If you’ve been searching for the best homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe, you can stop right here. The creamy broth is rich and flavorful, the chicken is tender, and the big fluffy drop dumplings practically melt in your mouth. Made completely from scratch, or with a rotisserie chicken to save time, your family will request this cozy dinner on repeat.
Recipe Highlights
- Creamy, cozy, and made in one pot. A hearty dinner with little cleanup.
- Rich broth without the heavy cream. Evaporated milk keeps it creamy but never heavy.
- From scratch or shortcut it. Use raw chicken or a rotisserie, both work beautifully.
- Big fluffy drop dumplings. Soft, pillowy, and impossible to stop eating.
- 50 minutes, serves 6. Comfort food that actually fits a weeknight.
Why This Chicken and Dumplings Recipe Works
My granny makes the best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever had. The only problem? She never measured a thing. So one afternoon we worked out exactly what she did and how much of everything she used. After a few batches, I figured out the small details that make all the difference.
The broth starts with a quick roux and a can of evaporated milk, making it rich and velvety but still light enough that you can eat a whole bowl and go back for more. Simmering the chicken in the seasoned broth means it soaks up all that flavor while staying tender and juicy. And the dumplings use just the right amount of baking powder so they steam and rise into soft, pillowy clouds.
Grab a spoon, you’re definitely going to want seconds!
— ♥︎ Jess —
How To Make Chicken and Dumplings
Visit the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full directions.
Step 1: Make The Broth
Sauté the veggies in some butter, then stir in the flour to make a roux (this helps to thicken the broth). Slowly pour in the evaporated milk and chicken stock, stirring the whole time so it stays smooth.
Step 2: Add The Chicken
If you’re using raw chicken, add an extra cup of broth and simmer until cooked through and then shred it. If you’re using cooked chicken (like rotisserie), just stir it in now with the thyme, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Mix The Dumplings
Stir JUST until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix or your dumplings will be dense!
Step 4: Drop and Cook
Scoop your dumplings and add them to the simmering soup. Place the lid on the pot to cook the dumplings. Try not to peek and lift the lid too often, because the trapped steam is exactly what makes the dumplings puff up.
Step 5: Check and Serve
Cut a dumpling in half to make sure it’s cooked through. If it is, ladle into bowls and dig in!
Jessica’s Tips
- Use a wide pot, not a tall one. A Dutch oven or wide heavy pot gives the dumplings more room to spread out, so they steam evenly instead of stacking on top of each other.
- Cut your veggies small and even. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery about the same size so they soften at the same rate. Big chunks stay crunchy while small ones turn to mush.
- Cook the flour before adding liquid. Let the flour cook in the butter and veggies for a full minute before you pour anything in. This gets rid of the raw flour taste and creates a smooth and creamy broth.
- Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour is the number one reason dumplings sink. Fluff the flour first, spoon it gently into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. No scooping straight from the bag!
- Simmer, don’t boil. A hard boil will scorch the bottom of the soup. You want a gentle simmer with just a few bubbles popping up around the edges.
Common Variations
- Biscuit dumplings as a shortcut: They are denser and breadier, but still tasty! Follow the dumpling directions from this easy chicken and dumplings with biscuits.
- Old fashioned flat/rolled dumplings: Chewier and not fluffy, thin strips of dough are rolled out and then cooked in the broth. Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings are made with this type of dumpling.
- Add green peas: Stir in a cup of frozen peas right before you add the dumplings for a pop of color and sweetness.
Make the soup base up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. The dumplings are best made fresh, so wait to mix the dough until you’re ready to eat. Just reheat the soup to a simmer, drop in the dumplings, and dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes. You can also freeze the soup base (without dumplings) for up to 3 months.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, or half and half
- 1 (32 oz) quart chicken stock, +1 extra cup of broth if using raw chicken
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, or 1.5 lbs raw, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme, optional
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- salt, to taste
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 tsp dried thyme, optional
- ¾ cup (6 oz) whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
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Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add the evaporated milk and chicken stock, stirring to combine. It's very important to keep stirring to prevent burning or lumps!
- If using raw chicken: Add 1 cup more of chicken broth (or water) and add the raw chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken and return it to the soup. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumplings.
