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)

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

FAQs

What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

How do you make chicken and dumplings not bland? ›

Thyme or tarragon is good to season, with some lemon juice. The dumplings can take a spoon each of this liquor when you're making them, and you can mix in some zest too if you like. Also, people tend to discard the chicken fat, but it would make the dumplings a bit juicier if you add some.

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? ›

Keep the heat low and keep your pot covered so that they steam. The dumplings can cook longer than the suggested times without issues, but agitating them with an aggressive simmer will make them fall apart.

What's the best flour to use for dumplings? ›

These dumplings start with all-purpose flour, which creates structure and holds the other ingredients together. Baking powder is a leavening agent, which means it releases gas that makes the dough expand. It's responsible for the dumplings' light and fluffy texture.

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.

Do dumplings float when done? ›

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

Why are my chicken and dumplings not fluffy? ›

Baking powder is the leavening agent of choice for fluffy dumplings. It is important that the right ratio of baking powder to flour be measured. Too little and the dumpling will not rise adequately; if there's too much baking powder, then the dumplings will rise and fall.

Why do my dumplings get gummy? ›

If you overcook your dumplings in the steamer or when boiling, the dough of the wrappers will have a gummy texture that isn't very pleasant, and your filling might get dry and tough. If you overcook them in the pan, you risk a similar gummy texture on top and a bitter, burnt crust on the bottom.

How do you keep dumplings from getting gummy? ›

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.

Why are my chicken and dumplings tough? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

First use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, cut in the butter and stir in the milk just until there are no patches of dry flour. It's okay if the dough looks a little lumpy. Mixing the dough more than this is called overworking and will result in tough dumplings.

Why isn t my chicken and dumplings 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.

Why are my chicken and dumplings gummy? ›

Why do my dumplings get gummy? The best dumplings are tender and soft, easy to eat with just a spoon. If your dumplings instead turn tough or gummy, the most likely culprit is overworked dough.

What are dumplings usually made of? ›

Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture. Many recipes call for herbs, onions, grated cheese, or chopped meat to be rolled into the dough before cooking.

What do dumplings usually have in them? ›

Popular meat fillings include ground meat (usually pork, but sometimes beef or chicken), shrimp, and even fish. Popular mixtures include pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with garlic chives, pork and shrimp with vegetables, pork with spring onion, and garlic chives with scrambled eggs.

What are most dumplings made of? ›

Dumplings are made of a dough wrapper and meat, seafood, or vegetable filling. Usually, the wrappers are translucent, but sometimes the wrappers are other colors like green or orange. They come in many shapes and sizes and may be stuffed with a variety of savory or sweet fillings like: Beef.

What are original dumplings made of? ›

The Chinese had figured out how to grind flour about 300 years earlier, which led to noodles and, eventually, dumplings. Some say that the first dumplings were made with lamb and pepper, but since then, they have adapted. Most dumplings now have a pork mixture as their filling.

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