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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate “from-scratch” meal. It may feel a bit daunting because there are so many steps, but look at it like you’re making three things and combining them. I promise, it will be worth it! It’s a southern staple and such a delicious, nourishing comfort food.
I adapted this recipe from my feisty, Alabama grandmother who could “whip up” dumplings in a flash. She didn’t use the healthiest ingredients, though, so I’ve modified it quite a bit.
Step 1: Homemade Chicken Stock and Boiled Chicken
Place the first seven ingredients in a large stockpot: chicken, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, salt, and apple cider vinegar. (All ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe below.) Cover with at least 4 quarts of water.
Feel free to adjust these ingredients and the amount of salt depending on your preference or how much water you’re adding. This first step is how to boil a whole chicken and also how you make chicken stock. When I make homemade Chicken and Dumplings, I use the largest stockpot that I have so I can make plenty of extra stock to freeze or pressure can. You only need 10 cups of stock for this actual recipe, though. So if you’re using pre-made stock or have a smaller pot that won’t hold as much just plan to end up with that amount.
NOTE: When I make stock, I use vegetable scraps (discarded ends/peels) that I’ve saved and frozen rather than using fresh veggies. If you don’t already save your vegetable scraps, I encourage you to do so! You’ll utilize everything and save money. Simply store the skin, peel, and butt end of onions, garlic, celery, carrots, or similar veggies in a freezer bag. I store those types all in the same bag and then dump them into my stock pot when I’m making a batch of delicious broth. (Don’t save anything moldy.)
Bring the entire contents to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165℉. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken. Use a thermometer (this one is my favorite) to check the internal temperature.
Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and set it on a platter to cool. (While the chicken is cooling, I move on to the next step.) Once the chicken has cooled, pick all the meat off the bone and chop it into bite size pieces and set it aside.
Strain the stock to remove the veggies and any chicken pieces. Place 8 cups of stock in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and set on a low simmer (you don’t want active bubbles, you just want to keep it warm while you prepare the dumplings). You will also need 1½ cups of stock for step 2 and ½ cup for step 3, so pour that and set it aside.
NOTE: Again, this is the same process for making chicken stock so what you do with the chicken skin and bones depends on you! What I do is use the stock needed for this recipe and then place the carcass back in the stock pot, cover with more water, and let it continue to simmer on low. I’ll pressure can or freeze the extra stock (which is one reason that I simply love cooking from scratch – you get so much more!).
Step 2: Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
While the chicken is cooling, you can move on to Step 2 and make the cream of chicken soup. In a medium size saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat and stir in the diced onion and celery. (Once again, all the ingredient measurements are listed below.)
Cook until the veggies are soft, adjusting the heat so as not to burn the butter and stir to prevent the veggies from sticking.
Once the veggies are soft, slowly whisk in the ¼ cup of flour (add a few tsp at a time to make sure the flour is fully incorporated). It will thicken as you stir. Once the flour is incorporated, stir in the salt and pepper.
Add the chicken stock slowly, roughly ¼ cup at a time, whisking well each time. It will turn to a “soup” consistency as you add more stock (I love watching it come together!). Once 1½ cups of stock has been added, stir in the ½ cup of heavy cream.
Next, stir in the soup to the Dutch oven that has the strained chicken stock. You will bring these contents to a boil once the dumplings are ready but for now, just keep it warm while you move on to the last step.
Step 3: Dumplings from Fresh Milled Flour
Sift your soft white wheat flour but don’t throw away the bran! Save it (I freeze mine) for making bran muffins or to use to dust your banneton basket when making sourdough.
In a large glass bowl, mix the sifted flour with the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center.
Pour the melted butter, remaining ½ cup of warm chicken stock, and milk into the center of the well in the flour. Use your clean hands or a small wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the liquid. Do this slowly, stirring with your hands in a circular motion starting in the center of the well and gradually moving outwards to incorporate more and more flour.
Once most of the flour is wet (don’t try to incorporate all of it), dump the contents of the bowl out on a clean work space large enough to roll out the dough. Use your hands to knead the dough so that most of the flour is incorporated. You want the dough to be pliable and not sticky. You can now turn the heat up on the soup and stock mixture that’s in your Dutch oven. (You’ll want it at a hard boil when you add the dumplings, but watch it so it doesn’t boil over.)
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thin as possible without it coming apart (roughly ⅛ inch thick). Use a pizza cutter, bench scraper, or knife to cut the dumplings. Cut into squares that are roughly 2×2″.
When the stock and soup mixture is boiling (it must be nice and hot before adding the dumplings or they won’t cook properly!), start putting the dumplings in as fast as you can but one at a time to prevent sticking. (I use a bench scraper to scoop them off my counter top and then my hands to drop them in one at a time very quickly.) Stir the dumplings as you add them so they don’t clump together.
Once the dumplings are added, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the dumplings cook for 5 to 10 minutes. (I typically pull the meat off the bones of the chicken while the dumplings are cooking). You want about 4 cups of cooked chicken meat to add to the pot, so if your chicken is extra large, just use the remaining meat for another recipe.