- If using pre-cooked chicken: Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumplings.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the 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.
- Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together just until a dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk. Do not over-mix this batter, stir it until it comes together!
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop (or two spoons – see notes below), scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them.
- Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook dumplings for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. You don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn, but want the soup to still be simmering (a low bubble) to cook the dumplings. About half way through the cook time, I press the dumplings back under the broth, breaking up any dumplings that stuck together.
- Gently stir the soup/dumplings and cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through. If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes (with the lid on) and check again.
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“This chicken and dumplings recipe was seriously so good that my daughter actually licked her bowl clean! The dumplings were so soft and fluffy and the soup itself had the best flavor. It only took me about an hour even though I made it 100% from scratch.” — Brittany, home cook and recipe tester.
Recipe Help – Frequently Asked Questions
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work great. Thighs give you a little more flavor and stay juicier, while breasts are leaner and shred beautifully. Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut when I am short on time, since it is already cooked and seasoned. Just stir it in near the end so it does not dry out.
Yes and no. You can leave out the carrots and celery if you prefer, but I highly recommend still including the onion and garlic for flavor!
Half and half is the best substitute and will give you a similar creamy texture, though the broth won’t be quite as rich. In a real pinch, you can use whole milk, but the broth will be thinner. Heavy cream works too, but it makes the soup feel heavier.
This can be caused for two common reasons, expired or improperly measured baking powder or flour. The dumplings use 1 tablespoon PLUS 1 teaspoon of baking powder! If you use just 1 tablespoon they will not rise properly.
Yes, cooking dumplings longer than needed can cause them to fall apart and essentially disappear into your soup! Dumplings are done once they are fluffy and cooked through, not raw and doughy in the center.
You can, but the texture of the dumplings changes when frozen and thawed, becoming softer and mushier. I recommend freezing just the soup base for up to 3 months, then making fresh dumplings when you reheat it.
It all comes down to the dumpling! Northern style uses fluffy drop dumplings, like the ones in this recipe. You scoop soft dough right into the broth and they puff up into pillowy little clouds. Southern style uses flat rolled dumplings instead. The dough gets rolled thin and cut into strips, so they cook up chewy and noodle-like, almost like a thick homemade pasta. Both are pure comfort in a bowl, it just depends on the texture you grew up loving!
Honestly, not much. It is a full meal in one pot with the chicken, veggies, and dumplings all together, so it does not need a lot alongside it. If I want to stretch it for company, I will add a simple green salad to lighten things up. But most nights we just grab a spoon and dig in.
More Comforting Chicken Recipes To Try
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings: Perfect for busy weeknights so you can let the slow cooker do all the work.
- Chicken and Dumplings Casserole: Your favorite cozy soup turned into a hearty casserole.
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings: Mostly hands-free with great flavor, it uses canned biscuit dumplings to keep it easy!
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken: Made with just 4 simple ingredients, it’s so easy, creamy, and flavorful.
- Baked Chicken Recipe: Marinated and baked to perfection, this chicken turns out juicy and tender with crispy skin.
- Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken: Another comfort food classic made with my favorite homemade Alfredo sauce recipe.
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Best Chicken and Dumplings I ever had! It turned out so good the dumplings were so fluffy and it was even better the next day!
My go to recipe for making chicken dumpling soup. The photo is the dumplings just put in the pot and a cooking for 15 minutes… I usually make a little bit more dumplings so I kind of double the recipe and shove the dough balls into the soup because that’s always the good stuff that you wanna get when you’re eating that soup… Highly recommend this recipe
I absolutely love this dough‼️‼️ It’s so very easy to make and it is delicious. I didn’t use any vegetables in my dumplings and I used leg quarters (cut meat off bone once done). I also make smaller dough because I don’t like them large. This is my go to recipe when I can’t get my mom to make her famous homemade chicken and dumplings.
I made this Chicken and Dumplings. Didn’t stray from ingredients. There was enough leftover for one bowl. I actually dreamt of this the night I made it. (What kind of witchcraft was this?) I got up early and heated that leftover for breakfast, omg! So good!
This was so perfect! Made it at the cabin, used chicken thighs and cooked them to make broth. This was the PERFECT recipe.I will continue to make it.
