Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

See how easy and delicious it is to make homemade Chicken and Dumplings from scratch using basic ingredients such as chicken broth, all purpose flour and baking soda. Once you make them at home, you may never buy store-bought again!
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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings are one of my favorite meals of all time. I love them, but not the drop kind that are normally made with biscuit dough. I much prefer the roll out and cut kind of dumpling dough texture to the drop biscuit dough texture. The drop biscuit produces a lighter, fluffier texture with more of a tender crumb, while the roll out dough dumpling produces a flatter, denser, more noodle-like texture.
For a long time I thought chicken and dumplings were fussy and complicated to make, so I didn’t even attempt them, but once I gave them a try I realized just how easy they are to whip up and how amazing they taste, I never looked back.
This recipe does make a bit of a mess on the counter, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. Nothing says comfort to me like a large bowl of homemade Chicken and Dumplings full of delicious flavors.
Some people add diced vegetables such as garlic, onions, carrots and celery to their chicken and dumpling dish, which is great, but I like to go simple with just high quality homemade bone broth or chicken stock, shredded chicken thighs and homemade roll out dumpling dough, with salt and pepper to taste. They are really are simple to make using only a few basic pantry ingredients.
If you want to use a short-cut, you could use store-bought cream of chicken soup as your base, but I’ve found it incredibly easy and more flavorful to use chicken stock with salt, pepper and a little all-purpose flour as the thickener.
Feel free to use any cut of chicken that you prefer such as boneless, skinless chicken thighs, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pulled rotisserie chicken from the store or even canned chicken.
These from scratch, roll out chicken and dumplings are even better when eaten as leftovers the next day.
Also, you will definitely need a large pot to make them in. I hope you enjoy the recipe friends and if you’re looking for more simple, from scratch, comforting family dinner recipes, then be sure to check out the links below.
What Ingredients are in Chicken and Dumplings?
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt & pepper
- butter
- milk
- shredded chicken
- chicken broth
How to Make Homemade Chicken and Dumplings:
Bring chicken broth to a simmer over medium-high heat and add shredded chicken.
While broth is coming to a boil, combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Next, add the butter in small chunks to the flour mixture and cut it in using a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers.
Stir in milk mixing well until a soft dough forms. (You may need to add extra flour to make a soft dough that isn’t too sticky.)
Heavily flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
Roll the dough out using a floured rolling pin to 1/4” thickness into a large rectangle.
Using a bread knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2”x2” squares.

Sprinkle flour onto a plate and add a single layer of dumplings, next sprinkle a light coating of flour onto the dumplings and repeat until all of the dumplings are on the plate and sprinkled flour.
Drop the floured dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time stirring the broth as you go so they don’t stick together.
Cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
Let cool slightly and enjoy! You may store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
What are the three components of Chicken and Dumplings?
- creamy broth base
- chunks of cooked chicken
- dumpling dough
What Makes Chicken and Dumplings Creamy?
While you can use canned cream of chicken soup from the store to make your chicken and dumplings creamy, I’ve found that it is incredibly simple to use chicken stock and a little bit of all-purpose flour as a thickener to create a deliciously creamy soup base for homemade chicken and dumplings.
Is Biscuit Dough the Same as Dumpling Dough?
While biscuit dough is often used in chicken and dumplings, it is not quite the same. Dumplings are made with baking soda, while biscuits are made with both baking soda and baking powder. The difference is that the biscuit dough has a lighter, fluffier texture, while the dumpling dough has a flatter, denser texture, more like a noodle. Either one will work, so use whichever you prefer in your chicken and dumpling recipe.
Can You Use Canned Biscuits for dumplings?
Yes, many people use cut up, canned biscuit dough for their chicken and dumplings, but it will produce a lighter, fluffier texture than if you use rolled out homemade dumpling dough. It all depends on your preference.
How Long Can Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Be Stored in the Fridge?
Generally speaking, if leftover homemade chicken and dumplings are stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will last up to 7-10 days. Be aware that they will thicken as they sit as the dumplings will soak up the extra liquid.
Enjoy your homemade chicken and dumplings friends!
What Can I Serve with Chicken and Dumplings?
- Instant Pot Green Beans and Bacon
- Instant Pot Garlic and Herb Carrots
- Homemade Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
- Bread Machine French Bread
- Old-Fashioned Applesauce Cake
- Oven-Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Want more Comfort Food Recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
- Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Hoppin’ John
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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 8 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Bring Chicken broth to a simmer and add shredded chicken.
- While broth is coming to a boil, combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Next, add the butter in small chunks to the flour mixture and cut it in using a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers.
- Stir in milk mixing well until a soft dough forms. (You may need to add extra flour to make a soft dough that isn't too sticky.)
- Heavily flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
- Roll the dough out using a floured rolling pin to 1/4” thickness into a large rectangle.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2”x2” squares.
- Sprinkle flour onto a plate and add a single layer of dumplings, next sprinkle a light coating of flour onto the dumplings and repeat until all of the dumplings are on the plate and sprinkled flour.
- Drop the floured dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time stirring the broth as you go so they don’t stick together.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
- Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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