This easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe is SO FAST AND EASY to make from scratch in only 30 minutes if you use rotisserie chicken and store-bought (or other pre-made) broth! It’s a fast, easy comfort food to make on busy nights. The fresh thyme in the perfectly fluffy dumplings sets it over the edge! The chicken and dumplings broth can be made thick and luscious like a gravy, or more thin like a soup depending on preference.
This, my friends, is comfort food at its finest. It has all the taste of chicken pot pie without the effort (because who has time to deal with a pie crust on a busy weeknight?).
Between the fluffy dumplings with a biscuit-like texture, the juicy, tender shredded chicken, and the creamy, thick broth, this easy chicken and dumplings recipe will have you and your whole family literally RUNNING to the dinner table!
In this post I’ll explain how to make this easy chicken and dumplings from scratch in only 30 minutes with a few simple shortcuts, and give my best tips and tricks for getting the fluffiest dumplings that still hold their shape!
Why this chicken and dumplings recipe is SO FAST!
Traditionally, chicken and dumplings is a labor-intensive process, involving boiling an entire chicken to make stock, waiting for it to cool, and de-boning it, not to mention making dumpling dough by rolling and flattening out biscuit dough. It makes a mess and takes hours.
But almost every “quick and easy” recipe for chicken and dumplings I’ve come across uses processed ingredients like condensed canned creamed soup and pre-made biscuit dough.
I wanted to make a version of chicken and dumplings that was fast and easy to make but used as few pre-made, processed ingredients as possible.
You can make this chicken and dumplings recipe in only 30 minutes if you use shredded rotisserie chicken (or leftover roast chicken, poached chicken, or meat from a slow cooker whole chicken) and store-bought chicken broth helps save loads of time without sacrificing any of that down-home, from scratch taste! Easy peasy.
How to make Easy Chicken and Dumplings
I’m telling you, this recipe for chicken and dumplings could not be easier. It cooks up super fast in only one pot!
- First, sauté some diced carrots, onions, and celery in some butter. Tip: use the rib AND the leaves from the celery, if you have them. The leaves are packed with flavor!
- Then, sprinkle some flour on the veggies and stir around to coat, and add some chicken stock and bring to a boil. The flour will help thicken the gravy-like broth to a perfect consistency.
- While the soup is coming to a boil, mix the dumpling dough: flour, salt, baking powder, fresh thyme, melted butter, and milk.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, add some milk and the cooked chicken to the pot. Add scoops of the dumpling dough to the broth, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. Done! Told you that was easy.
One thing to keep in mind: if the soup doesn’t seem that thick at first, don’t worry. Some of the flour from the dumpling dough will also seep into the broth, thickening it a bit more, and it will also thicken as it cools some.
Tips and Tricks for making the BEST fluffy Dumplings
There are two kinds of dumplings used for chicken and dumplings. The first is a flat dumpling- the dough is rolled out and cut, then dropped in the soup. The result is a thick noodle-like consistency (like Cracker Barrel’s chicken and dumplings).
The other kind of dumpling is more biscuit-like: fluffy, round balls of dough that expand and cook after being dropped in the soup. This chicken and dumplings has the fluffy kind of dumplings.
Here are the best tips to getting the fluffiest dumplings that won’t fall apart with the PERFECT texture:
- Use white flour, not whole wheat. Whole wheat tends to be a bit dense and has less gluten, so the result won’t be as fluffy. If whole grains are super important to you, try a combination of half white and half whole wheat flour.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Stir it until it’s just combined and you can’t see any powdery flour anymore.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough into the soup. This will ensure that all the dumplings are evenly sized and fairly round.
- No peeking! Keep the lid on for 15 minutes while the dumplings cook. This will trap the steam and also ensure you don’t stir it, which may smush the dumplings and affect their texture.
How to make the broth thick and gravy-like
Craving a more substantial broth? Some readers have commented that the base of this chicken and dumplings is a bit thin for their taste.
If you want a more gravy-like base to this chicken and dumplings recipe, just increase the amount of flour added to the veggies. Add about 2 tablespoons more flour, more or less depending on preference.
Other easy comfort food recipes?
- Chicken Pot Pie with a Whole Wheat Biscuit Crust
- Healthy 20-Minute Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Classic Shrimp and Grits
- Easy Shepherd’s Pie
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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Easy Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 carrots diced small
- 2 stalks celery plus their leaves diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour divided
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup whole milk divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken
- extra salt and pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium high heat until softened a bit and beginning to brown (about 3 minutes).
- Add 1/4 cup flour, stir to coat.
- Add chicken broth (4 cups) and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to simmer and add 1/2 cup milk and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, mix together the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, melted, until flour mixture is crumbly looking. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir until JUST combined. Do NOT over mix, or your dumplings may be dense.
- Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture to the simmering pot- I recommend using a small cookie scoop for this (a tablespoon can also be used).
- Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy, cooked, and float to the top. No peeking!
- Serve garnished with extra fresh thyme and fresh ground pepper, if desired.
Notes
- If you are sensitive to salt, cut the salt in the dumplings in half, as they are quite salty. I like them that way, but some readers have recommended taking the amount of salt down. Also, if you are using fine grain salt instead of kosher, use 3/4 teaspoon, as 1 teaspoon will be too much.
