Nothing says lovin’ like Chicken and Dumplings. I don’t know that anything screams comfort more than this. Except for maybe chicken noodle soup. But it always comes back to the chicken, don’t it? Many of you grew up on this style of Chicken and Dumplings. It is the most basic, simple, but tummy-lovin’ stuff you ever did put in your mouth. The ingredients are simple; chicken, chicken stock, and a simple dumplin’ dough. That’s it. 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.
Ingredients:
3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. salted butter, cubed
milk (a little less than a cupful)
Directions:
First thing you need to do is to cook your 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.
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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.
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Look how easy and perfectly shredded. Just don’t leave it on too long or you’ll have minced chicken.
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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.
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In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Then add in cubed butter.
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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.
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Dust your counter with a generous amount of flour. Place your dumpling dough on the counter and dust it with more flour.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Bring your 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.
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Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Happiness in a bowl.
Enjoy!
For those of you who prefer a fluffier dumpling, you may want to try this recipe~
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hrs
Total Time
1 hrs 20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 600 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp 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.
Nutrition Facts
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 600
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This looks wonderful. I usually make the bisquick kind I admit, because it's what I grew up with thus what comforts me, but sometimes I get a craving for the real thing and your recipe looks great 🙂
My mom used to make it with bisquick too! Do you make it the same way just substitute bisquick for flour? She rolled it out and cut squares like this recipe.
I dislike when ppl alter recipes however I’ve looked long and hard to make them like my
Mom. Since this had her ingredients I tweaked the amounts ( like all old recipes she said ‘eyeball it that was my instructions) and am so grateful. It’s my moms dumplings !! I can pass it to my daughters now. Many thanks!
I am so trying this! It's one of those recipes I always mean to try or make and never get around to it, but put it down for later this week. Thx!
Ooh, looks like a wonderfully warming and comforting meal 🙂 What a classic!
Ugh youre making my mouth water! If i wasnt just starting back on weight watchers id be heading to the store for some chicken and dumplings lol
Oh, this looks so good. It's chilly and rainy in New York today and I'd love to have a bowl of this right now! I actually just watched Tyler Florence on the Food Network make dumplings, too. It must be a sign that I should make some dumplings! 🙂
Now this is some down home cooking!! Looks delish!
Just made a batch of mom’s chicken and dumplings, I was stumped on the baking soda, it’s been a long time.
The warm memories of my mom’s love from a bowl of chicken and dumplings are just what the doctor ordered.
I think the recipe says baking powder, big difference! lol
Have made chicken and dumplings this way for years and my kids and grandkids love them. In fact, had family here for the Easter weekend and the grandaughters asked it I was going to make chicken and dumplings. Unfortunately ham took priority for Easter dinner but you can bet I'll be making them next time around. So easy and tasty.
Few dishes remind me of home but this one certainly does. Looks delicious.
It sounds yummy! Rainy & cool here in Kansas, too. Think I'll make some tonight!
My Mom made Chicken and Dumplings when we were kids. Her dumplings were little clumps of dough. mmmmm…
Your sounds good too. lol This is definitely a comfort food.
This dish looks perfect! I would love every tasty bite…your tutorials are always so great. So glad you shared…my mouth will water every time I think of this, and I WILL make it one of these days too.
chicken and dumplings, the perfect comfort food, and yours looks soo good, like I want some now.
I haven't had chicken and dumplings in the longest time! Looks delicious!
Brandie,
Thanks for featuring my Easter Bunny Cupcakes and hosting this fun event!
Brandie,
I have to leave now. Appt with Hospice Social Worker. I don't have time to post on my FB page. I'll have to do it later, unless you want to do it.
Thanks
Rebecca Ann
AS I promised, earlier this week, I made this tonight…. turned out terrific! My first time making chicken and dumplings, too. I added frozen mixed veggies to the chicken and broth. Thanks again.
When I post it on my blog, I'll mention you and link to your blog page.
Nothing better on a sick day then a big bowl of hot and steaming chicken with dumplings.
Iknow you stated before the recipe for anyone who has never had chicken and dumplings….that just broke my heart because I can't IMAGINE living in a world where I had never had chicken 'n dumplings! There truly is nothing better and I can't wait to try your recipe!!
I made these last night. They were absolutely delicious. I have always made my dumplings just using flour and warm water BUT these were the best ever. Recipe is a keeper!!
I posted my success using your recipe on my blog and linked to your blog. This recipe was terrific and the dumplings now one of my favorites to make. Thanks again.
http://gooddealmeals.blogspot.com/2012/04/chicken-and-dumplings.html
This is the kind of dumplings my mama used to make. Just one question: it's baking powder in the recipe (not what mama used) and baking soda in the direction. I'm thinking it's supposed to be soda, or just salt. Which one?
Wonderful recipe, really enjoyed it. Reminds me of my mom's chicken and dumpling.
Oh, Brandie! This is exactly how my Nanny Richburg used to make her dumplings. I reeeaaally don't like the doughy, drop dumplings! Thanks for all your great recipes. I appreciate you!!!