This recipe is phenomenal. The best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever had! I make this for my family often and they absolutely love it. I’ve made it for a couple of different friends lately, who have had surgery and needed a meal. Everyone raves about it.
Oh my gosh! Winner winner chicken dinner! We love chicken and dumplings and ive made a million recipies. None of them have been THE recipe until now! Not only us this creamy, delicious and soul satisfying, its an easy, no fuss recipe! My husband is an evaporated milk fan and I really believe that to be the key to this delicious gravy. I never woukd have thought to use it!! I made two batches in the tine it took to make one for some friends. Now they think im a genius cook! Ha! This is it! Will make over and over
This chicken and dumplings is the best I ever had. Grandmoms was good, but this was GREAT, This recipe come together in 30 minutes. By the way this is a great way
to use your Costco Rotisserie Chicken. Thank you this made my day.
I’m 30 minutes?! Not a chance. I do double it, but I prep the chicken and vegetables one day, then make the soup the next and it still takes 1.5 hours. I do double the recipe but bringing it to a boil takes time. Well worth the time
It took me 1.5hours to make too😊💓… not doubling, just hella pregnant and waddling around the kitchen. Lol. We enjoyed it. Yum.
I have made many Chicken n dumplings. This is the BEST I have ever made! Thank you.
I’ve followed a lot of chicken and dumpling recipes that were good but this one is by far the most delicious, and the dumplings are so light and heavenly! I will cherish this recipe!
Absolutely fabulous recipe, my boyfriend is hooked he loves it, thank you! 💞👋
I just want to say I love the dumplings. They turn out delicious every time! Reminds me of the dumplings my Mom made when I was a little girl❤️
I’ve made this several times now. The dumplings are really delicious, and it comes together so fast.
Omg i just made the chicken and dumplings and it was excellent.My first time making the dumplings from scratch.Thank you so much=)=)÷)
I have wanted to do Chicken and Dumplings for quite a while but couldn’t quite get my nerve up. However, last night I printed out this message and cooked it up!. It was to DIE FOR! And so easy. The dumplings came out just like I remember Mom making so long ago. I did have some left and I will enjoy it tonight. I’m very thankful I saw your recipe. It will be one of my “heritage” recipes for sure!
Dumplings just don’t keep. Pig out on them becuz they’re not good the next day. We have the stew another night and make fresh dumplings again! Oh dumplings are so, so good.
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and have added 1 cup mushrooms, 1 cup peas and 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup with extra minced garlic. So thick and creamy it’s more of a meal than a soup and delicious. Love this recipe!
Somebody made this exact recipe for me last week! I was in love at first bite. I am making it for my hubby as soon as I get back from the grocery store. Bye!
I love this recipe. It was quick came together beautifully in my crockpot the dumplings I will eat alone. The chicken is the sidekick. Thank you for sharing your recipe. It was a great guide for me.
I can agree with dumplings alone! So delicious. I did add green peas to my delicious chicken last night for color but the dumplings were divine alone!
Fabulous! Light, fluffy- just like a dream! I recently tried another chicken and dumplings- but the dumplings were flat like pir crust! YUCK! These are perfect- thank you!
The very best recipe! My entire family loves this and asks for it often.
This is a fabulous recipe. I have made it several times and it never disappoints!
Oh my gosh, this is absolutely the BEST chicken and dumplings recipe ever! The soup is so flavorful and the dumplings were light and fluffy. Perfect amount of spice…perfection in every way!!!
Made this soup today for the first time. It turned out great. I will definitely save this recipe.
Best Chicken and Dumplings I have ever eaten. I make it for my adult daughter and she loves it. Especially good in cold weather. I find when I bake the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper that is all I need as long as you season as you shred it. It does take me awhile to get it together but its so worth it. Im glad I use the carrots now as they do add flavor.
This looks heavenly. I have been making variations of this recipe for over 50 years and my dumplings never looked like these. I will definitely be trying this recipe real soon. Thank you for your recipes. When I make my chicken and dumplings I sometimes add seasonings I use in stuffing.
Truly lovely recipe. We make it often as a family and it’s always so good!
I made this and used a rotisserie chicken meat. Turned out great. Thanks for the recipe