Here’s a classic, cozy recipe for Homemade Chicken and Dumplings — creamy, comforting, and made completely from scratch.
🍲 Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Chicken & Broth
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or whole cut-up chicken)
- 8 cups chicken broth (or water + bouillon)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
Creamy Base (Optional but Recommended)
- ½ cup milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ¾–1 cup milk
Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the Chicken
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add chicken, broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook 30–40 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken, shred meat, and discard bones/skin. Return shredded chicken to pot.
2️⃣ Make It Creamy (Optional)
- Mix 2 tablespoons flour with milk until smooth.
- Stir into simmering soup.
- Add butter. Simmer 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
3️⃣ Prepare Dumplings
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in butter until crumbly.
- Stir in milk just until dough forms (don’t overmix).
4️⃣ Cook Dumplings
- Drop spoonfuls of dough into gently simmering soup.
- Cover tightly and cook 15 minutes (DO NOT lift lid).
- Dumplings will puff up and cook through with steam.
Tips for Perfect Dumplings
- Keep broth at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot.
- For flatter dumplings, roll and cut instead of drop style.
Optional Add-Ins
- Frozen peas
- Fresh parsley
- A splash of lemon juice for brightness
If you’d like, I can also give you a Southern-style version with flat rolled dumplings or a slow cooker version 🐔
