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.
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.
Kathleen
Easy but disappointing. Mine turned out nothing like this picture. I followed the recipe to the letter and mine was soupy and the dumplings didn’t cook (they were smaller than those shown in the picture). Trying to salvage the recipe but not having much luck.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hm, next time you may just simmer the dumplings for more time- not sure why they didn’t cook up! As for the broth, you can definitely add more flour to the veggies for a thicker broth. Better luck next time, and sorry you had a frustrating experience!
JoAnn
Excellent and sooo easy! Followed the recipe exactly and it came out beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing! Will definitely make again.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you, and glad you liked it!
Sue K
Excellent. I have been wanting chicken and dumplings for a while now and since it was cooling off, I decided yesterday was the day. I don’t measure much and know has more vegetables than was called for. Anyway. we both thoroughly enjoyed it. You mentioned that people complained that it did not make as much as they expected, well how about us, that are families of 2 or 3, that don’t want to eat something for days on end. I had to look at quite a few recipes to find one that served 4, the rest were 6 or 8 servings. Thanks for thinking of the smaller families
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and happy the smaller portion was perfect for you! I wanted to share a quick tip that works on my recipes (and many other bloggers’ recipes)- if you hover over the “servings” on the recipe card, you should see a little slider that will allow you to adjust the servings, and the ingredients will change accordingly. Take it with a grain of salt, as not all ingredients are easy to divide (for example, an egg), and any ingredient amounts within the instructions themselves won’t change either. But it might help if you are looking for smaller portions for other recipes!
Sonia
Came together quickly and tasted great. Made it last night and having the leftovers tonight. The soup part was a little too thin for my liking, but a handful of crackers crumbled in my bowl took care of that.
Please share the manufacturer’s name and where to find the pot you used in this video. I have been searching for about 2 hours.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! The pot is a Cuisinart oval Dutch Oven. I stumbled upon one at HomeGoods years ago, and I use it for everything! I added a link to the closest one I could find on Amazon in the recipe card above: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/easy-chicken-and-dumplings-from-scratch/#wprm-recipe-container-7717
Susan Rodriguez
Oh my gosh this was so delicious! I will definitely be making this again. Super easy yet tastes like it cooked all day.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Mylittleorganicgarden
Love this recipe I have already made it twice. Staple food!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Terri
Wonderful recipe! Delicious and simple to make. Perfect meal when you’re craving comfort food. Thanks, Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you! Glad you liked it :-)
Carol
It has been years since I made chicken and dumplings. I was so happy to find this simple recipe and it was amazing!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jacqi
Family loved it! We added the extra flour to make it thicker and I liked that a lot! I would double the amount of dumplings next time.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked it!
Belinda
Thanks for keeping it simple!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Simple food is the best food! Glad you liked it :-)
Jackie Mmcmullen
This was my first time making chicken and dumplings and it was sooo good! I will be making this often. It was surprisingly easy and came out delicious.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tammy
Amazing! I have struggled my entire life with dumplings, these came out perfect.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hooray! So happy you had success with the dumplings!
Victoria
This is a quick recipe for chicken and dumplings, that also is delicious. I usually make the flat dumpling, which is time consuming. These fluffy dumplings are a great alternative. Recommend this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked the recipe and the fluffy dumplings!
Megan Scott
Best Chicken and Dumplings I’ve ever had! I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious. Thank you so much for your recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Katie
Absolutely fantastic recipe! I’m from the UK and we don’t have canned biscuits that a lot of other recipes called for, but this was so easy and went down a treat for all the family!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Cody
This is not chicken and dumplings. This is chicken stew with dough ball dumplings. Why go to the trouble to make a dough when you could take a can of biscuits and pinch them apart.
Elizabeth Lindemann
There are two main versions of chicken and dumplings- one includes making dumpling dough and rolling it out, with the result of flat, more noodle-like dumplings in the broth. Like what they serve at Cracker Barrel. You might be thinking of that version when comparing this recipe! I prefer this version, with the more biscuit-like fluffy dumplings, since it’s a lot easier to prepare, but both are delicious. To answer your question about using canned biscuits- that’s a great shortcut which definitely works! But I love adding herbs to the batter to boost the flavor, and when you make the dough from scratch you can control the ingredients that go into it (canned biscuits often have added preservatives).
Megan
I love the chicken and dumplings with fluffy dumplings like this. I’ve made this recipe several times, it’s a total winner.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you like it!
Meg
These are delish!! I will make again and again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carrie
I can answer this from another cook’s perspective… Canned biscuits are full of all manner of unhealthy ingredients *and* the title of this recipe has the words “from SCRATCH” in it, so perhaps that is why she is not recommending they be used. :) Bon appetit!
Jen
That was absolutely delightful. My taste buds dont appreciate thyme so added some garlic powder instead. Next time, I might do oregano and basil. I added fresh garlic in with the veggies. I add garlic to everything. This recipe is a keeper, hands down
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I like mixing up the herbs and flavors I use in the dumplings as well- it’s so versatile and fun to experiment :-)
Tonya
I love this recipe! It is an easy fairly quick comfort meal! I also appreciate all the tips! I did have a little trouble with SOME of the dumplings being doughy both times I made this. I did “peek” because I sensed that it was boiling too hard. Would that cause some of them to be doughy?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like it! The doughy dumplings could be due to a number of factors- “peeking” may have something to do with it, or if the dough was wetter due to a certain flour brand or using low-fat or skim milk instead of whole, or if the dumplings were just larger in size. Just give in a few more minutes next time and you should be good to go!
Pam
Really easy and tasty!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Linda Gray
Ok, here’s my take. Great base but whoever heard of carrots and celery being tender after only 3 minutes sautéed in butter? I sautéed for over 15 minutes then decided to let them boil in the chicken broth. This step took another 15-20 minutes to get them tender. The dumplings were ok, but next time I will cut down on the amount of salt used. Way too much.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I appreciate this feedback and I realize I may have chosen the wrong word when writing this recipe! I’ve changed the word “soft” to “softened a bit.” The celery and carrots do NOT have to be fully tender at the initial step- they will continue to cook throughout the rest of the time. They can be really finely diced if you prefer very tender veggies in the end, or cut a little larger if you are OK with a little bite to them. A tip for the future- if you add a pinch of salt to the veggies when they sauté, it will help draw out the moisture and they’ll get softer faster. Hope that helps clarify a bit and thanks for sharing your experience- feedback like this helps me write better recipes!
Michelle
Love both Linda and Elizabeth’s tips. Personally I prefer my vegies softer. I have made this a few times and have extended the saute time to about 15-20 minutes (depending on how much I am making) because I like the taste of sauteed vegies better than the taste of boiled veggies. It has turned out amazing every time. Definitely turning into a family favorite.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you for sharing your experience and so happy to hear you and your family like it!
Shelley
Hi I just made this and loved it. My 90 year old mother loved it also and she is kind of picky. Carrots were fine but I did dice them pretty small. Loved how easy it was.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your mother liked it!
L
What is the difference if you use an egg vs not using an egg in your dumplings. What does the egg do to the dumplings.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never made dumplings with eggs, but I imagine it helps them bind together a bit more. I think you could probably add an egg to this batter, and reduce the milk a bit, and it would probably work great!