This is the best homemade chicken and dumplings recipe you’ll ever make! Don’t believe me? Just check all the reviews! This thick, creamy, and flavorful soup is packed with tender chicken and fluffy dumplings made easily from scratch.
Jessica’s Recipe Notes
After many years of testing and tweaking, this homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is the one we make over and over again. Made completely from scratch, the broth is so flavorful and perfectly creamy. Then we load it up with lots of tender chicken and big, fluffy homemade dumplings.
Each bite tastes like it came straight from your grandmother’s kitchen. And I’m not the only one who loves it, with over 3,000 five-star reviews, many of you agree this is truly the best chicken and dumplings recipe! Just look what our test kitchen had to say:
“I made this chicken and dumplings recipe exactly as written with the raw chicken breasts as that is what I had on hand. The broth was super creamy with tons of flavor and the dumplings were so soft and fluffy. It was seriously so good that my daughter actually licked her bowl clean!” — Brittany, home cook, homesteader, and member of our test kitchen.
Dumpling Variations
This chicken and dumpling soup uses fluffy drop dumplings that are super quick and easy to mix together. They are made with a soft, biscuit-like dough that’s gently dropped into the simmering soup. As they cook, they puff up and soak in the creamy broth. If you prefer old-fashioned flat dumplings, you may want to try my recipe for Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings.
However, making chicken and dumplings with biscuits or using Bisquick dumplings are also popular shortcuts to save a little time. For Bisquick dumplings, mix together 2 cups Bisquick baking mix and 2/3 cup milk and follow the same cooking directions as my homemade drop dumplings.
Tips For Making This Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Making this homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is easier than you think! Below you will find a few tips, but please visit the printable recipe card below for the full directions.
I always use a rotisserie chicken, or shredded cooked chicken, since it makes this chicken and dumplings soup much faster. However, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Just add an extra cup of chicken broth and simmer it for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Then shred the chicken and continue with the recipe as written.
When adding the flour to the vegetables for the roux, cook it for about a minute before slowing adding in the chicken broth. This is what thickens the soup without the need of canned condensed soups.
Evaporated milk is my go-to trick for the best creamy broth. It adds body and depth without curdling or overpowering the flavor like heavy cream sometimes can. Whole milk or half and half will also work.
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I always scoop my soup dumplings with a cookie scoop as it is the easiest method. However, you can also use two spoons instead! Just scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough with one spoon and push it into the pot with your second spoon. Keep the dumplings similar in size so they cook evenly!
Once the dumplings have been added to the pot, gently press them down under the broth and place the lid on the pot. Once the lid goes on, don’t peek! Steam is what makes them puff up light and fluffy.
While the dumplings cook, keep your heat to a low simmer (with little bubbles popping up). If your heat is too high, you can scorch the bottom of your soup.
Cut a dumpling in half to check if it’s cooked through. If not, cook a few more minutes (with the lid on) and test again. Once they are cooked, ladle the soup into bowls and dig in!
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Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
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
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, or see notes below for raw chicken
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
- 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, 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 being 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. You are making a roux to thicken the soup and make it creamy. It's very important to keep stirring to prevent burning or lumps!
- 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.
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 until a dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop, 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. You can also use two spoons to scoop the dumplings. Use one spoon to scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, then use the other spoon to push the dough into the pot. Try to keep the dough balls the same size for even cooking.
- Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat to a low simmer. 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.
- Cook dumplings for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. Gently stir the soup/dumplings and cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through. About half way through the cook time, I will usually open the lid once and press the dumplings back under the broth. I will also break up any dumplings that may be sticking together.
- If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes and check again.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dense or sinking dumplings is usually caused by expired baking powder or improperly measured flour. Make sure to fluff the flour in the bag or canister with a fork, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Use a butter knife, scraped across the top of the measuring cup, to level the flour.
I like to use a combination of onion, carrots, celery and garlic. You could also add peas or corn, stirring them in right before you add the dumplings. If you prefer no vegetables, I highly recommend you still include the onion and garlic for flavor!
Yes! This crockpot chicken and dumplings is made with the same homemade dumplings as this version. For an easier version, try this slow cooker chicken and dumplings with canned biscuits. (You may also enjoy this instant pot chicken and dumplings!)