My husband is NOT a chicken n dumplings fan, but after making this tonight he ate THREE bowls of it. I was in shock lol…our daughter and her friend also downed their entire serving, which is saying a lot since our kids are quite picky. This one is definitely a keeper!!!
There was a comment on here about baking powder. Sorry about the typo in the instructions, but you do use baking powder – not baking soda. 🙂
I use self-rising flour so there is no need for the baking powder. I had never had Chicken and dumplings until I met my sister-in-law in Tennessee and she taught me how to make it that way. It is awesome!
My husband loves chicken & dumplings, he likes the hormel cans of it & says this is better than that. I added carrots to mine & some garlic & herb mrs. Dash to the chicken while it was baking, turned out pretty good =)
Great recipe. Growing up in NC we call it chicken pastry. Whatever you call it, it's so good. We make this instead of chicken soup when someone is sick!
Made chicken and dumplings tonight. Was delicious! Thank you do much for such a good recipe and perfect directions!
Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful comments! Megan, so happy this turned out great for you! You were so sweet to come back and let me know how it turned out! ~Brandie
Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing.
Just made this! Its delicious! Only issue i had was the flour..i ran out of alk purpose. So i had to use a lil bit of self rising. I found that i had to use more flour than what this recipe calls for. Total i used about 3 cups for the dough. Anyway its awesome!
Made these for Thanksgiving & they were awesome! Have made them three times now and each time they turned out great:)
Tryin this today!!
I made the simple chicken and dumplins the other day. It was delish! Can't wait to try this recipe.
So happy you liked the simple recipe! Thank you for letting me know!
For the amounts used in this recipe, how many servings is it? I need to feed three adults and wonder if this will be enough or should I double the recipe.
If you don't have real butter, can you substitute margarine? And do you have to use olive oil or can it be vegetable oil?
this was FANTASTIC so so yumm full of flavors thank you!
I make my own broth by simmering my chicken with added onion, garlic and a little celery flakes, also I add chicken bouillon. I make my dumplings exactly the same!! My kids favorite
meal, so glad toseesomeone else rolls out the dough! Love it!! Thank you! Gale Osborn
Anonymous, I really recommend butter for the dumplings. But you could certainly substitute veggie oil for cooking the chicken breasts. Hope that helps! Kelly – yay! So happy you liked it!
Anonymous, I do to when I have the time! Sometimes on Sundays, I'll make the broth ahead of time and store it in the fridge til I'm ready to make later in the week. Homemade broth is the best but the store bought stuff is great in a pinch and some of the brands are really getting better with the flavor. 😀 ~Brandie
I am so excited to try this. I am from the North and when I was in the South I had Chicken and Dumplings like this and it was fantastic. I have been looking for a recipe like it ever since. I can't wait!!
Just made this over the weekend while we were all snowed in and my family Loved it! Next time though I will make my noodles a little thinner since the broth does soak into them and they were a little thick for me. Also, I will make a double batch since there were no leftovers for a family of 4 – and everyone wanted more! 🙂
I'm fromAmish country, PA, and here we call this meal Pot Pie. I've been wishing I had my grandmas recipe ever since she passes. This seems awful close!
Me too. The pie crust version was chicken pieces and the drop dough balls were dumplings. The noodles were made paper think, put in a layer at a time, cook 3 minutes before stirring and adding more noodles. The noodles were made simply with flour and water. I thought my family was going to disown me when I mentioned that I serve it was vegetables (peas, carrots, peas, corn, onions, and celery) in my final product. It’s good and we like our vegetables from the garden. I am so happy to know that I am not the only one who remembers this!
My husband lived in the South a few years ago and requested Chicken and Dumplings for his birthday dinner last night. After much internet searching I decided on this recipe. It was SO GOOD! I added carrots, celery, and onion to the broth while the chicken was cooking and it was a great addition. I actually ate more than my husband did, I loved it! THANK YOU!
Freeze the cut dough. Then it can be added to the boiling broth without fear of them sticking together. Just stir occasionally. I do this all the time. It doesn't change the taste or texture of the dumplings.
I have been making these for years because I grew up in the south. I boil my chicken and use a boullion cube in the pot. After it is cooked and while I am pulling the chicken, I let a cup of the broth cool and when mixing the dumplings, I use half milk and half broth which adds flavor in the dough. Then when I heat broth back to boiling to add rolled dough, I add the other half of milk which makes a creamier broth for the dumplings. You can also keep the dark and white meat in 2 separate bowls so that each person can add a couple spoonfuls of their own choice on top after putting dumpling in their bowl to stir in. Then everybody is happy.
I love this recipe!! Could you give me a guess to about how many servings this recipe makes? I need to decide whether to double the dough part of it. thanks.
This is MY ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE dish from Cracker Barrel!!! I am SO Thrilled that you posted this!! Thank you SO Much!!! (Angeliza)
Thank you for showing just how simple it can be.
I use buttermilk in place of milk. Makes it a little thicker. Love both ways! Sometimes, punch one biscuit four times. 🙂 it works.
