Homemade chicken and dumplings from scratch recipe is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe has healthy ingredients like chicken, flavorful chicken broth, and delicious plump dumplings made with thyme and parsley.

Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Recipe

Ultimate Comfort Food – Chicken and Dumplings

Soups are the ultimate in comfort food. One of our family favorites, Hearty Homemade Healthy Chicken Soup is a recipe I shared last year. Now, I am excited to share another delicious recipe with you.

On cold wintry days there is nothing that feels heartier and warming than consuming a hot bowl of chicken and dumplings. You are sure to find this recipe a family favorite.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings From Scratch

I have found that there is a variety of ways to make homemade chicken and dumplings from scratch. When it comes to the dough for dumplings, I have seen everything from rolling out and cutting the dough, to even using canned biscuits as dough. For the chicken, I have seen rotisserie chickens used as well as simmering a whole chicken for several hours.

Growing up, I watched my mother make chicken and dumplings quite often. She truly made them from scratch. My mother always used a whole chicken, then used the broth to simmer her hand rolled plump dumplings in. While, I love her recipe, I find this version much more simple to make.

Even though I know how to make chicken and dumplings like mother does, I have chosen an easier way that works for our family. Using chicken tenders cooked in a cast iron skillet is much faster than waiting on a whole chicken to simmer. Also, the way I make our dumplings is much faster than rolling and cutting them out.

When making this recipe, I double it for our family of six. Because, you know what is better than chicken and dumplings for dinner? It is chicken and dumplings the next day for lunch. Agreed?

Tools You May Need

Cast Iron Skillet
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Dutch Oven
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cups

Tips for Making Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

You can use a whole chicken to make this recipe. For the sake of the time, I am using chicken tenders.
Vegetables, such as carrots and celery can be added to chicken and dumplings. If adding vegetables, do it after adding the garlic and onion listed below in the recipe, then add the broth.
Homemade chicken broth is a wonderful option, however, again for the sake of time, I chose to use organic chicken broth.
I double this recipe for our family of six. We always have leftovers for the next day and that just makes life easier for me.
Do not over mix the dumpling dough. Just mix it until well combined. Over mixing causes the dough to be not as plump and tender.
The dumplings expand once they are placed in the simmering broth. The size of the dumplings is a personal preference, but I make mine about the size of 1/2 tbsp.

From Scratch Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients for Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Broth
6 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced onion
8 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2-3 lbs chicken

Dumplings
2 cups all purpose flower
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp celtic salt
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp parsley
3/4 cup half n half or milk
4 tbsp butter, melted

Creamy Soup Mixture
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme

How to Make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

In a large cast iron skillet, melt 4 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Then, when the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown on all sides. Remove from pan, and allow to cool. Once chicken has cooled, shred the chicken into smaller pieces.
Next, in a large pot, add 2 tbsp butter and melt over medium heat. Add minced garlic and minced onion. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then gradually add in chicken broth. Add 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Add in shredded chicken, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Then, while the broth simmers, make the dumplings. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter. Add to flour mixture, stir well but do not over mix.
Remove bay leaves from the broth. Then, form small dough balls by hand, about the size of 1/2 tbsp. Drop the dough into the simmering pot, one at a time. Reduce heat to low, cook covered for 15-20 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, parsley and thyme. Once dumplings are completely cooked through, add the cream mixture to the pot and stir well.
Finally, simmer another 5-10 minutes, and then serve.

Old fashioned healthy chicken and dumpling recipe

How to Tell if the Dumplings are Done?

To test the dumplings, spoon one of the dumplings out of the pot, and run a toothpick through it. When the toothpick comes out clean, the dumplings are ready.

Do You Cook Dumplings Covered or Uncovered?

When cooking dumplings, cook them in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. The dumplings cook in the steam created by the boiling broth. Leaving the lid off of the pot allows the steam to evaporate, and the dumplings will be under cooked.

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Equipment

Stock Pot
Cast Iron Skillet
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cups

Ingredients

Broth

6 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced onion
8 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2-3 lbs chicken

Dumplings

2 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp celtic salt
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp parsley
3/4 cup half n half or milk
4 tbsp butter melted

Creamy Soup Mixture

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme

Instructions

In a large cast iron skillet, melt 4 tbsp of butter over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown on all sides. Remove from pan, and allow to cool. Then, shred the chicken into smaller pieces.
In a large pot, add 2 tbsp butter and melt over medium heat. Add minced garlic and minced onion. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then gradually add in chicken broth. Add 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Add in shredded chicken, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10-15 minutes.
While the broth simmers, make the dumplings. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter. Add to flour mixture, stir well but do not over mix.
Next, remove bay leaves from the broth. Then, form small dough balls by hand, about the size of 1/2 tbsp. Drop the dough into the simmering pot, one at a time. Reduce heat to low, cook covered for 15-20 minutes.
Then, in a small bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, parsley and thyme. Once dumplings are completely cooked through, add the cream mixture to the pot and stir well.
Simmer another 5-10 minutes, and then serve.