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Chicken and dumplings served on a dinner plate

Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Nancy Blackstone
On a chilly night, nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of homemade chicken and dumplings. Tender chicken cooked in homemade broth and from-scratch dumplings served in a creamy dumpling sauce are absolutely irresistible!
4.53 from 17 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American Southern
Servings 6 -8 servings
Calories 443 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken Stock:

  • 3 quarts water
  • 2-3 large boneless chicken breasts 1.5 - 2 lbs.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced into thin rings and then quarter the rings
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 1 clove garlic peeled and quartered (or ½ teaspoon minced garlic)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 whole parsley stalks

Dumplings:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dumpling Sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes crushed

Instructions
 

Chicken Stock:

  • Put all ingredients in a large stock pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, on low for 1 hour.
  • Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.
  • Remove and discard bay leaf and parsley stalks from chicken stock. leaving onions and celery inside. Leave broth in stockpot; you will use it to cook the dumplings and make the dumplings sauce.
  • Using a fork, pull chicken apart into bite sized pieces.

Dumplings:

  • Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Using a spoon or spatula, mix until well blended.
  • Flour your hands and knead by hand 4 or 5 times, then form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for half an hour.
  • On a floured surface, roll dough to ⅛” thick & cut dumplings into roughly 1” X 1-½” strips using a pizza wheel.
  • Drop dumplings in boiling chicken stock after chicken has been removed, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking together.
  • When finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon. Place in a bowl and set aside.  

Dumpling Sauce:

  • Whisk the flour thoroughly into cold milk until it is completely dissolved, then put in a deep skillet.
  • Add chicken stock and butter to skillet, and heat to a simmer on medium heat, whisking constantly. It's okay if some onion and celery pieces get into the dumpling sauce -- it adds to the flavor.
  • Whisk in sugar and crushed bouillon cubes until completely dissolved.
  • Increase heat to a low boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Turn heat down to low; add chicken pieces and cooked dumplings to the dumpling sauce. Heat through and serve. (Add additional chicken stock as needed if the mixture gets too thick.)

Notes

Reserve your leftover chicken stock in the refrigerator and use it to thin the dumpling sauce for leftovers. This will retain the original flavor rather than diluting it with milk.
Refrigerate leftover chicken stock, dumpling dough, and dumpling sauce for up to 2 nights. 
Freeze leftover chicken an dumplings in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It is recommended to let it come to room temperature before heating for best consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 17gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 1243mgPotassium: 348mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 457IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 212mgIron: 3mg
Keyword chicken, Cold weather dinners, comfort food dinners, dumplings, Kentucky main dish, southern main dish, winter dinners
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