The ingredients for this Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings recipe are so simple; chicken, chicken stock, and a simple flat dumpling dough. That’s it. Delicious! Want an easier version, be sure to check out my CROCK POT CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS!
VIDEO INCLUDED:
ARE THESE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS LIKE CRACKER BARREL?
For those of you who haven’t eaten this style of Chicken and Dumplings growing up then you may have eaten it at a place like Cracker Barrel. It’s a humble dish for sure, but I think that is what makes it good. We’re going back to basics here today on The Country Cook. Maybe serve it with a side of HASHBROWN CASSEROLE. 
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
chicken
chicken broth
chicken broth
all-purpose flour
baking powder
salted butter
milk
HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS:
First thing you need to do is to cook the chicken. You can use a store bought rotisserie chicken for this if you like. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle a little olive oil on the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes.
Some folks like dark meat with their dumplings, some like a combination of white and dark. Chicken thighs would work great for this as well. Go with whatever you like here. I had two large chicken breasts so I used those. 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.
Look how easy and perfectly shredded. Just don’t leave it on too long or you’ll have minced chicken.
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.
You can combine it all using a fork or a pastry cutter. But the best way is really with your fingers. Just smoosh the butter between your fingers while you gradually mix it in with the flour mixture.
Now pour in the milk. You want to measure out a little less than a cup. 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.
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 chicken broth some as well when you add them to the pot.
Bring the chicken broth up to a boil. Add in your 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.
Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Happiness in a bowl.
Enjoy!
OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings is a super simple recipe. Flat and yummy strips of dough simmered in a yummy broth and tender chicken.
Originally published: April 2012
Updated and republished: May 2019
OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings is a super simple recipe. Flat and yummy strips of dough simmered in a yummy broth and tender chicken.
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 348kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cold salted butter, cubed
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Drizzle a little olive oil on the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 45 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks.
- Pour 2 quarts of chicken stock or broth into a large pot and start warming it up on the stove top while you make the dumplings..
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Then add in cubed butter.
- Combine using your fingers, fork or pastry cutter.
- Pour in the milk. Mix it all together.
- Dust your counter with a generous amount of 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 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 all 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.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1246mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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This is an easy delicious recipe. I added cream of chicken and cream of celery to add flavor. Didn’t add the salt.
This was good!
Just like Granny made. I have always made my chicken and dumplings this way. I double the dumplings because everyone wants extras. 🙂 As other reviewers posted, please don’t over mix the dumplings, as they will get tough. I see the photo has parsley sprinkled on the C&D in the bowl…..Granny always added parsley to hers, she said it made it pretty. 🙂 With or without the parsley ~ it is delicious!
My Grandma had a flour bowl with a lid that she used for making dumplings and biscuits. She would hollow out a small depression in the flour and pour water and and a little vegetable oil in and then mix it with her fingers adding flour to it gradually. When she felt like she had the right amount of flour she would take the ball of dough out and sprinkle a little flour on the clean counter and roll the dough out with a glass and cut the dough into about six inch x 2 inch strips and add them to the pot that contained the boiled chicken. She used whole chicken pieces and didn’t season with anything except salt and pepper. The dumplings cooked in just a few minutes and they were delicious. I was always amazed at how quick she could make the dumplings. The only other recipe I liked as well was served at a small country kitchen run by two “grandmas”. They boiled their chicken and deboned it and then added it back to the stock. Once the dumplings were made and added they poured it into a baking dish and put strips of dumplings on the top. Once it was baked, they broke up the crispy dumplings on top and mixed it in with the others. Right before they took it out of the over, they added a little evaporated milk and pats of butter. This was even better than my Grandma’s recipe. I have never been able to find a recipe since then that called for baking the dish. Has anyone else ever run across one?
Hi Sharon! I love your memories! Grandma’s always have that special touch. So much experience in their hands. I’ll have to do some research on the other recipe you are talking about. I have some old handwritten cookbooks that were passed down to me. I’ll have to see if there is anything similar in them to what you are talking about. 🙂
I’m making this right now … do you add a lid after adding the dumplings? And do you keep it on boil or low or ?
Hi Amanda, no lid necessary unless you find that the liquid is getting too thick and the dumplings aren’t ready yet. Some folks like to keep a lid on to get more of a “steamed dumpling” texture. Hope that helps!
What about using a Dutch Oven?
