I just made Homemade Chicken And Dumplings with ridiculously tender chicken and pillowy dumplings swimming in a broth so rich I actually called my grandma for her secret.
I am obsessed with Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings because the broth tastes like something real. I love how the Chicken And Dumplings bowl feels honest and filling, not froufrou.
My favorite part is the dumplings, I’m always chasing that pillowy chew, which is why I keep a Homemade Dumplings Recipe in my head. And the stock matters: using low sodium chicken broth brings deep flavor without killing the salt.
But mostly I adore that every spoonful mixes tender chicken, soft dumplings, and little carrot bites into something I actually want for dinner on stress nights. I keep going back.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken or pieces: The main comfort protein, juicy and keeps the broth rich.
- Chicken broth or water plus bouillon: Broth base, salty warmth that makes it homey.
- Carrots: Sweet, a little crunch if not overcooked, brightens the bowl.
- Celery: Classic savory backbone, adds subtle freshness and texture.
- Yellow onion: Sweet and savory, it melts into that cozy broth goodness.
- Garlic (optional): Adds a warm punch if you want a bit more oomph.
- Bay leaves: Basically background herbal note that quietly smells like Sunday afternoons.
- Fresh or dried thyme: Earthy, slightly lemony herb that pairs with chicken nicely.
- Fresh parsley: Bright green finish, it makes the dish look and taste awake.
- Kosher salt: Brings out all the flavors, don’t skip adjusting to taste.
- Black pepper: Simple bite and warmth, it keeps things from tasting flat.
- Butter or oil for broth: Gives richness and silky mouthfeel to the stock.
- Flour for thickening: Adds body so the broth hugs the dumplings.
- Dumpling flour: The base for pillowy bites—you want this to be tender.
- Baking powder: Basically the lift agent, makes dumplings light and fluffy.
- Salt for dumplings: Essential little seasoning so dumplings don’t taste bland.
- Cold butter or shortening: Creates flaky, tender dumpling texture when mixed in.
- Milk or buttermilk: Moisture and richness; buttermilk makes them a touch tangy.
- Egg (optional): Makes dumplings silkier and a bit richer, if you like.
- Frozen peas (optional): Plus a pop of color and mild sweetness at the end.
Ingredient Quantities
- 3 to 4 lb whole chicken or 2 1/2 to 3 lb bone in chicken pieces (thighs and breasts with skin)
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth or water plus bouillon to taste
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (for the broth) or a little oil if you prefer
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour for thickening the broth
- 2 cups all purpose flour for the dumplings
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt for the dumplings
- 2 tbsp cold butter or shortening, cut into the dumpling flour
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk (more if needed for consistency)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten (optional, for richer dumplings)
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional, for a bit of color)
How to Make this
1. Rinse the chicken and place it in a large pot with 8 cups chicken broth (or water plus bouillon), add carrots, celery, onion, garlic if using, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper and 3 tbsp butter; bring to a boil then lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, 45 to 60 minutes until the chicken is tender and mostly falling off the bone.
2. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool a bit; strain or skim solids from the broth if you want a clearer stock, discard bay leaves and thyme stems but keep the veggies, or shred the veggies into the soup later for texture.
3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred the meat into bite size pieces; reserve.
4. To thicken the broth, melt 3 tbsp butter in a skillet or use the pot, whisk in 1/3 cup all purpose flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it smells slightly toasty, then slowly whisk in hot broth until smooth and slightly thickened; return to the pot with the shredded chicken and simmer while you make dumplings.
5. Make the dumpling dough by mixing 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl; cut in 2 tbsp cold butter or shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
6. Stir in 1 cup milk or buttermilk and the lightly beaten egg if using, adding a little more milk if the dough seems too dry; you want a soft but not sticky dough.
7. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer (not boiling) and drop dumplings by spoonfuls or use a cookie scoop to drop about 12 to 16 dumplings evenly over the surface; space them so they can expand.
8. Cover the pot and cook dumplings over low simmer for 12 to 15 minutes without lifting the lid, then remove lid and check one dumpling for doneness; if raw inside, cover and cook a few minutes more.
9. Stir in frozen peas if using and let them heat through for a couple minutes; adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve hot with plenty of shredded chicken and veggies spooned over the dumplings, garnish with extra chopped parsley if you like.
Equipment Needed
1. Large stockpot (8 quart or bigger)
2. Skillet or small saucepan (for the roux)
3. Cutting board
4. Chef knife
5. Slotted spoon or tongs (to remove chicken)
6. Fine mesh strainer or slotted ladle
7. Mixing bowls (one for dumpling dough)
8. Whisk and wooden spoon or spatula
9. Cookie scoop or two spoons for dropping dumplings
FAQ
Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken: swap the whole bird for boneless skinless thighs or a rotisserie chicken if you want quicker prep and more flavor, or use turkey pieces if you like a slightly different taste.
