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

4.04 from 232 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)

Eat at Home Weekly Meal Plans

Join thousands of happy members and let us do your meal planning and grocery list making for you. We make dinner fiteasily into your days by giving you 15-minute meals, lots of slow cooker meals and keeping things simple. Find out how you can become a member here.

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

FAQs

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? ›

So that they cook perfectly, the dumplings need to steam, so cover the pot with its lid. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer when cooking the dumplings. An aggressive simmer or boiling will break them apart. Keep the heat low and cover the pot so that they steam.

Why are my chicken and dumplings not 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 do people usually eat with chicken and dumplings? ›

The ultimate companions range from mashed potatoes to light, crisp salads. Consider fluffy rice, bread variations like garlic bread or dinner rolls, and roasted or steamed vegetables to truly complement your creamy chicken and dumplings feast.

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.

Why are my chicken and dumplings not fluffy? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

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

Set a timer for 15 minutes, don't lift the lid during this time, the dumplings need to steam. Open the lid and insert a toothpick into the middle of a dumpling to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, it's ready. If not, cover and simmer for a few more minutes.

Why do my dumplings fall apart when I cook them? ›

Often they burst during cooking because they have too much filling for the amount of dough. Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing. If the filling isn't cohesive enough, it will tumble out when you bite into it.

How to thicken up chicken and dumplings without cornstarch? ›

To thicken chicken and dumplings soup (or any soup for that matter), add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour to a mixing bowl. Stir in enough cold water to form a thin paste with no lumps when whisked together. Stir in the mixture to the soup to thicken it up slightly.

What pairs best with dumplings? ›

The best side dishes to serve with European dumplings are green salad, stew, mashed potato, cheesy 'nduja slider, pollo picante pasta, potato salad, chipotle carbonara, baked mozzarella pasta.

What side dishes go well with dumplings? ›

The best side dishes to serve with dumplings are chicken noodle soup, beef and broccoli, ramen, bok choy, egg roll in a bowl, orange chicken, Chinese curry sauce, fried rice, hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken, cucumber salad, bao buns, stir-fried vegetables, sesame noodles, spring rolls, and crispy tofu.

What main dish goes well with dumplings? ›

Any kind of stewed meat and vegetables. Beef, lamb, pork or chicken, even a good root vegetable stew goes good with dumplings.

How do you fix watery dumpling filling? ›

If you find that your filling has too much liquid, I recommend draining the entire mixture in a colander. Another trick that I learned from my mother is to add a teaspoon of cornstarch or breadcrumbs to help soak up the liquid.

Why is my chicken and dumplings soupy? ›

It could also be that your doughballs cooled your broth enough that the outer surface of the doughball couldn't get "set" fast enough and the flour began to mix with the broth. If that was the issue, I'd think hotter broth, a larger volume of hot broth, or smaller/fewer dumplings at once would help.

How do you make dumplings less watery? ›

You will actually need to add some additional milk to them the next day. Once the dumplings are done and transferred to a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of cornstarch into a cup of milk and add it to the hot broth. Stir the broth over medium heat until it has thickened. This only takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Allyn Kozey

Last Updated:

Views: 5811

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Allyn Kozey

Birthday: 1993-12-21

Address: Suite 454 40343 Larson Union, Port Melia, TX 16164

Phone: +2456904400762

Job: Investor Administrator

Hobby: Sketching, Puzzles, Pet, Mountaineering, Skydiving, Dowsing, Sports

Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.