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Baking powder often isn’t good after a year of opening it. If you find your dumplings are dense and not fluffy, this may likely be the culprit.
- Readers have commented that this recipe doesn’t make as much as they would like. Please double it if you and your family have a big appetite!
- You can freeze the leftovers, or double the batch and freeze one for later in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- If you prefer a really thick base, you can add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour to the veggies before adding the broth and milk.
- If you don’t like thyme, you can use other herbs– parsley, oregano, or even dill- or leave them out entirely.
- Feel free to add more veggies toward the end of cooking, such as frozen peas or corn, or a few handfuls of baby spinach.
- I love making this in a Dutch Oven, because it stays hot for a while if dinner is ready early. The one in the photos is a Cuisinart 5.5 qt. Oval Dutch Oven but lately I’ve been recommending the Lodge Dutch Oven.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This chicken and dumplings recipe first appeared on Bowl of Delicious in September, 2016. It has been edited to include a video, process shots, and more detailed instructions, tips, and tricks.
Debbie
I had Rotisserie chicken I needed to find a recipe for & this was it. I boiled the carcus & deboned it & added some of the white meat. I’m not a good cook & seem to always mess up a 5 star recipe. Which I did! I had trouble getting the dumplings to cook. I had read the other review about not turning up heat too high. However, after the 15 minutes, mine were still doughy. (I did use a tablespoon to measure them with).
I cooked them longer & they were still not done. I had to turn the heat up to get them to cook. They did get done & I loved them! The flavor was perfect! My daughter stopped by & she loved them also.
Will definitely make again & be a little more aware of my stove settings!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Glad you were able to figure out a method that worked for you to make sure the dumplings were done – sometimes this just happens depending on the heat from the burner or other factors.
Annie
The easiest and best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever made!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Linda Mitchell
I’m not sure if I have already reviewed this recipe so I’m just going to do it now! This is BY FAR the very best Chicken and Dumpling recipe I have ever prepared. It gives all the feels! Creamy, warm, homestyle vegetables included (I’m looking at you celery, carrots and onions!) and delicious fluffy dumplings! I hate it when soup is only meat and a carb. It’s dinner in a bowl that comes together in no time at all. I have made it so often that I now double the recipe so I can take some to my friends at work.
A couple of tips. DO make sure that the broth is simmering rather than boiling. If the broth is too hot I have seen the inside of the dumplings cook too quickly and will brown. make sure not to crowd the dumplings in the pot too so they have room to cook. DON’T skip the fresh thyme either, it’s really worth it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Gosh, if this isn’t one of the best reviews I’ve ever gotten! Thanks so much and I’m so glad you liked it!
Mary
Made this for dinner! I was worried that the dumplings would be balls of dough, as so often happens with many other recipes I tried. When I made the actual dough for the dumplings, it looked wet and lumpy, and I thought it wouldn’t turn out well, but I went ahead according to the directions. What a wonderful surprise! The dumplings were perfect, and stayed fluffy inside. The thickness and flavor of the whole bowl was amazing, and this recipe is the only one I will use from now on!! Thank you Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Monica Marshall
excellent flavor
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so glad you liked it!
Laura
My go-to for meal train meals for new moms! My family loves this recipe and it’s a great way to use fresh thyme from the garden. I double the dumplings!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! It’s a wonderful thing to bring to new moms – so cozy and hearty!
Kathleen Bailey
So so good thank you
Everyone lived and devoured and I had to give the recipe to my MIL
I did cut the salt in half and doubled the dumplings
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Doubling the dumplings is always a great move :-)
Diane
It’s the only recipe I use! Love it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Kasey
I should’ve left a rating and comment well before now. This is easily one of the top 5 recipes I make during colder months. I’ve easily made this 20 times or more within the past couple years and it’s saved in my recipe bookmarks. I almost always double the recipe, but even when I don’t, I always double the dumplings as it’s everyone’s favorite part. The saltiness of the dumplings combined with the fresh thyme make them irresistible. When I make this on weekends, I sauté the vegetables and add the broth and chicken to the pot and add some fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme to the soup part and let it simmer for an extra long time to enhance the flavors and then when it’s close to dinner time, I pull out the sage and rosemary and add in the remaining ingredients including the cream. I get compliments EVERY time I make this and have shared the recipe with most people that try it. Thank you for this recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! Reading this almost makes me want cold weather again… almost 😉
Maxine Cooper
omG
OMG! chicken and dumplings like my mama and grandmas made! SOOOO GOOD
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jan
My sister and I came back to my house after a long day. I had forgotten to thaw something for dinner, so I grabbed what was left of my rotisserie chicken and made this. She loved it “I could eat this all day!” and asked for the recipe. I think you have a new follower!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your sister liked it!
Fr. Jason Fox
Asked what my roommates wanted for dinner and the one touted out “chicken and dumplings!” Never made them before and found this recipe…fantastic! We absolutely LOVED it! Thank you so much.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you all liked it!
Tracy L
I did make this and I love this recipe and others loved it as well. The only thing that I did differently was that I boiled my chicken slowly and I added spices like smoked paprika, a few garlic cloves, some thyme and other spices. And that was my chicken bouillon that I use. It was very very good.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the spice additions!
JB
Fantastic! Doubled the recipe. Cooked an extra few minutes for the dumplings. Found a new favorite. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!