Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings brings back memories of family dinners, a classic comfort food.

Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings From Scratch

These chicken and dumplings are the authentic, old-fashioned, tender dumplings, made from scratch and cooked in a rich broth made from a whole chicken.  Ready in under an hour and made in one pot.

Every time I make chicken and dumplings, I think of my Aunt making these for me when I was young. 

I don't ever remember her actually making them because she always had them ready to eat when we got to her house.

I do remember it was not unusual for me to want to eat them for breakfast the next morning.  I can hear Aunt Max now saying, "You want to eat them for breakfast?" Haha!   

I think it always tickled her that I wanted to eat them for breakfast so much that she would make just a little extra, leaving some for me to have as leftovers in case I asked.

The best recipes are the ones that are tried and true, not only from grandmas but also from aunts.  

My Aunt was an outstanding cook, and I treasure the memories I have with her and her recipe for these Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Dumplings, which she passed down to me.

Homemade recipes can be daunting, but they are well worth the effort.  

With these dumplings, they are easy to mix up, roll out, and place them in the broth, but the most laborious task is waiting for them to cook for 1 hour.  

This is where all the magic happens.  Simmer them in the rich broth, stirring occasionally, and keep the lid on.

These chicken and dumplings are so good, I hope you get to make some real soon.  

Enjoy!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Homemade Chicken and Dumplings, as well as similar recipe ideas you can try.

Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and complete instructions, including helpful notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Whole Chicken.  For a rich and flavorful broth, a whole chicken is preferred.  Choose a plump, meaty chicken, such as a hen.  Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper while cooking.  

For perfectly light and tender dumplings.  Do not overmix the dough.  Combine your dry and wet ingredients for the dumplings just until soft dough forms.  Overworking the dough develops excessive gluten, resulting in tough dumplings.

Cut the dumplings.  Roll out the dough and cut into similar-sized pieces, whether cutting them into squares or strips.

Avoid over-crowding the pot.  When dropping the strips into the broth, avoid adding too many at once.  Wait a couple of minutes, then add another small batch, alternating until all have been added.

Leave the lid on.  Once the dumplings are added to the gently simmering (not boiling) broth, cover the pot tightly and resist the urge to peek.  The steam is essential for cooking the dumplings and making them tender.

Watch the heat.  Cook on a gentle simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Chicken

Whole chicken
Salt and pepper

Dumplings

Whole egg
Egg yolks
Milk
Flour 

Chicken and Dumplings
Butter
Whole Milk
Salt and pepper

HOW TO PREPARE HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Chicken.

Wash chicken thoroughly, inside and out, under cold running water. Drain well. 

Place chicken in a large stockpot; add water, salt, and pepper, making sure water is 1 inch above the chicken. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is done and the meat comes off the bone easily.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set it aside to cool to the touch. Remove the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and cartilage. Reserve the broth.

Dumplings

In a large bowl, beat the whole egg and egg yolks together with milk. Add salt and 1 cup of flour, stir, and then continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together into a ball. 

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 1-inch strips. (Sometimes I cut them into 2-inch squares.)

Chicken and Dumplings
Bring chicken broth to a full boil. Drop strips of dough into boiling broth one at a time. Stirring to keep the dough separate. After all the dough has been added to the broth, add the chicken, butter, and 2 cups of milk. 

Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 1 hour, and the dumplings will be tender. (This is the secret to tender dumpling.)  

Stir occasionally to keep dumplings from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste and more milk if needed.

WHERE YOU MAY SEE THIS RECIPE

Metamorphosis Monday

Busy Monday

Weekend Potluck

Fiesta Friday

Inspire Me Monday

Friday Favorites

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Baked Chicken and Dumplings

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