I have made this recipe several times. I love it. It’s easy.
Do you use cold butter or room temp.?
Hi Kelly, cold butter. Sorry for any confusion. 🙂
Thank you!!!
Can I use premade pie crust dough instead of making it? Seems that it looks the same when rolled out, and it would make that part of the process a lot faster and easier. Just roll it out, cut and go. Looks the same to me. Doing it that way + a rotisserie chicken = done Thanks for your feedback
Hi Linda! I have never tried it with the refrigerated pie dough. They tend to be super thin. However, if you give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out for you!
Thanks! How mau have when you cut out the dough?
Anne’s Dumplings- in the freezer section with the frozen pies
Yes, they are good too! Unfortunately not in Ohio. We use to live in Arkansas. I have called Anne’s and was told they don’t ship. 🙁
This is my go to recipe when I need a scrumptious homemade dinner. Easy to make and comes out perfect every time! Thank you
That is so wonderful to hear Janet – thanks so much!!
So, i was curious. Are these softer dumplings? My mother and grandmoher cook and debone chicken, then they put flour on the kitchen table, make a well and put egg and mix, roll out, and cut. They usually leave them for an hour or even longer to dry for a bit. Then drop them in and cook.
Hi Krista, it’s hard to explain. They are soft but get more dense the longer you let them cook in the broth. You can easily chew them though. 🙂
I use Pioneer Biscuit Mix and follow this recipe, but cannot match my mother’s. Her’s were a little dry on the inside which I loved, but cannot duplicate. Can you tell me how to do that? Oh, and recently had someone else’s dumplings and they added vegetables making me wonder if this style was unusual, so I was glad to see your recipe was just CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS. The ones with the vegetables were good though. Oh, I just remembered a woman at work brought dumplings made out of soft tacos. I made some and you cannot tell the difference, so the lady that wanted to use pie crust might like this idea.
Hi Patricia – hmmmm….I’m not sure. Most folks don’t actually ever want a dry biscuit so it’s not something I ever thought of. Perhaps don’t use as much liquid in the biscuit mix? Also, hope you like this recipe for Chicken and Dumplings. It’s so simple but it’s always been one of my favorites!
How about biscuit dough?
Hi Dave! I have a recipe for the biscuit dough here: https://www.thecountrycook.net/chicken-and-drop-dumplings/
I was thinking of putting aside a batch of the dumplings in the freezers for quicker use. Do you think they would freeze and cook well?
I purchased frozen dumpling at the grocery store. They work great. I use this recipe for my chicken and dumpling, which is the way my Mom them.
easy and good just taste and adjust salt at end !
Thank you for coming back to comment Peggy!
Turned out very tasty!
Love hearing that – thank you Klei!
Best recipe I have found. Thank you
Thanks so much Bobby!
Terrific recipe! But I did the dumplings the old-fashioned German way.
This is a recipe that has been in my family for many years,my mother was raised in a French settlement in Ontario, they called it Potzins,mother would actually catch a chicken & clean it, put whole chicken in a large pot, I do not remember any veg in it,boil chicken for a few hrs, debone the chicken,add to broth make noodles,just flour,salt,use some cooled chicken broth for liquid,roll out,cut in squares & drop in liquid,used to be my favourite meal, the free run chickens had so much flavour.
Sounds amazing Carol!
My family is from Penetang Ontario. This recipe was always referred to as Chicken and Sliders.
That is new to me! Love learning about regional cooking!
I use to have my grandma’s recipe for chicken and dumplings but lost it along with my prized baptist church cookbook. I’ve searched for something similar and this was the closet by far! She would add carrots, corn and/or celery if she had it. I made it just like recipe called for but added cut cooked carrots. Absolutely perfect.
There really is nothing like Grandma’s cooking, is there? I am so happy that this one at least came close to what you remember. It’s always an honor to even come close to Grandma’s cooking!!
So easy to make and taste amazing!! Can i make the dumplings ahead of time and refrigerate them?
Hi Megan! So happy you liked this one! That is a really good question. I have not tried it but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work…
I made this tonight and to say it was a hit would be an understatement. My family absolutely loved it. My son has a major dairy/soy allergy so I had to use unsweetened almond milk and vegan butter and this still turned out amazing!
Tessa, thank you so much for coming back to comment. I love hearing how recipe tweaks work out for folks. So happy everyone loved it – yay!!