Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe: my family’s favorite easy chicken and dumplings recipe with big fluffy dumplings that are made from scratch in minutes!

If you are looking for the best ever Chicken and Dumplings recipe, well, you found it. Right here.

I don’t like to claim “best ever” very often, I honestly try very hard not to say it since we all have different tastes.

However, if you love a creamy chicken soup with tons of flavor and big fluffy homemade dumplings from scratch, then this recipe is the one for you.

Don’t get nervous when I say this is the best chicken and dumplings recipe from scratch, because it is also a really EASY recipe to make!

You just need my one secret ingredient to keep it extra creamy without having to simmer your Chickens and Dumplings for a long time or adding heavy cream!

Chicken and Dumplings from scratch:

The homemade dumplings for this Chicken and Dumplings recipe are  so easy, that they only take 5 minutes to whip together. 

All you have to do is add all the dry ingredients into a bowl: flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme.

Then you add in the butter and milk and drop the dumplings into the simmering soup with a cookie scoop!

If you want to learn how to make chicken and dumplings from scratch, this is definitely a great recipe to try since it’s so easy AND tasty.

Honestly, even if you are an expert at making homemade dumplings from scratch, this recipe might change your mind on how you make them.

On another dumpling related note, you may already know, but I am dumpling obsessed.

You may want to try your hand at my homemade Chinese Dumplings! I promise that recipe is easy (and extra delicious) too! 

Or, I even have a couple of sweet dumpling recipes: Rum Apple Dumplings or Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings!

Years and years ago, I used to make my chicken and dumplings recipe with canned refrigerated biscuits.

But so many times, I would go through all the effort and my dumplings would disappear and cook into nothing.

So I started trying out different methods of making my own dumplings and this was the clear winner.

The homemade dumplings have great flavor, take no time to make, use everyday ingredients and cook in just a few minutes! Winner!

Chicken and Dumplings Ingredients

The rest of the ingredients needed for this Homemade Chicken and Dumplings are simple classic ingredients. 

Some things are best when they are kept simple to let the flavor shine and I absolutely think Chicken and Dumplings is one of those things.

However, I do have one secret ingredient that is KEY to making the best chicken and dumplings…Evaporated milk.

Evaporated milk is creamier when compared to whole milk, but not as thick as heavy whipping cream (and a lot less fattening as well).

If you can’t have dairy, I suggest trying this dairy free Matzo Ball Soup. You still get dumplings!

As for thickening the soup, I personally like to use all purpose flour and butter to sauté our vegetables in. The two combined make a great soup gravy. 

As for the vegetables, I like to use the classic vegetables: onion, celery, carrots and garlic. You can add peas if you are a green pea fan!

Lastly, you can make your own easy shredded chicken, but I buy a rotisserie chicken from the store to keep things simple and easy for myself. Just being honest!

This Chicken and Dumplings recipe has been a winner with my family and circle of friends for years, but I have never shared it on the blog.

It’s not because I didn’t want to share my family recipe with all of you, it’s just that I usually make it when I am craving comfort food on a cold night.

And then as soon as it’s done, I don’t want to worry about working and taking photos…I want to dive in face first!

But after I shared videos of me making this exact recipe on Instagram stories a few weeks ago, I knew I HAD to share the recipe asap.

So many of you tried the recipe and made this soup and immediately started sending me pictures and reviews.

No joke, over 25 people sent me messages proclaiming this to be the BEST Chicken and Dumplings recipe, ever! Yahoo!!

One woman even told me her husband said it was better than his Grandma’s Chicken and Dumplings recipe that she won an award for at the state fair.

I’m not going to lie, that compliment felt pretty dang good! 😉 But if you don’t believe me, just read all the reviews below.

Please share how this Chicken and Dumplings recipe turns out for you, I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe: my family's favorite easy chicken and dumplings recipe with big fluffy dumplings that are made from scratch in minutes!

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Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
• 32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (make your own
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
• salt, to taste

Homemade Dumplings:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven), melt butter over medium-high heat. 
2. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to wilt. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add evaporated milk and chicken stock and quickly stir to combine. 
4. Bring to a boil and add chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings. 
5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it. 
6. Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk. 
7. Using a large** sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. 
8. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them. 
9. Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat a little to a low simmer (you don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn but also want the soup to still be simmering to cook the dumplings). 
10. Cook for 15 minutes, gently stir the soup/dumplings and then cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through.
11. If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 2-3 minutes and check again. 

Notes

*You can use a medium sized cookie scoop in place of a large cookie scoop to get more dumplings. Start checking if they are done around the 10 minute mark.

Recommended Products

• 
  Large Cookie Scoop
• 
  Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 731 Total Fat: 39g Saturated Fat: 20g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 162mg Sodium: 1096mg Carbohydrates: 57g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 14g Protein: 37g