Chicken & Dumplings

A old fashioned chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food featuring chicken, veggies and tender dumplings all simmered in a creamy sauce.

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This chicken and dumplings recipe makes a creamy homemade chicken soup filled with fresh veggies and tender chicken. Then, it’s topped with tender, from-scratch dumplings to make the perfect comfort food. This classic recipe is easy enough for an easy weeknight meal and will surely bring back memories of Sunday dinners at Gramma’s house. One thing is for sure: people will be asking for seconds of these homemade chicken and dumplings.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Ingredients 

You’ll need:

For the Soup:

• 3 to 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (or 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)
• 8 cups water
• 4 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 small yellow onions, finely diced
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 

For the Dumplings:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• ⅔ cups milk

Substitutions and Additions 

CHICKEN: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts for an easy substitution. 

Cooking chicken and not sure how? There are a variety of easy ways to prepare it for this crowd-pleasing recipe.

• SLOW COOKER: In a slow cooker, place 6 large chicken breasts and generously season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Thickly slice 1 onion (we prefer sweet!) and place the rings over the chicken. Cover with ½ cup of water or chicken broth, and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Shred the chicken for this recipe, and use the leftovers in other delicious chicken recipes like Chicken Spaghetti or Taquitos. 

• OVEN: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the chicken breasts, drizzle olive oil and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. To ensure the chicken stays moist, allow it to rest before shredding. 

• LEFTOVERS: Have leftover chicken from another meal? This recipe is a great way to use it up!

VEGETABLES: Frozen vegetables can be substituted for fresh in this recipe. You can also swap in any of your favorite vegetables, like peppers, zucchini, peas, corn and broccoli.

BOUILLON: If you don’t have bouillon at home, you can use broth instead of the water and bouillon.

How to Make This Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

STEP ONE: To make the chicken stock, combine water and Better than Bouillon in a large, microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove, stir well and set aside. 

STEP TWO: In a large stock pot over medium heat, combine 4 tablespoons of butter, carrots, celery and onion. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure the onions don’t burn. 

STEP THREE: To the pot, add in ½ cup of flour and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. 

STEP FOUR: Once boiling, add in the shredded chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and 1 cup of milk. Stir, turn the temperature to low and simmer.

PRO TIP: Don’t shred your chicken too finely or it will feel dry when you eat it. Keep some pieces a bit larger and chunkier.

STEP FIVE: While the soup simmers, gently mix together Bisquick and the seasonings in a separate bowl. 

STEP SIX: Very slowly pour the milk into the Bisquick flour and gently mix until just combined. Allow the batter to rest for 1 to 2 minutes.

PRO TIP: Very gently mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing will lead to hard, tough biscuits instead of tender ones.

STEP SEVEN: Using a 1 ½ tablespoon (1.5 inch) cookie scoop, gently drop the Bisquick batter into the simmering chicken and vegetables. You can also use your hands, or two large spoons to drop the dumplings into the soup, but be very careful not to burn yourself! Leave space between each dumpling because they will expand as they cook. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. 

PRO TIP: Be sure to keep the lid on while the biscuits cook. The steam will make them tender and delicious! You can check to see if the dumplings are done by inserting a toothpick in the middle. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the cooking time. Overcooked biscuits will begin to break apart. 

STEP EIGHT: Being careful not to break them, gently turn over each dumpling in the pot and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes uncovered. 

STEP NINE: Garnish with some fresh parsley (optional), serve immediately and enjoy! This recipe yields 12 dumplings.

PRO TIP: If you’re feeding lots of people or little kids, you can make the dumplings half the size, or double the recipe and cook them in the soup in two batches.

How To Serve

Sides are optional with this satisfying chicken and dumplings meal (we love it all on its own!), but if you want to add a bit more to the table, try adding some roasted veggies, or a plate of pull-apart garlic bread!

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Remove the dumplings from the soup and store separately in a Ziploc bag. Pour soup in an airtight container. They’ll both keep well for 3 to 4 days. It makes great leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch or a busy weeknight dinner!

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze your dumplings and your soup separately in freezer safe containers for 2 to 3 months. Make defrosting easier – and faster – by storing in individual portions. You can also freeze just the soup and make fresh dumplings when it’s time to serve.

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS: This recipe can be reheated in the microwave or the stovetop.

• MICROWAVE: Place individual portions into a microwave-safe dish and reheat for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Stir gently, trying best to avoid the dumplings, and continue to heat in 30 second intervals as needed. 

• STOVETOP: Place the soup over medium low heat. Gently stir occasionally, avoiding the dumplings. 

This classic combination of warm, hearty soup and fluffy biscuits makes this homemade chicken and dumplings recipe the ultimate comfort food. Our family loves it any time of year, but it’s especially yummy on a chilly winter’s day.

FAQ:

Q: Why are my dumplings falling apart?

A: They may be falling apart for a couple of reasons. Be sure the soup is at a low simmer when you drop in the dumplings as anything more can break them apart. They can also break apart when they are overcooked, so keep an eye on them and turn your soup off when they’re done.

Q: How do I thicken my soup?

A: The soup can be thickened by slowly adding flour or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) to the soup. Be sure to add thickening ingredients slowly and wait a couple of minutes before adding more so as not to over thicken.

Q: Can I use my own biscuit recipe?

A: Yes! Feel free to use your favorite dumpling recipe and drop them into the pot of soup to cook.

Chicken and Dumplings

A old fashioned chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food featuring chicken, veggies and tender dumplings all simmered in a creamy sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

For the Soup

• 3 to 4 cups rotisserie chicken shredded or 2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• 8 cups water
• 4 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 carrots cut in half lengthwise and then diced
• 4 celery stalks diced
• 2 small yellow onions diced finely
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

For the Dumplings

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ⅔ cup milk

Instructions

 

For the soup

• In a large bowl combine water and better than bouillon to make chicken broth. Place in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove and stir well. Set aside.
• In a large stock pot over medium heat, add carrots, celery, onion, and 4 tbsp butter. Stir well to combine. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure that the onions don’t burn.
• Add ½ cup flour and stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the shredded chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and milk. Stir well. Turn temperature to low and let simmer while making the dumplings mixture.

For the dumplings

• In a separate bowl, add the seasonings to the Bisquick and gently toss to incorporate.
• Drizzle the milk into the bisquick flour and gently stir to incorporate the liquid. DO NOT OVERMIX. Let the batter rest for 1-2 minutes.
• Using a 1 ½ tablespoon (1.5 inch) cookie scoop, gently drop the Bisquick batter *leaving space between each dumpling because they will expand in size as they cook* into the simmering chicken and vegetables. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the dumplings to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
• Very carefully turn over each dumpling in the pot (being careful not to break them apart) and continue to cook, uncovered, for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy. Optional to garnish with a little chopped parsley. This yields 12 dumplings.

Notes

TIP: Don’t over mix the batter. Mix until just combined.

TIP: Be sure to leave the pot covered during this time to let the steam do it’s thing and make the dumplings fluffy! You can check if the dumplings are done by inserting a toothpick into the middle. Overcooked dumplings will start to break apart, so watch closely at the end.

Keyword Chicken and Dumplings Recipe