Chicken and Dumplings (2024)

If you’re looking for the best homemade recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, you’ve come to the right place. This thick and creamy chicken soup is loaded with so much cozy flavor, and it’s topped with perfectly cooked, light and airy dumplings.

Be sure to try my Chicken Stew recipe next! It’s hearty andsodelicious!

Trust me when I say, this is the most flavorful recipe for Chicken and Dumplings! This recipe is made from scratch and uses techniques to ensure the juiciest chicken, most flavorful homemade soup, and airy, fluffy dumplings that steam to perfection.

What are Chicken and Dumplings

• Chicken and Dumplings start with a savory chicken soup with vegetables in a creamy broth.
• The soup is topped with uncooked dumplings that are then steamed on top.
• It’s a popular comfort food in the Southern US, and can vary in terms of how thick the soup is and what kind of dumplings are used.

What Kinds of Dumplings Are There

There are typically 3 different types that are used for Chicken and Dumplings:

• Drop-(What we use in this recipe.) These are dumplings where we simply scoop the dough up right from the bowl and drop them into the soup for steaming.
• Rolled-The dough for these are rolled out, cut into shapes, and cooked in the broth.
• Biscuit-Biscuit dough is cut into smaller pieces and added to the soup to cook. They can be homemade biscuits or refrigerated.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and sear it in olive oil for 3 minutes per side. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes, then dice and set aside.

Melt butter in the same pot and use a silicone spatula to clean the “fond” from the bottom of the pot. This will give lots of great flavor to the broth.

Add onions, carrots, and celery and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 more minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously.

Add the half and half in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the frozen peas. Simmer while you make the dumplings. Once the dumpling dough is ready, add the chicken back to the pot and stir to combine.

Add the dumpling dough to the soup. Cover tightly and bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, do not lift the lid. Insert a toothpick to ensure the middle of the dumplings are set, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Can You Overcook Dumplings

• Yes, dumplings that are overcooked will begin to fall apart and disintegrate into the soup, so try to stick to the cooking time. I always use a timer.

My Secret for the Best Homemade Broth

Sear fresh chicken in the skillet first, for just 3 minutes per side:

• This adds “fond” (brown chicken remnants) to the pot which is deglazed with butter and used to transfer the best homemade flavor into the roux. (See process shots, the “brown” color in the pot= flavor.)
• The chicken is left to rest for 10 minutes before being diced and transferred back to the soup later to finish cooking through.
• The chicken isn’t tough/overcooked: It’s never brought to a full boil (this is what makes chicken tough). The diced/uncooked chicken is added to the soup just before the dumplings are added and are gently simmered for 15 minutes to allow them to finish cooking.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the soup is simmering very gently while the biscuits are cooking. Place your ear next to the pot to gauge it. You want it to simmer just enough to steam the dumplings, while ensuring the bottom of the soup doesn’t burn.
• Don’t lift the lid while the dumplings cook, or they won’t properly steam.
• Flavor Enhancers: The Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder in this recipe are used as flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright.
• Using Leftover Chicken:Leftover chicken can be used for this recipe (instructions are provided in the recipe card below).
• Be sure to try my Chicken Stew recipe next! It’s similar to this, but with potatoes instead of dumplings!

Storage

Soup

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.Leftovers are a little bit thinner in consistency but the flavor is still great.

Dumplings

• Dumplings are always best if made fresh, but leftovers can be removed from the soup and stored in an airtight container. Reheat on a baking sheet at 350° for 5-7 minutes.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• 4.5 quart Dutch oven– This is a great size for this recipe.
• Pinch Bowls– For measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
• Small Cookie Scoop– For scooping out the dumpling dough to make a uniform size and shape.
• Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth and bouillon.

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posted by Stephanie on December 20, 2021 — 965 Comments »