This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This homemade Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Recipe is comfort food to the max! Warm broth with tender shredded chicken and buttery, pillowy dumplings. Delicious on its own or served over buttery mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Dumpling Recipe
Regardless of what month it is, I love, love, love making this Chicken and Dumpling recipe! It is like a big, delicious hug in a bowl. It’s like a cross between a soup and a stew with tender chunks of chicken and veggies with fluffy little biscuit dumplings floating throughout. I loved testing and re-testing this recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Two Kinds of Dumplings
In all of my recipe research I did before testing this recipe, I came to realize there are two kinds of dumplings used in Chicken and Dumplings: flat dumplings (noodle-like dumplings) and drop dumplings (biscuit-type). This recipe obviously has the latter because that’s how grandma did it.
Both options are great and of course delicious as the seasonings stay exactly the same. Honestly it comes down to preference. I like the texture of these biscuit-like dumplings a little better than the others which is why I included them in this recipe. Which dumplings do you prefer?
Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
This Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Recipe is made up of a couple of components and you will need at least a good hour to make this start to finish. But, don’t let that scare you off! Even though it’s one of my longer recipes, it’s surprisingly simple with common ingredients and dare I say an EASY chicken and dumplings recipe. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to get cooking:
- Olive Oil – this is used to cook the chicken, onions, and carrots.
- Chicken – get a whole chicken, broken down into 8 pieces. This can sometimes be called a fryer chicken. Alternatively, you can use other cuts of chicken instead (skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs). Just be sure to use chicken that still is bone-in with skin on for maximum flavor and nutrients.
- Onion and Carrots – Just about every chicken and dumplings recipe requires these veggies. I listed a few variations below for usage of other veggies.
- Chicken Broth – this is just regular chicken broth. Regular or low sodium is fine. Feel free to use a homemade chicken broth as a substitute if you have that.
- Herbs and Seasonings – Ground Thyme, Poultry Seasoning, Tarragon, Garlic Powder and Bay Leaves
- Pantry Staples for the Dumplings – All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, melted Butter, and Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, simply mix up 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk.
Love warm comforting soup? Check out these recipes: 10-Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup, Creamy Sausage & Kale Soup, Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe, and Chicken Meatball & Barley Soup.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
Like I mentioned above, the hardest part of this recipe is taking the time to make it. The steps are simple and if you follow these carefully, you won’t have any issues. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.
1. Brown Chicken + Sauté the Carrots + Onions
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and black pepper and brown in batches: half of the chicken at a time, browning both sides well. Add additional 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot to brown the second batch of chicken.
Remove chicken from the pot and sauté onion and carrots on medium heat until the onions start to become tender, 3 minutes or so. Add chicken back into the pot and cover with chicken broth. Add in thyme, poultry seasoning, tarragon, garlic powder, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover + Bring to a Boil
Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.
Remove cooked chicken and shred (or cut into small pieces/chunks), discarding extra fat and bones. Add shredded chicken back into the pot. (Save those bones for your next batch of GAPS bone broth!)
3. Make the Dumplings
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and whisk until well mixed. Pour in melted butter and buttermilk and stir until just combined.
4. Drop Dumpling Dough into Simmering Chicken Pot
Drop dumpling dough by large tablespoon each into the simmering pot that the chicken is in. Dumplings will be done when they are puffed and floating, after about 3 minutes.
5. Adjust Seasonings and Serve Hot
Taste broth and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve chicken dumplings and hot broth in bowls. Garnish with chives, if desired.
Storage Directions for Chicken and Dumplings
Allow leftover chicken and dumpling soup to cool to room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: store in a freezer-safe container with good fitting lid in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
What to Eat With Chicken and Dumplings
While this Chicken and Dumpling recipe is enough on its own, sometimes you need a side dish to make it a more well-rounded meal. Here are some of my favorite side dishes for chicken and dumplings.
- Corn Casserole
- Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds
- Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Check out my list of What to Eat With Chicken and Dumplings (30 tasty ideas)!
More Chicken Soup Recipes to Warm Up Your Day!
If you loved my Chicken and Dumplings recipe you’ll love these other chicken soups too!
- Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Creamy Chicken Chowder
- Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup
- White Chicken Chili
I hope you love this family favorite recipe! I think I love the homemade fluffy dumplings the most! It’s a perfect meal for the cold weather months or anytime, really! The printable recipe card is below! Enjoy 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole chicken broken down into pieces, sometimes called a fryer chicken
- 1 large onion diced
- 1/2 lb carrots sliced into coins
- 8 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground thyme
- 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/4 tsp tarragon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- chives for garnish (optional)
For the Dumplings
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 tbsp melted butter or shortening
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown in batches: half of the chicken at a time, browning both sides well. Add additional 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot to brown the second batch of chicken.
- Remove chicken and sauté onion and carrots until the onions start to become tender, 3 minutes or so. Add chicken back into the pot and cover with chicken broth. Add in thyme, poultry seasoning, tarragon, garlic powder, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.
- Remove chicken pieces and shred, discarding extra fat and bones. Add chicken pieces back into the pot.
- To make the dumplings, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together until well mixed. Pour in melted butter and buttermilk and stir until just combined.
- Drop by the large tablespoon into the simmering pot. Dumplings will be done when they are puffed and floating, after about 3 minutes.
- Taste broth and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot.
This is amazing looking and wish I had some at this moment.
Excellent recipe. Lots of flavor by using this method for browning chicken & seasoning. The only thing I did differently was simply adding a Tbls. of poultry seasoning!
This was delicious!!! Followed directions pretty much exactly. Best way to heat up leftovers?
I loved this soup! I may have done something wrong with my dumplings, they puffed right up but the outside kind of melted away as we were eating. It made the broth creamier, I am not complaining – just wondering if my soup was too hot when I put them in?
This was delicious. Perfectly seasoned. Might be delicious as chicken noodle soup. Didn’t care for the dumplings as I’m used to grandmas.
Love Chicken and Dumplings and those dumplings remind me of yummy matzo ball soup so I’m trying this for sure! Thanksfor sharing and hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy
Business as usual huh