Why We Love Chicken and Dumplings
When I was a little girl, “chicken dumplings” meant one thing… Hearty chicken soup with small biscuit-like dumplings that were dumped into the broth. The little mounds of dough simmered in the soup to cook and thicken the broth into a rich gravy. When I moved to the South, I learned that is not the only way to make chicken and dumplings! You can also make noodle dumplings. These dumplings are rolled and cut into thick noodles that simmer and thicken the broth in the same way. Yet they have a totally different texture. This Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe has all the same ingredients as a classic chicken dumplings recipe, yet with slightly different proportions, and with a different dumpling preparation. The dumpling dough is mixed, rolled, and cut into thick home-style noodles that are gently stirred into the hot broth, making it the ultimate comfort food! Because the dumplings are thinner and more delicate than drop-style dumplings, you have to be careful not to stir the dumplings too much after adding them to the broth. You don’t want to break them into little pieces! You also don’t want to cook them too long, or they start to break down into the broth. Yet other than mindful stirring and watching the time, this Chicken Dumplings Recipe is easy to make and oh so comforting! If you love chicken and dumplings, you will love my lightened up chicken and dumplings soup recipe, too!
Ingredients You Need
For the Chicken Soup Base:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken thighs – use both light and dark meat or one or the other, shredded rotisserie chicken also works great Butter – to add richness and to sauté the veggies Large Onion, Celery, and Carrots – for a deep zesty flavor Fresh Thyme Leaves – or dried, to add a pop of herby essence Bay Leaf – for a deeper herby note Chicken Stock – or chicken broth, the base of the gravy Fresh Parsley – to add extra freshness at the end
For the Dumplings:
Flour – all-purpose or gluten-free mix Vegetable Shortening – a flexible fat source to make the dumplings soft and bendable Salt and pepper – just a teaspoon to enhance the flavor Baking Powder – for lift Buttermilk – to soften the dough and add a twangy flavor
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings on the Stovetop
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
Slow Cooker: The two main keys to making Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings are: Instant Pot: The biggest thing to remember here, is that depending on the size of your electric pressure cooker, the full recipe may not fit! If you have an Instant Pot that is smaller than 6 quarts, be sure to use our recipe form servings slider to adjust the recipe to fit your pot. Using the Instant Pot, you can even add frozen chicken pieces to the pot. It takes 8 minutes to pressure cook thawed chicken and just 11 minutes to pressure cook frozen chicken.
Can I Make Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings?
That’s right, you can also make gluten-free dumplings using gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour mix, instead of wheat flour. One thing to consider: Like store-bought gluten-free dried pasta, the noodle-style dumplings do not hold up quite as well as they do when made with standard all-purpose flour. So just be sure to serve this right away, before the dumplings have time to break apart. However, the drop-biscuit style dumplings do hold up pretty well when made gluten-free! Therefore, you can make this exact recipe (with GF flour), then drop little clumps of the dough into the soup base, instead of rolling and cutting it.
Serving Suggestions
These chicken and dumplings are fantastic with a side of spoon bread, buttery biscuits, or classic Southern green beans for a cozy meal. They’re also delicious paired with a crisp, tangy Caesar salad or roasted Brussels sprouts to add some brightness to the plate. For an extra cozy touch, serve with mashed potatoes or a side of roasted root veggies to round out this comforting dinner!
Looking for More Comforting Southern Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
Southern Cathead Biscuits Recipe Orangeade Recipe Tomato Slab Pie Recipe Cheesy Squash Casserole Recipe Easy Jambalaya Recipe Oven “Fried” Pickles Recipe
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