Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (2024)

by Tiffany King 445 Comments

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (1)

A bowl of homemade chicken and dumplings. A glass of sweet tea. It’s a meal any Kentuckian would be proud to fix and danged happy to sit down to.

And it’s not hard to make. Come on, I’ll show you how…

You probably have all the ingredients for these dumplings in your kitchen right now.

And you don’t have to be a great cook to make them.

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (2)

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

First, here’s what you’ll need to make your old fashioned, homemade chicken and dumplings:

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (3)

  • about 3 cups cooked chicken
  • 6-8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • salt to taste (I just shake some in)
  • about a cup of milk, maybe a bit less

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender.

Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter.

I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (4)

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin.

Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eyeball it.

Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (5)

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

Ifthey will be cookedsoon, this method works well.

If I’m going to cook them later in the day I layer them on a cookie sheet with wax paper between and lots of flour.

You can also freeze them like this and then transfer them to a ziplock bag.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them.

The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting.

Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (6)

Print Recipe

4.05 from 239 votes

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings – It’s Easy. Really.

Ingredients

  • about 3 cups cooked chicken
  • 6-8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • salt to taste I just shake some in
  • about a cup of milk maybe a bit less

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

  • Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

  • Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

  • Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings. If they will be cooked soon, this method works well. If I’m going to cook them later in the day I layer them on a cookie sheet with wax paper between and lots of flour. You can also freeze them like this and then transfer them to a ziplock bag.

  • To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!

Want to try other tasty chicken and dumplings recipes?

Here are three more homemade chicken and dumpling recipes:

Made in the Slow Cooker

Made in a Slow Cooker with Gnocchi

Drop Dumpling Stew

Have you ever made homemade chicken and dumplings?

Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (7)

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Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

How do you make chicken and dumplings not bland? ›

The dumpings should be moist, uniform, contain some fat, and cook in the broth for 15 minutes. Adds to chicken and dumplings can include celery, chicken, broth, and I have seen carrots and peas.

How do you thicken homemade chicken and dumplings? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

How do you keep dumplings from falling apart in chicken and dumplings? ›

The steam that builds up by covering the pot is what cooks the dumplings. Don't boil or stir the dumplings. Vigorous boiling and stirring will cause the dumplings to fall apart.

What's the best flour to use for dumplings? ›

These dumplings start with all-purpose flour, which creates structure and holds the other ingredients together. Baking powder is a leavening agent, which means it releases gas that makes the dough expand. It's responsible for the dumplings' light and fluffy texture.

Can I use water instead of chicken broth for chicken and dumplings? ›

Chicken Broth Substitute: Salted Butter + Water

If you don't have broth on hand and want a little more flavor than just plain water, try subbing in 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of chicken broth in your recipe. The butter will help create a richer flavor than just water alone.

How do you make dumplings taste better? ›

A little citrus zest also makes a great addition. Lemon zest is a good all-rounder, but orange would also work well, particularly for lamb or beef stews. A little mustard or horseradish will also add a hit of extra flavour to your dumplings – not too much though, as they also add moisture.

Why are my chicken and dumplings not fluffy? ›

If it's boiling too hard, the dumpling dough can fall apart. Simmering broth might not be hot enough to raise the dumpling dough. Remove or tilt the lid after they've cooked so the dumplings don't over-steam and get soggy and dense. At least, that's the way I was taught and dumplings come out fluffy and delicious.

How to tell when dumplings are done in chicken and dumplings? ›

Here's how you can tell whether your chicken and dumpling soup is done and ready to eat. If the biscuit pieces feel gooey or mushy, they are not thoroughly cooked—give them more time to simmer in the rapidly boiling liquid until perfectly pillowy and fluffy.

Why do my dumplings get gummy? ›

If you overcook your dumplings in the steamer or when boiling, the dough of the wrappers will have a gummy texture that isn't very pleasant, and your filling might get dry and tough. If you overcook them in the pan, you risk a similar gummy texture on top and a bitter, burnt crust on the bottom.

How do you know when dumplings are done? ›

  1. no need to thaw frozen dumplings.
  2. Just add them to your pot of boiling water and once they start floating, add 1 cup of cold water to slow them down.
  3. Bring the water back to a boil and as soon as they start floating to the top, add another cup of cold water.
  4. Again, when they start to float they should be done.
Sep 26, 2022

Do you cook dumplings with lid on or lid off? ›

The second secret to making really good dumplings is to keep the lid closed while the dumplings cook. With the soup simmering over a low flame and the dumpling dough ready, you'll drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the surface of the simmering broth, then cover the pot with a lid.

Why isn t my chicken and dumplings thick? ›

How can I thicken stove top chicken and dumplings? You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

What are dumplings usually made of? ›

Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture. Many recipes call for herbs, onions, grated cheese, or chopped meat to be rolled into the dough before cooking.

What do dumplings usually have in them? ›

Popular meat fillings include ground meat (usually pork, but sometimes beef or chicken), shrimp, and even fish. Popular mixtures include pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with garlic chives, pork and shrimp with vegetables, pork with spring onion, and garlic chives with scrambled eggs.

What are original dumplings made of? ›

The Chinese had figured out how to grind flour about 300 years earlier, which led to noodles and, eventually, dumplings. Some say that the first dumplings were made with lamb and pepper, but since then, they have adapted. Most dumplings now have a pork mixture as their filling.

What are the 3 main ways to cook dumplings? ›

Pick your mood—chewy, crispy, soupy, fancy—then pick your method.

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