I’m planning to make this recipe for my husband and me. Can you cut the recipe in half? We love leftovers but I’m worried it may be too much 🙂 Thank you for posting! I have been wanting to try it since I got the email!
I’m not sure about your family size, but I have 2 small children who eat this and my husband and I. We usually don’t have enough leftover for everybody. We may have some, but not enough for everybody. Then again, everyone gets more than one serving. I usually have to put a bowl aside for my husband’s lunch the next day to be sure there is enough.
Has anyone tried making this ahead of time and freezing for a quick meal later on? Thank you for the recipe. I have made it and it is delicious.
I’m not gonna lie, I doubted this while I was making it. “How can this work,there’s no seasoning! No salt! It probably will be a soggy, bland, watery mess!” But oh my goodness was I wrong! This was DELICIOUS. The flavors are perfectly balance each other, don’t alter this recipe one bit! This is definitely a new staple in our rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice now…once using the leftover turkey and drippings from Thanksgiving, as my husband does a really amazing Cajun butter flavored turkey…and once using a rotisserie chicken from Kroger. Both worked well!!! Until this recipe, I was always scared of making chicken and dumplings because it usually didn’t turn out right, so as much as I love the dish, I avoid making it. Now, I feel like a pro and will make it way more often! Thanks for sharing!!!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. I made this for my grandmother after she mentioned she hadn’t had chicken and dumplings since her mother passed (my great-grandmother). All she knew was that to make the dumplings, my great-grandmother used flour and water. I tested this recipe out and it was wonderful. It’s such a simple dish, but my, is it flavorsome!
Carolyn – thank you for taking the time to comment! What a wonderfully sweet granddaughter you are!!
Brandie, I’ve followed you for awhile and you are always so sweet and helpful! I love your recipes and my husband would flip if I could ace these. We’ve been married 49 years and I’ve only tried the chicken & dumplings made with flour tortillas…he wasn’t impressed! lol His grandmothers made the best homemade from scratch! Thanks for sharing, I’m putting this on the to do list!
Hi Linda! Thank you for finally commenting – I love hearing from you! If it makes you feel any better, I only ever made dumplings from Bisquick for the longest time. When I made this the first time – they turned out great the first time. That’s how I knew it was a winner. No experience required – ha! Hope you love these!
made it tonight myself it was wonderful.
My mom uses a short cut with canned biscuits, but I prefer the homemade biscuit dough that my grandmother made. However, she would use shortening ( lard way back when) in place of butter. I love this recipe! The only thing I do different is using cream of chicken to make my stock.
Thank you so much for posting.
Tracy S.
Thanks so much Tracy!
I just finished making these dumplings for dinner tonight. Only thing I did differently: use buttermilk instead of milk. They were absolutely wonderful! I will definitely make these again and again.
It is one of our favorites! So glad you loved it 🙂
Tonight I made this using spelt flour (half whole grain spelt, half white spelt). I used unsweetened almond milk (all I had on hand). I doubled the recipe. It was DELICIOUS.
I’m a 53 year old Bachelor who craved his grandmother’s homemade chicken and dumplings. This recipe brought a tear to my eye as it brought home many memories of family and great family dinners together. I would recommend this memory and recipe to all miss my grandma.
Thank you Joe for your sweet comment. I am so glad you were able to remember your grandmother with this recipe. 🙂
This is a wonderful recipe. I heard stories of how difficult homemade dumplings were to make, but these instructions kept the process simple and my family loved the results.
The dumpling remind me of southern cooking. Made then they were fabulous.
You’re taking me back to my childhood days with this recipe. Pretty much exactly how my mom made it!!! Mmmmmm so good!
I’ve made this recipe many times. My family loves these dumplings over the fluffy drop biscuit ones. the only thing I do different is saute onions, celery, and carrots first. its a nice addition to the soup. Other than that I follow the recipe exactly. Its a keeper!!
Great basic dumplings! I cooked at cracker barrel for years and this recipe is almost the same. I added a handful of flour to firm up the dough, plus peas and carrots to make it a one bowl meal.
I made the dumplings. They are perfect!
Hey! These chicken and dumplings are amazing! We love to make them in bulk tho, is there any way I can make them ahead of time and freeze them? Is the turnout the same? Again thanks! AMAZING!
I love making chicken and dumplings but I think it’s not truly old fashioned unless you use bone-in chicken! The broth that comes from the bone-in is so much richer and flavorful! But if you are a Mom on the go breasts work just fine!
Easy and delicious! Been holding out on making dumplings for YEARS because it is so much work for the other style. These taste like sprouts children and dumplings. So lovely. Such a blessing to have found this. Thank you for sharing.
The only thing missing is black pepper. My family would have a fit if I left it out.
I love this recipe! It’s just like my granny used to make. I toss in a box of peas and carrots when I start the broth. Yummy.
Made these last weekend exactly by this recipe except that I put a bit more chicken into it. It was very good and reminds me of my mom’s dumplings when I was a small kid, we are going back better than 50 years on this statement! Thanks for a good and simple recipe.