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
Did you know commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe or have a question, please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe and/or share photos on social media using the hashtag #bowlofdelicious or tagging @bowlofdelicious!
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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and 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.
Kristin
I made this tonight for my family and my oldest had three helpings!! It was delicious. I’m definitely saving this recipe for the future. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Elizabeth
So happy you and your family liked it! :-)
Margaret
This was the first time that I ever tried making Chicken and Dumplings, and I’m thrilled to report that it turned out delicious! So glad I found your recipe!
Elizabeth
Yay! So happy you liked it!
Rachel
I made this last night, and I absolutely loved it! What’s even better is that my 2-year old never even picked his head up from his bowl because he was so focused on eating!
I just had to leave a comment because that’s what got me to try it in the first place. When I see a recipe get such high praise, it makes me even more interested especially since reading the recipe makes it seem so easy. I couldn’t even imagine it would have so much flavor! The thyme really makes it special.
As for adjustments (because I read comments for this too), I only had 3 cups of broth so I used one cup of broth using the Better Than Bouillon we had from Costco. I also used heavy cream instead of milk in the broth because I have some leftover from another recipe and figured if it made things thicker, it would be fine by me! Lastly, my dough was more watery than yours was (thanks for having the video so I could actually see that!), so I added a little more flour at a time until it looked more like the consistency you showed. I’m so excited for lunch because my son and I are having the leftovers! This made my “Recipes Worth Repeating” Pinterest board!
Elizabeth
Oh wow- thanks so much for leaving such a wonderful comment! I’m happy you and your two-year-old liked it (I have one too- sometimes she’s hard to feed for sure!).
Jamie
My FAVORITE chicken and dumpling recipe. And super easy to make dumplings! So much easier and tastier than using the Pillsbury dough, and your dumplings stay together. Made it 5 times now and get rave reviews every time! I make it in the instant pot on the medium sauté setting. Cook the chicken in first, then remove it and follow the recipe. I substitute organic chicken stock instead of the broth because it’s what I have in the house and wouldn’t go back! Also add some drained canned corn right before I put in the dumplings. Can’t go wrong! Must cook recipe!! Saved as one of my go-tos!
Elizabeth
Thanks so much! I’m so happy you liked it! I love the idea of adding some corn at the end. Yum.
Celia
I never leave comments but I’ve made this 3 times. It’s so good!
Elizabeth
Oh wow- thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Comments and ratings are such a GREAT way to support bloggers. I’m so happy you liked the recipe!! :-)
Scott E Green
This is one of the best recipes I’ve tried it a very long time. I just had to add a little extra water but that was my choice. The big test is going to be when I take it to my for her lunch tomorrow. I loved every single bite
Elizabeth
Thanks! I’m so happy you liked it!
Jenn
This is a family favourite! We also add peas to up the veg quota. Thank you for this great easy meal
Terri
This is the best I’ve ever tasted! Perfect favors. I will be making this again soon. I won’t change a thing. Thank you so much.
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Thank you!
Tina
Very good and easy! My hubby doesn’t care for thyme, so we left that out of the dumplings, but we loved it! Thanks!
Elizabeth
So happy you both loved it! :-)
Teah
I loved it!!
I’ve been making Chicken and Dumplings for years and this is without a doubt the best recipe I’ve found!! The only tweak we made is we omitted the celery and carrots since I’m not a fan of celery and my husband hates carrots. ?
Even so, amazing!! With our first bite, my husband and I looked at each other in surprise, and he simply shook his head and murmured “Oh, my God!”
We both agreed that it was the best either of us have ever had.
Thank you for this great and wholly satisfying recipe!
Elizabeth
Oh wow, thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! I’m so happy you and your husband liked the recipe :-)
Lori
I followed your recipe except I put thyme in my dumpling mixture. It was awesome! My husband said it is the best he’s ever eaten!
Elizabeth
So glad you and your husband liked it! :-)
Paul Harris
What a great recipe! We love it, the dumplings are superb! thank you
Elizabeth
Thanks! So happy you liked it!
Gina Tipton
The flavor was absolutely delicious. It was as easy as mentioned. I would have preferred more soup and chicken. Next time I’ll double the broth. Also, when adding the half cup of milk to the dumpling ingredients, the dough was too liquid. There was no way I could have scooped it. I added more flour (probably another half cup) and about 1/4 teaspoon more baking powder. It cooked well. I will make this again. I did sprinkle extra dried thyme on top while the dumplings simmered. Yummy! My daughter loved it!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Thanks so much for the thoughtful and detailed suggestions :-)
Matt
First time making chicken and dumplings.my family loved it. Made it 3 times since I found your recipe a couple months ago.
Elizabeth
Oh wow- so happy you and your family liked it so much! :-)
Ben
And you call this recipe from scratch. The younger ones won’t know what scratch means shame on you
Elizabeth
Aw, so sorry you were offended by my recipe! To be clear, my blog is about making home cooking accessible to busy people. My goal for this recipe was to get that home-cooked, from-scratch taste without using any processed shortcuts such as condensed canned soup. And I do explain in the writing above what a true “from-scratch” chicken and dumplings involves. Anyway, hope you have a nice New Year!
Lindsey
This was absolutely incredible! I followed your recipe exactly, just cooked my own chicken, turned out beyond perfect! I forced myself to eat another bowl because it was too good to stop! ? Then when I finished eating, I gave my empty bowl a round of applause! (seriously ?) Thanks for a new fave recipe!
Elizabeth
Haha! Love that you applauded your bowl! That made my day. Thanks so much for the lovely comment and I’m so happy you liked it!!
jmalkow
The dumplings hit the spot! I used a Costco rotisserie chicken carcass (peeled the meat off first) in a crock pot to make the broth – only added water, carrots and dried, minced, onion & celery salt ( didn’t have the real stuff). Drained off the bones, skin, etc.. Bottom line, if you have any experience cooking; you can make this. Thanks for posting!!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it!!
Chrissy Holloway
My husband said this is the best thing I have ever made for him. The kids loved it, too! I was so impressed with this recipe and it was my first time making chicken and dumplings. We prefer our dumplings flat, can you give me a tip to make that happen? They were amazing, by the way, not complaining… it’s just a preference we have. Thank you for helping me make the best dinner EVER!
Elizabeth
Wow, this is high praise! I’m so happy you and your family liked it. For making flat dumplings (like at Cracker Barrel…yum!), you’d have to mix the dough and roll it out before adding it to the soup. Here’s a great recipe that explains how to do it. You could add some fresh thyme to the dough to have a similar flavor to this recipe. Hope that helps! Thanks SO much for the thoughtful comment- it made my day :-)
Mary
I made this for dinner tonight. My family absolutely loved it! Even my extremely picky four year old finished a bowl. I can’t tell you what a HUGE DEAL that is. Next time I’ll need to double it :)
Elizabeth
Oh YAY! I totally understand what a big deal that is- my almost two year old is entering a picky phase and it’s so hard! Happy your family loved it, and thanks for the comment!
Joshua Horst
This is a perfect recipe for any hunters with leftover wild turkey. The dumplings turned out great and the creamy soup amped up the wild turkey flavor. Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Great suggestion to use up wild turkey, thanks!