My Mom’s Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food recipe, so hearty and delicious! A simple from scratch recipe. It’s always a favorite on a cold night.

My Mom makes the BEST Chicken and Dumplings, ask anyone who’s tried them and they will tell you the same.

She learned to make them from her aunt and my great-grandma.  She combined the two recipes along with their techniques to come up with the perfect recipe. It’s one of the Best Comfort Food Recipes we’ve ever tasted.

I don’t get too nervous about cooking new things but knowing how good Mom’s dumplings are, I wanted to do this right.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

I called my Mom and asked if I could share this recipe and jotted it down as she told me how she makes it.  There were measurements for some of the ingredients and approximations on others.

I think that Chicken & Dumplings is one of those things that you get a feel for after making them a few times.

Still yet, my first attempt was pretty dang good!  I cut up a whole chicken and cooked it with some veggies to make a good broth.

Having the best broth is really the secret to the best chicken and dumplings.

Since my first attempt, I have made these quite a few times, each time I think they are a little better. I have learned to roll the dumpling dough out pretty thin, about 1/8 inch is perfect.

Dumplings from scratch is really a pretty simple recipe. We also love these Smoked Turkey and Dumplings for leftover turkey or chicken. If you are looking for a quick version, this Easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe is so delicious.

The dumplings will puff up when you put them into the boiling broth and if they are really thick, they can turn out more like dough balls than dumplings.

I cut the dumplings using a pizza cutter into bite size pieces. I don’t worry about getting them exact, as long as they are close to the same size, they will cook pretty evenly.

After a long day in the cold, my guys are always ready for a big bowl of comfort food. Nothing warms you up like a hearty bowl of chicken and dumplings.

When my kids find out it’s Chicken and Dumplings for dinner, they make sure they are hanging around. Always asking, “Are they ready yet?” and “How much longer?” on repeat.

There are lots of short cut recipes out there on the internets and making chicken and dumplings totally from scratch is a labor of love. I promise, it is totally worth every step and every minute it takes.

This recipe holds many memories of my Great Grandma in her tiny kitchen. I remember watching her rolling out the dumplings on her kitchen table.

She was such a special lady. She knew everyone’s favorites and made sure that she made them for us when we would visit.

Of course I remember my Mom making these again and again when I was growing up. I’m so glad she passed these recipes along.

A few years back my sister in law asked me what my favorite recipe from the the blog was. I immediately went to this recipe.

My sister in law bought me a print from Etsy of the recipe. It hangs in my kitchen and is one of my all- time favorite gifts.

Since this is my favorite recipe, I made these chicken and dumplings again over the weekend and took a few updated photos. I hope you will take the time to give this incredible heirloom recipe a try.

I love my Le Creuset French Oven for making these chicken and dumplings, big batches of chili, Tuscan Sausage Potato Soup, Smoked Chicken and Black Bean Chili and my Creamy Ham and Potato Soup  and this homemade chicken noodle soup.

My kids have been going crazy for this chicken pot pie soup and it makes a quick weeknight dinner. And if you are craving southern comfort food, a pot of Black Eyed Peas with Shrimp is sure to please. If you like to grill, you will love this Smoked Chicken and Dumplings recipe.

The cold winter weather can be so drab and dreary and I’m totally missing the sunshine and warmer temperatures this week. A big batch of comfort food is the best way to beat the winter blues!

I’d love to hear about your favorite comfort foods!

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food recipe, so hearty and delicious! A simple from scratch recipe. It's always a favorite on a cold night. 

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Inactive Time20 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 1045kcal

Author: Milisa

Ingredients

• 1 5-6 pound whole chicken cut up
• 16 cups water
• 2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots coarsely chopped
• 1/2 large onion sliced
• 3 garlic cloves cut in half
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 cups all- purpose flour + more for rolling dumplings
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup reserved chicken broth
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

for chicken and broth:

• 
  
• Add chicken, water, garlic, celery, carrots, onion, salt, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme to French Oven. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.
• Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Strain broth through a cheesecloth and discard vegetables. Return broth to the French Oven, reserving 1 cup for dumplings.
• 
  
• When chicken has cooled, remove skins and bones. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, cover and set aside.
• 
  
• Bring broth back to a rolling boil.
• 
  
• While broth is heating, prepare dumplings.
• 
  
• Add flour, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add egg and 1 cup cooled broth. Stir together until combined. Dough should be stiff.
• 
  
• Pour dough onto a floured surface, kneading into a circle. Roll dough into a thin layer (about 1/8″ thickness). Cut into bite sized pieces.
• 
  
• Drop dough into boiling broth, a few at a time, stirring to make sure they are covered in broth. Cook about 20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Lower heat to low, add chicken and stir in milk, cream and fresh ground pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and cover. Allow to rest 30 minutes.

Notes

Milk can be substituted for cream if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1045kcal | Protein: 64g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 298mg | Sodium: 2698mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g

Disclosure: I was provided with a French Oven for recipe development by Le Creuset  I was not compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.  

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