Add the cooked chicken to the dumplings and turn off the heat and stir well. Taste the dumpling broth and add salt and pepper if it needs it. Serve it warm! We love Chicken and Dumplings as a main meal but the leftovers can also be served as a side dish.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! Is there anything you love paired with Homemade Chicken and Dumplings?
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Chicken & Stock
- 1 Whole chicken
- ½ Onion, chopped or use scraps*
- 3 Garlic Cloves, smashed with skins or use scraps*
- 1 Large Carrot, chopped or use scraps*
- 1 Celery Stalk, chopped or use scraps*
- 2 tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar optional
Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
- ½ Onion, diced (3/4 cup)
- 1 to 2 Celery Stalk, diced (3/4 cup)
- ¼ cup Soft White Wheat Flour (or all-purpose)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1½ cups Chicken Stock (that you'll make fresh)
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
Dumplings
- 3½ cups Soft White Wheat flour, sifted with the bran removed
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
- ½ cup Chicken Stock
- ½ cup Milk
Instructions
Chicken & Stock
- In a large stockpot, place the first seven ingredients. Cover with at least 4 quarts of water.** (Feel free to adjust these ingredients and the amount of salt depending on your preference or how much water you're adding.)1 Whole chicken, ½ Onion, chopped or use scraps*, 3 Garlic Cloves, smashed with skins or use scraps*, 1 Large Carrot, chopped or use scraps*, 1 Celery Stalk, chopped or use scraps*, 2 tbsp Salt, ½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Bring entire contents to a boil and then reduce to low and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165℉. Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and set it on a platter to cool.
- Once the chicken has cooled, pick all the meat off the bone and chop it into bite size pieces. Set the stock and chicken aside.***
- Strain stock to remove veggies and any chicken pieces. Place 8 cups of stock in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and set on a low simmer. (You'll need 1½ cups of stock for the next step and ½ cup for the last step, so strain that out and set it aside.)
Cream of Chicken Soup
- While the chicken is cooling, you can make the cream of chicken soup. In a medium size saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat with the diced onion and celery. Cook until the veggies are soft, adjusting the heat so as not to burn the butter and stir to prevent the veggies from sticking.1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, ½ Onion, diced (3/4 cup), 1 to 2 Celery Stalk, diced (3/4 cup)
- Once the veggies are soft, slowly whisk in the ¼ cup of flour (add a few tsp at a time to make sure the flour is fully incorporated). It will thicken as you stir. Once the flour is incorporated, stir in the salt and pepper.¼ cup Soft White Wheat Flour (or all-purpose), ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- Add the chicken stock slowly, roughly ¼ cup at a time, whisking well each time. It will turn to a "soup" consistency as you add more stock. Once 1½ cups of stock has been added, stir in the heavy cream.1½ cups Chicken Stock (that you'll make fresh), ½ cup Heavy Cream
- Next, stir in the soup to the Dutch oven that has the strained chicken stock. You will bring these contents to a boil once the dumplings are ready but for now, just keep it warm while you move on to the last step.
Dumplings
- In a large glass bowl, mix sifted flour with baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center.3½ cups Soft White Wheat flour, sifted with the bran removed, 1 tbsp Baking Powder, 1 tbsp Salt, 1 tsp Baking Soda
- Pour melted butter, warm chicken stock, and milk into the center of the well in the flour. Use your clean hands or a small wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the liquid. Do this slowly, stirring with your hands in a circular motion starting in the center of the well and gradually moving outwards to incorporate more and more flour.2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted, ½ cup Chicken Stock, ½ cup Milk
- Once most of the flour is wet (don't try to incorporate all of it), dump the contents of the bowl out on a clean work space large enough to roll out the dough. Use your hands to knead the dough so that most of the flour is incorporated. You want the dough to be pliable and not sticky.
- You can now turn the heat up on the soup and stock mixture that's in your Dutch oven. (You'll want it at a boil when you add the dumplings, but watch it so it doesn't boil over.) Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thin as possible without it coming apart (roughly ⅛ inch thick). Use a pizza cutter, bench scraper, or knife to cut the dumplings (see picture in blog post). Cut into squares that are roughly 2×2".
- When the stock and soup mixture is boiling (it must be nice and hot before adding the dumplings or they won't cook properly!), start putting the dumplings in as fast as you can but one at a time to prevent sticking. (I use a bench scraper to scoop them off my counter top and then my hands to drop them in one at a time very quickly.) Stir the dumplings as you add them so they don't clump together.
- Once the dumplings are added, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the dumplings cook for 5 to 10 minutes. (I typically pull the meat off the bones of the chicken while the dumplings are cooking.) You want about 4 cups of cooked chicken meat to add to the pot, so if your chicken is extra large, just use the remaining meat for another recipe.
- Drop the chicken meat (break it up into bite size pieces as you incorporate it) into the pot of dumplings. Turn off the heat and stir well. Taste the dumpling broth and add salt and pepper if it needs it. Serve warm! We love Chicken and Dumplings as a main meal but the leftovers can also be served as a side dish.
Notes
Nutrition