- Chicken broth: use low sodium vegetable broth for a lighter veg version, or water plus 1 to 2 tsp bouillon paste or cubes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Butter for the broth: you can use olive oil or avocado oil for a lighter, dairy free option, or use a bit of bacon fat for smoky richness if you want to be naughty.
- Milk/buttermilk in dumplings: substitute plain yogurt thinned with a little water or milk, or use a non dairy milk like almond or oat milk; if you need richer dumplings, use half and half or evaporated milk.
Pro Tips
1. Use the bones and skin for extra flavor, even if you remove them later. Roast the whole chicken or at least brown the pieces a little before simmering to get deeper flavor in the broth. It makes the soup taste homemade, not watery like store-bought.
2. Strain the broth but keep the cooked veggies. Push the softened carrots and celery through a sieve or mash them and stir back in so you get thick, silky body without little floaty bits. If you want chunkier soup, skip that step and just shred everything together.
3. Don’t rush the thickening. When you make the flour-butter roux, cook it until it smells faintly toasty, and add hot broth slowly while whisking so you don’t get lumps. If it still feels thin, simmer a little longer, not more flour, or mix a tablespoon of flour with cold water and stir that in to avoid clumps.
4. Keep the dumplings light by not overworking the dough and by using cold butter. Drop them onto a gentle simmer and for the love of everything, don’t lift the lid while they cook. If they seem underdone in the middle, steam them a few more minutes with the lid on; poking will make them dense.
Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Recipe
I just made Homemade Chicken And Dumplings with ridiculously tender chicken and pillowy dumplings swimming in a broth so rich I actually called my grandma for her secret.
6
servings
970
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large stockpot (8 quart or bigger)
2. Skillet or small saucepan (for the roux)
3. Cutting board
4. Chef knife
5. Slotted spoon or tongs (to remove chicken)
6. Fine mesh strainer or slotted ladle
7. Mixing bowls (one for dumpling dough)
8. Whisk and wooden spoon or spatula
9. Cookie scoop or two spoons for dropping dumplings
Ingredients
3 to 4 lb whole chicken or 2 1/2 to 3 lb bone in chicken pieces (thighs and breasts with skin)
8 cups low sodium chicken broth or water plus bouillon to taste
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 bay leaves
4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp unsalted butter (for the broth) or a little oil if you prefer
1/3 cup all purpose flour for thickening the broth
2 cups all purpose flour for the dumplings
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt for the dumplings
2 tbsp cold butter or shortening, cut into the dumpling flour
1 cup milk or buttermilk (more if needed for consistency)
1 large egg, lightly beaten (optional, for richer dumplings)
1 cup frozen peas (optional, for a bit of color)
Directions
- Rinse the chicken and place it in a large pot with 8 cups chicken broth (or water plus bouillon), add carrots, celery, onion, garlic if using, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper and 3 tbsp butter; bring to a boil then lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, 45 to 60 minutes until the chicken is tender and mostly falling off the bone.
- Remove the chicken to a plate to cool a bit; strain or skim solids from the broth if you want a clearer stock, discard bay leaves and thyme stems but keep the veggies, or shred the veggies into the soup later for texture.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred the meat into bite size pieces; reserve.
- To thicken the broth, melt 3 tbsp butter in a skillet or use the pot, whisk in 1/3 cup all purpose flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it smells slightly toasty, then slowly whisk in hot broth until smooth and slightly thickened; return to the pot with the shredded chicken and simmer while you make dumplings.
- Make the dumpling dough by mixing 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl; cut in 2 tbsp cold butter or shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Stir in 1 cup milk or buttermilk and the lightly beaten egg if using, adding a little more milk if the dough seems too dry; you want a soft but not sticky dough.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer (not boiling) and drop dumplings by spoonfuls or use a cookie scoop to drop about 12 to 16 dumplings evenly over the surface; space them so they can expand.
- Cover the pot and cook dumplings over low simmer for 12 to 15 minutes without lifting the lid, then remove lid and check one dumpling for doneness; if raw inside, cover and cook a few minutes more.
- Stir in frozen peas if using and let them heat through for a couple minutes; adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with plenty of shredded chicken and veggies spooned over the dumplings, garnish with extra chopped parsley if you like.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 751g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 970kcal
- Fat: 51.7g
- Saturated Fat: 23.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.08g
- Polyunsaturated: 6.7g
- Monounsaturated: 20g
- Cholesterol: 209mg
- Sodium: 1408mg
- Potassium: 907mg
- Carbohydrates: 43.3g
- Fiber: 4.7g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 76.3g
- Vitamin A: 2800IU
- Vitamin C: 3.3mg
- Calcium: 68mg
- Iron: 4.3mg
