Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings (Easy Recipe)
This homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is the perfect southern comfort food for a cold night. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a big pot of delicious flat dumplings and tender chicken in a creamy broth that the whole family will love!
Something I’ve learned over the last several years is that sometimes the “easy” recipe just doesn’t cut it when it – especially when it comes to those family favorite meals.
Recipes using storebought biscuits and cream of chicken soup always fell flat around here. None of these recipes were bad – they just didn’t yield the same results as the southern style chicken and dumplings we’re used to.
The simple recipe you’ll find here is sure to give you the old fashioned chicken and dumplings, just like my Mawmaw always made.
And don’t be scared if this is your first time making dumplings from scratch! I promise, this is a great recipe to learn with.
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Ingredients for Traditional Chicken and Dumpling Recipe
- Whole Chicken Fryer – You can also use leftover cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
- Chicken Broth – If you’re using a whole raw chicken, you will make your own broth while boiling the chicken. If you’re using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken you will need store bought chicken broth. I usually keep this Better Than Chicken bouillon on hand in case I need to make extra broth.
- All Purpose Flour
- Egg
- Milk
- Butter
- Salt & Black Pepper
Looking for more recipes to use leftover chicken in? Try this from scratch chicken and biscuits recipe that uses leftover chicken!
Supplies Needed
- Large Pot
- Kitchenaid Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl
- Pizza Cutter
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch
Step One
The first step is to boil your chicken (see step by step instructions below if you need help with this).
Once the chicken is cooked, turn the stove off. Reserve the broth in the pot if you’re going to use it for your dumplings. You’ll need 12-16 cups for boiling the dumplings in.
Let the chicken cool enough for you to handle, then debone and shred the meat. I usually make my dumpling dough while I allow the chicken to cool.
Step Two
Now for making the dumplings. You can do this either in a stand mixed or by hand – both work.
Combine flour (start with 3 cups), 1 egg, 1 stick melted butter, 1 cup milk, and a tablespoon of salt. Mix together (with stand mixer or with hands) until a stiff dough forms.
You may need to add another cup of flour to get your dough right.
Allow the dough ball to rest for 30 minutes.
Step Three
On a floured work surface, roll your dumpling dough out. You are going to want to roll your dough out very thin.
Once your dough is rolled out nice and thin, take a pizza cutter and cut long thin strips, followed by long strips going the other way. You’ll be left with dozens of small pieces.
Step Four
Bring your chicken broth to a boil in the large stock pot. If I want thick dumplings with little to no extra broth, I use 12 cups. If I want a little more broth, I use 16 cups of liquid.
Drop dough pieces gently into the boiling broth. Allow the dumplings to cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Add your shredded chicken back to the pot and simmer another 5 minutes, or until the broth starts to thicken.
Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Now you have a delicious pot of old-fashioned chicken and dumplings. Let me know what some of your other favorite old fashioned comforting meals are down below!
How to Easily Boil a Whole Chicken
- Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot. Season your chicken with salt and pepper. If you have carrots, celery, onions, and fresh herbs this will add to the flavor of the broth you make.
- Add enough water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch.
- Bring the water to boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the broth, allow to cool, and debone the meat. Strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer.
(You can also cook a whole chicken in about 30 minutes in an electric pressure cooker.)
What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings
- Texas Toast – a thick slick of butter Texas Toast is the perfect side for this comfort food meal.
- Side of Veggies – A simple side of vegetables also makes a perfect side to chicken and dumplings. Some of our favorites are fresh peas, green beans, or carrots.
More Simple Southern Family Recipes
Easy Homemade Drop Biscuits Recipe
Easy Sauteed Yellow Squash and Zucchini Recipe with Bacon
Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken fryer or rotisserie chicken
- 16 cups chicken broth store bought or reserved from boiling chicken
- 3-4 cups flour plus extra for dusting counter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 stick of butter (equals 1/2 cup) melted
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Start by boiling your whole chicken in a large pot. Cook until tender, about an hour. (If using a rotisserie chicken, you can debone and shred meat.)
- Remove chicken from broth and allow to cool. If you're wanting to use this broth to make your dumplings with, strain the broth and return to the pot. You'll need about 16 cups of broth, so add additional storebought broth if needed.
- While chicken is cooling, mix your dumpling dough. Start with 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 stick of melted butter, 1 egg, and a teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands or in a stand mixer. Add up to 1 cup of additional flour in order to form a stiff dough (shouldn't be overly sticky).
- Allow your dough to rest 30 minutes. While dough is resting, debone and shred your chicken.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface. If you're wanting thin dumplings, your dough will need to rolled out very thin. Dust with flour as needed to keep from sticking.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut long strips of dough, about 1 inch wide by 2 inches long.
- Bring your broth back up to a boil over medium heat and drop dumplings in one by one. Allow dumplings to cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Add the shredded chicken back in and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes or so, or until the broth has started to thicken.
