Nothing beats a bowl of completely Homemade Chicken and Dumplings. Tender chicken, soft, fluffy dumplings, and a creamy, flavorful gravy make this a comforting, hearty meal. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, this chicken and dumplings recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again.
Chicken and dumplings has its origins in the Southern United States, though variations of the comfort food dish can be found across the country.
Why You Should Make This Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
- Homemade Comfort Food: There’s something special about making Chicken and Dumplings from scratch. From browning the chicken to making the dumplings by hand, this dish brings a level of comfort that store-bought versions just can’t match.
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: With just bone-in chicken, butter, garlic, flour, and some simple seasonings, you can create a deeply flavorful broth and tender dumplings. No complicated ingredients, just good, honest food.
- Perfect for Cold Days or When You Crave Comfort: This Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is warming and hearty, making it ideal for chilly days or when you need something comforting. The creamy broth and pillowy dumplings are the perfect combination for a cozy meal.
- Easy to customize: Want to add veggies like carrots or peas? You can! This homemade chicken and dumplings recipe can easily be adjusted to fit your tastes and preferences.
Ingredients
- Bone-In Chicken Breasts: Easily substitute with chicken thighs, boneless breasts, or shredded rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Yellow or White Onion: Substitute with shallots or leeks for a slightly different flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Swap with water with bouillon cubes for similar results.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Use half-and-half or evaporated milk as a lighter alternative.
- Chicken Base: Any chicken base will work in this homemade chicken and dumplings recipe.
- Self-Rising Flour: To make homemade, mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Butter (for the dumplings): Easily substituted with cold shortening or margarine for a similar texture.
How to Make Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
- Pat the chicken breasts dry. Season with salt. Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl or plate. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat.
- Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven or deep pot. Lightly brown the chicken on all sides. Remove onto a plate.
- Add the minced garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Dust the vegetables with flour. Allow the raw flour taste to cook off for a few minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Add back the chicken, along with the bay leaves.
- Bring almost to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dumpling dough (see below).
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove and shred it. Remove the bay leaves and any stems from the thyme.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
- Slowly add the dumplings with the extra flour into the pot. Gently stir. Cover and cook the dumplings on medium until they are no longer doughy, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the heavy cream, fresh parsley and black pepper.
- Taste for salt.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
How to Make Dumplings
- In a bowl, add the self-rising flour and black pepper.
- Toss in the cold, diced butter and incorporate it into the flour with your hands until the butter is fully mixed in.
- Slowly add in the cold buttermilk to form a soft dough, adjusting the amount of milk or flour as needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a flat, floured surface and roll to 1/4″ – 1/8″ thickness.
- Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3/4″ squares.
- Toss the dumplings in the extra flour on the work surface to prevent sticking.
How to Serve and Store Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Serve the Chicken and Dumplings alone, or pair with any of the following:
- Crusty bread: A slice of warm, crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the creamy broth.
- Simple green salad: A light salad adds a refreshing contrast to the hearty Chicken and Dumplings.
- Steamed vegetables: Add a side of steamed broccoli or carrots.
Storing Leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Store leftover Chicken and Dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. You may need to add a bit of broth or cream to maintain the consistency.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken and broth separately from the dumplings for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Description
This Homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe features tender chicken, with soft and fluffy dumplings, in a creamy, flavorful gravy.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Flour Dredge:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
For the Broth:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Water, as needed
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
For the Dumplings:
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- 3/4 –1 cup cold buttermilk
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
- Dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour, coating both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. Brown on both sides until golden. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same pot. Once melted, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and fresh thyme. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaves.
- Return the browned chicken breasts to the pot. The chicken should be almost completely covered with liquid. Add a touch of water, if needed.
- Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dumplings. Add the self-rising flour and black pepper to a large bowl.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Add to the flour and work the butter into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of the cold buttermilk and gently mix. Add additional buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should hold together but should not be overly wet or sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a generously floured surface. Gently knead just 3 to 4 times to bring the dough together.
- Roll the dough to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into small squares or rectangles using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- Lightly dust the cut dumplings with flour and allow them to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a plate. Allow to cool just enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and any remaining stems from the fresh thyme.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the broth to a soft boil.
- Add the flat dumplings a few at a time, gently pushing them underneath the broth before adding more. Avoid adding all of the dumplings at once, as they may stick together.
- Once all of the dumplings have been added, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Partially cover and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. The dumplings are ready when they are tender with no raw dough in the center.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, chopped fresh parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Taste for salt and adjust, if needed. Allow everything to warm through for another minute or two.
- Ladle the Chicken and Dumplings into bowls. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.
- ENJOY
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Moderate
- Cuisine: American
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WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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