Easy Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Sharing is caring!

Easy Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables, delicious fluffy dumplings, and quick store-bought rotisserie chicken. The lighter, creamy broth this recipe makes is yummy but the dumplings get the five-star rating of this dish. This updated southern-style chicken and dumplings dish is the ultimate comfort food for those crisp fall days and winter’s cold nights. 

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE

✨This great recipe is not the traditional thick gravy, heavy cream-based dish that your grandmother used to make. The broth is lighter and full of herb flavors. 

✨The homemade dumplings are the best I’ve ever made. They’re drop dumplings that are light and fluffy with a denser middle. No flat dumplings in this recipe!

✨It’s basically a one large pot meal with a mixing bowl needed for the dumpling recipe.

✨This recipe uses tender chicken right off the bone from the store-bought rotisserie chicken. Make sure you use as much breast and chicken thigh meat as possible. No boiling a raw chicken and all the extra time and mess that go with boiled chicken. 

✨Best of all, you can make this comforting meal in less than an hour.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Simple Ingredients for the broth

• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, cut up
• 4 whole carrots, peeled and cut up
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic or Chicken
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 whole rotisserie chicken de-boned and rough chopped
• 4 oz regular cream cheese, jalapeno, chive & onion 
• 3 thyme springs 2″
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning

Ingredients for the dumpling dough

• 2 cups flour 
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 cup 2% milk, whole milk or condensed milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper, ground

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

• STEP ONE: Chop up all the veggies. Set aside.
• STEP TWO: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch Oven or a large soup pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Add the cut veggies and sauté until soft.
• STEP THREE: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour, poultry seasoning, Better Than Bouillion, and salt on top of the sauteed veggies and stir to coat.
• STEP FOUR: Add rotisserie chicken and cream cheese. Bring back to a medium boil.

• STEP FIVE: Debone and rough chop the rotisserie chicken. Add the cut chicken and the 4 oz or cream cheese, stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a medium boil.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT DUMPLINGS

• STEP SIX: In a medium size mixing bowl mix together the dry ingredients for the dumplings: flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

• STEP SEVEN: Gently pour the milk into the well. Then gently pour the butter into the milk in the well. Mix with a rubber spatula in a large slow circular motion incorporating the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just mixed together. NOTE: Overmixing will make dumplings tough. The dumpling dough should be rough looking…not smooth.

• STEP EIGHT: Drop by spoonfuls or small ice cream scoops into the hot boiling broth. Cover and turn heat down to a simmering boil for 13-15 minutes. Do Not Open Lid!

• STEP NINE: Remove the lid and let simmer for about 2-3 more minutes, then turn the heat off. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until ready to eat!
• DONE! I know this looks like a lot of steps but it really goes by fast and boy is it worth the short-term effort!

RECIPE TIPS & DUMPLING OPTIONS

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER

Assuming you’ll have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. This will keep for 2-3 days. 

Reheat a bowl full in the microwave checking every minute or so your desired warmth level. I’d suggest cutting the dumplings in half before warming.

As far as freezing goes, I have never had enough leftovers to consider freezing this delicious Southern comfort food. I have no idea if this recipe freezes well or not.

RECIPE Q&A

Can you make this recipe in a couple of days ahead?

I wouldn’t make the whole dish including the dumplings in advance, but you could make the soup base and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make it, heat up the homemade broth, and add the cooked chicken and cream cheese. Bring the mixture to a boil and then drop the dumplings just like the recipe says. Note: You might need to add more liquid to the broth while bringing it to a boil.

Why do dumplings turn out firm and dense?

If your dumplings are dense and hard then you cooked them way too long. 15 minutes max and absolutely no peeking before the 15 minutes. 

MORE COMFORT FOOD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

Easy Ground Turkey Green Chili Soup is a delicious one-pot meal. It will quickly become a family request.

Savory and Sweet Butternut Squash Sausage Soup isn’t technically a one-pot meal, it uses one pot and a cookie sheet for roasting the butternut squash and garlic.

Besides this wonderful Chicken and Dumpling recipe, you might try my one-pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup for a quickie weeknight meal.

Spicy Mexican Chicken Soup is another family favorite and can also be used for soft chicken taco filling. You would need to cut the broth amount in half.

KITCHEN MUST-HAVES FOR EASY CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Elise

Easy Old Fashioned Southern Chicken and Dumplings Recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables, delicious fluffy dumplings, and quick store-bought rotisserie chicken.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 350 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chicken and Dumplings Broth

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 stalks celery cut up
• 4 whole carrots cut up
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Roasted Garlic or Chicken
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1 whole rotessiere chicken de-boned and cut up
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 oz cream cheese, jalapeno whipped, chive & onion or to taste
• 3 thyme springs
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning

Dumplings

• 2 cups flour non bleached
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1 cup 2% milk, whole milk or condensed milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper, ground

Instructions

 

• STEP ONE: Chop up all the veggies, melt butter or olive oil in a large deep stovetop pan like this Dutch Oven . Add veggies and saute until soft.
  2 tbsp butter, 4 stalks celery, 4 whole carrots, 3 cloves garlic, 1 large onion
• STEP TWO: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour, poultry seasoning, Better Than Bouillion, and salt on top of the sauteed veggies and stir to coat.
  2 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp poultry seasoning, 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Roasted Garlic or Chicken
• STEP THREE: Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
  7 cups chicken broth, 3 bay leaves, 3 thyme springs
• STEP FOUR: Add rotisserie chicken and cream cheese. Bring back to a medium boil.
  1 whole rotessiere chicken, 4 oz cream cheese, jalapeno whipped, chive & onion
• STEP FIVE: Whisk together dry dumpling ingredients, flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
  2 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, ground, 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• STEP SIX: Melt the 4 tbsp of butter in the microwave, let cool slightly. Pour milk into well, then pour the butter into the milk. Mix gently until just mix together.

  Over mixing will result in tough dumplings.
  4 tbsp butter, 1 cup 2% milk, whole milk or condensed milk
• STEP SEVEN: Drop by spoonfuls or small ice cream scoops into boiling broth. Cover and let simmer boil for 13-15 minutes. Do Not Open Lid!
• STEP EIGHT: Remove lid, bay leaves and let simmer for about 2-3 more minutes, then turn heat off. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until ready to eat! DONE! ENJOY!!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 350kcal

Keyword chicken, comfort food, dumplings, herbs, weight watchers

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sharing is caring!