look like it.Dust your dumplings with a bit more flour.The extra flour is all gonna help keep them from sticking but will also thicken your chickenbroth some as well when you add them to the pot.
Warm up broth and chicken
Bring the chicken broth up to a boil. Add in the shredded chicken and stir.
Add dumplings to the pot
Begin adding dumplings one at a time so they don’t all stick together.Stir frequently while adding them.
Let dumplings cook
Allow dumplings to cook for about 15-20 minutes.You should notice your broth starting to thicken (from the extra flour) and your dumplingsmay start to sink a little to the bottom because they are soaking up the broth.Take one out and taste test it. It shouldn’t have a doughy taste anymore.
Serve it up
Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve! Happiness and comfort in a bowl!

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Southern Fried Chicken
White Chicken Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

Originally published: April 2012
Updated photos and republished: October 2020

Chicken and Dumplings (+Video)

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings is a super simple recipe. Flat strips of dough simmered in a yummy broth with tender chicken.

4.89 from 448 votes

Print Pin Rate Save

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

▢ 2-3 chicken breasts (about 3 cups of cooked chicken)
▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
▢ salt and pepper (to taste)
▢ 2 quarts chicken broth
▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
▢ 2 Tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed
▢ 1 cup milk
▢ all purpose flour (for your counter and for rolling out the dumplings)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Place 2-3 chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons olive oil on the chicken and season with salt and pepper
Bake chicken for about 45 minutes. Chicken will reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees when fully cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks.
Pour 2 quarts chicken broth into a large pot and start warming it up on the stove top while you make the dumplings.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Then add in 2 Tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed.
Combine using your fingers, fork or pastry cutter. The butter should resemble tiny pebbles when combined well.
Pour in 1 cup milk. Mix it all together.
Dust your counter with a generous amount of all purpose flour. Place dumpling dough on the counter and dust it with more flour.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness. Be sure to add more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking underneath or to your rolling pin.
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, start cutting out your dumplings into squares.
Dust dumplings with a bit more flour. The extra flour is gonna help keep them from sticking but will also thicken your chicken broth some as well when you add them to the pot.
Bring chicken broth up to a boil. Add in shredded chicken and stir.
Begin adding dumplings one at a time so they don’t all stick together. Stir frequently while adding them.
Allow dumplings to cook for about 15-20 minutes. You should notice your broth starting to thicken (from the extra flour) and your dumplings may start to sink a little to the bottom because they are soaking up the broth.
Take one out and taste test it. It shouldn't have a doughy taste anymore. Then serve!

Video

Notes

Use whatever cut of chicken you and your family enjoy. Chicken thighs are a great alternative. Also, if you want boil your chicken and use the broth from that, it’s fine. My family just doesn’t like the taste or texture of boiled chicken.
If using a rotisserie chicken, you’ll want to cut up about 3 cups worth of chicken for this recipe.
This particular version of chicken and dumplings usually does not have any vegetables added but you certainly could throw in some peas and carrots if you prefer.
I like to serve this withFrench Bread or Biscuits. If you want some more veggies with your meal, you could serve with a side salad or Green Beans.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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So good! Made for dinner and the kids made the dumplings all by themselves! If little kids can do it & it turn out good – you know it’s good!
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I’m going too
Why not
Just use plenty of flour and layer between wax paper
Love the recipe
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can I freeze extra dumpling dough?
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Can you make the dumplings in the morning and keep in the fridge until time to cook in the evening?
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Can the dough recipe be used for other recipes, such as baking?
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1. What exactly are you wanting to use it for?
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  1. May be pie crust or cobbler?
  2. I can’t believe you responded so fast, I am shocked!!! Thank you so much! I was thinking about baking it in strip’s like my grandmother did for a cobbler. She would make a crust and cut in strips, the bake it and and layer her fruit and bake it. It made the best cobbler with out it being soggy.
I was pleasantly surprised at how close these dumplings were to both my grandmother’s, both of whom made the absolute best chicken and dumplings. These hit very close to the mark. I’m not sure about the baking powder, don’t remember either of them using it and not sure how I feel about “puffy” dumplings. They used lard instead of butter and boiled a whole small hen, using all the meat and that was the flavor instead of store bought chicken broth. Having made those comparison’s and no longer having either grandmother to make this most coveted, comfort southern dish in my area, this recipe is a wonderful alternative and doesn’t disappoint. I will say the magic of the best flavor is not the day you make this fabulous dish, it’s the next day once the flavors have melded and the broth has thickened. Oh my goodness, what a difference in the taste and texture. Enjoying this recipe brought back so many wonderful memories, I will most definitely make this again and in this southern part of the country, we call it Chicken Pot Pie. (The dish in the pie shell with peas and carrots, with cream of something, was unheard of.) Thank you to the author of this recipe, definitely a keeper!!
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These turned out great! I felt like I was back in my Grandpa’s kitchen (yep, it was my Grandpa who cooked – not Grandma LOL)
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This was excellent and the dumplings were great. I’m very filling and satisfying will definitely be saving this one and making it again.
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Reminds me so much of my Moms. We all devoured it. Thanks so much
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