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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is easy to prepare from scratch and filling too! What a delicious way to warm up this winter!
Tender, cooked poultry and vegetables with soft, sage-infused dumplings — all smothered in the creamiest, most luxurious gravy. This dish is truly comfort food heaven!
Everyone needs a great recipe for old fashioned Chicken and Dumplings, and this one does not disappoint.
By cooking a whole chicken on the stove, you’ll have a flavorful stock for the base of the dish plus plenty of cooked meat. The dumpling dough comes together in minutes, and all that’s left to do is put it all together!
Why you’ll love homemade Chicken and Dumplings!
- This recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients for plenty of delicious flavor.
- You’ll have enough to feed the entire family – with leftovers too.
- Included is a time-saving tip if you need to throw this meal together quickly.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Whole chicken – Choose a four to five pounder so there’s plenty of meat for your homemade chicken and dumplings. Break it down (follow this tutorial) into large pieces to fit into your pot. This will also make it easier to remove the meat from the bone later.
Vegetables – Carrots, celery, and a whole onion add a delicious base of flavor to the stock. Be sure to discard them afterward, since they will be far too soft to add to the final dish.
Seasonings – Along with the vegetables, we like to add smashed garlic cloves, bay leaf, and fresh parsley (with the stems) for plenty more flavor. A little dry thyme, salt, and whole peppercorns round it all out.
Chicken stock – Yes, you will be making your own base at the start of the recipe. This just helps it along!
Whole milk – This creates a creamy texture that is only enhanced once the dish comes together. Low fat milk would be fine, but the gravy won’t be as rich. You will need some for the dumpling dough as well!
Dumpling dough – Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and our secret ingredient — sage! We use cold shortening so the diamonds get nice and plump when cooked, plus more milk to help it come together.
Chef’s Tip – Need a time-saving shortcut? If you keep some of our homemade chicken stock on hand, you can use that instead! You’ll need about two quart for this recipe. Then, chop up a rotisserie bird from the store (or make one ahead of time) and use that in place of the cooked meat.
Special supplies needed
- Stock pot, at least 4-5 quarts, plus a sauté pan to make a roux
- Use a food processor to quickly blend the dumpling dough together, then roll it out with a rolling pin.
- A knife is fine for slicing the dough into diamonds, but a pastry cutter wheel will do the job quickly!
How do I make old fashioned Chicken and Dumplings?
- Simmer the poultry with vegetables and seasonings for one hour, until the meat is cooked through.
- Remove the meat and break into bite-sized pieces. Strain the liquid, saving it for later, and discard the remaining solids.
- Melt butter in a small pan, then whisk in an equal amount of flour to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes and set aside.
- Blend together the dough ingredients in a food processor. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Then, slice in a crosshatch pattern to form narrow diamond-shaped dumplings.
- Pour the reserved stock into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the sliced dough, a few pieces at a time, then lower the heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, covering the pot halfway through. Scoop them out and set aside once they are cooked through.
- Thicken the broth with the roux from earlier. Whisk the mixture to prevent lumps and simmer for about a minute.
- Add the meat and cooked dough back to the broth, stirring to combine.
- Serve your homemade chicken and dumplings with a garnish of fresh parsley.
Chef’s Tip – Enjoy a gluten free version of our homemade Chicken and Dumplings with one simple swap! Replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What else can I add to old fashioned Chicken and Dumplings? Some people like to add vegetables to this dish for a complete meal in one. You can sauté extra carrots and celery until tender, then add those at the end. Or, simply toss in a cup or two of your favorite frozen veggies and simmer until warm.
Can I make dumpling dough ahead of time? Yes! Wrap the dough in plastic and store it in your refrigerator for up to 2 days. Soften it on the counter before slicing and cooking in the stock.
How do I store the leftovers? This one is a bit tricky, since the dumplings will continue to soften and absorb the gravy as it sits in the liquid and cools. If you have leftovers, spoon the dumplings into a separate food storage container. Then, spoon the meat and gravy and another container. Both will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
How do I reheat the leftovers? Combine individual portions of the dumplings with the chicken and gravy, then reheat leftovers in the microwave.
You might like these other Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Riggies
- King Ranch Chicken
- Chicken a la King
- Chicken Francese
- Sesame Chicken
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
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Chicken and Dumplings
Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 45 minutesCook: 1 hour 30 minutesTotal: 2 hours 15 minutes
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Scale:
Ingredients
One 4–5 pound chicken, cut up
1 large whole onion, peeled but left whole
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups fresh carrots, cut up
1 cup celery, cut up
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
4 sprigs fresh parsley with stems, plus more chopped parsley leaves for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 black peppercorns
2 quarts water
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dumplings
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground or chopped dry sage
4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
3/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
Cook Chicken:
Place chicken pieces in a medium to large pot. Stick the four whole cloves into the onion and add to the pot along with carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, water, chicken stock and whole milk.
Bring to a boil, lower to a medium simmer and cook for one hour uncovered. Strain into colander over a bowl to catch the liquid. Separate meat from other solids, break up the meat into bite sized pieces and discard all other solids. You should have between five and six cups of cooked meat and about two quarts of stock.
While chicken is cooking, place butter in a small sauté pan and melt over medium heat. Add flour, stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and set aside.
Make dumplings:
In a food processor, place flour, baking powder, salt and sage and pulse to mix. Add shortening and again pulse to mix. Add milk and pulse until combined into a sticky dough.
Flour your counter and scrape dough out from food processor. Lightly flour the top and roll to 10×12 inches in size.
Using a sharp knife, cut lines on an angle one way then the other about an inch apart forming diamonds.
Prepare for serving:
Pour the stock into a 4-5 quart pot and bring to a boil. Add the dough triangles a few at a time so they don’t stick together. Lower to a medium simmer and cook 10 minutes. Cover, lower heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.
Remove dumplings to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Thicken the stock with the butter/flour mixture from earlier by whisking while you add. Cook over medium for one minute after adding the butter/flour mixture.
Pour cooked chicken in and stir then pour dumplings back in and serve with chopped fresh parsley over each bowl.
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© Author: A Family Feast
Cuisine:AmericanMethod:braise