Yes! To thicken the soup, use cornstarch instead of flour. Before adding the dumplings, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the soup. For the dumplings, many readers have had success substituting this gluten free flour blend 1:1 for the flour.
Yes, but only the soup base, the dumplings need to be prepared fresh. Prepare the soup base up to 48 hours in advance. Cool and store the soup base in the fridge in an airtight container. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer. Prepare and cook the dumplings as the recipe describes.
Chicken and dumplings is best served fresh, however leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. I highly recommend storing the dumplings and soup separately. This will keep the dumplings from absorbing all of the broth.
Warm the soup on the stovetop or microwave, adding the dumplings during the last few minutes so they heat through gently. Want to prep ahead? You can make the soup base a day early and add fresh dumplings when you’re ready to serve.
More Comforting Chicken Dinner Recipes To Try
- I made this chicken and dumplings casserole — now it’s a staple in our dinner rotation. This Southern chicken and biscuits is also a must!
- Made with just 4 ingredients, we love this creamy garlic parmesan chicken!
- This crispy chicken fried chicken is comfort food at its finest.
- Juicy and tender chicken souvlaki recipe is classic Greek street food packed with flavor.
- Citrus and garlic transform simple baked chicken into a juicy, flavorful masterpiece.
- Fettuccine alfredo with chicken is made ultra-creamy with my best Alfredo sauce recipe.
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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!
I haven’t tried any other chicken and dumplings recipes but I am certain this is THEE best! Fell in love as soon as I tasted it. Had to leave a review, which I never bother to do! Definitely adding to my rotation as the weather is cooler.
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.
So flavorful! I followed mostly as written but added additional stock and it was still quite thick and creamy! Threw in lots of turmeric cuz we’re battling sickness right now. I found there to be plenty of dumplings, in fact I would use a smaller scoop next time personally. I cut my carrots into rounds instead of matchsticks and really liked it that way.
Found this recipe last year and made my boyfriend sick of it because I kept craving and making it for shared dinners. Only now do I have permission to make it again 🙂 Long live chicken and dumplings!!
I absolutely love this version of chicken and dumplings. My dumplings turned out dense so I guess I need to get some fresh baking powder but the soup was so rich and delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
I found lacking in flavor needs something
I have heavy whipping cream. Can I use it in place of evaporated milk? I am thinking not because it breaks down when you boil it.
Hi Bobbi! Yes you can, but stir it in towards the end to help prevent it from curdling! That’s the big benefit of evaporated milk – it won’t curdle like heavy cream can with heat.
My old dumpling recipe included an egg. What are the pros and cons of an egg in the dumpling batter?
Hi JoLene! Adding an egg to the dumpling batter will make the dumplings less fluffy and more dense in texture.
This was excellent, thank you for this. I left out the carrots (didn’t have any) but did everything exactly in the recipe. But next time I’ll have to double the soup and triple the dumplings. It was a hit too say the least. Amazing.
I made this last night. loved the chicken/vegis, however i didn’t like the dumplings. my question is – why couldn’t I add canned biscuits to this recipe, because I see you provide a different recipe if using canned biscuits.
Hi Dee! You absolutely can use canned biscuits instead, I linked to my quick style chicken and dumplings recipe because it gives the directions for how to prepare and cook the canned biscuit dumplings in the soup.
One of my favorite recipes! I found that the bigger dumplings make the best ones so if your dumplings are still dense even after reading the notes on it, try making them bigger! I would LOVE to meal prep this meal since it’s the best but how would you recommend freezing this if possible?
I batch cook and freeze chicken soup without adding any starch or roux. When I want chicken and dumplings I make a roux and dump the premade soup into the roux with the condensed milk and then proceed to make the dumplings. It’s slightly more work than if I froze a fully made soup but it’s a big improvement in quality, with the added bonus of also being able to choose chicken noodle or chicken and rice soup for the other frozen portions.
Great idea, Tyson! I will be sure to try it this way.
Hi Jenna! Glad you enjoy it as much as we do! Sadly, I don’t recommend freezing this soup. The dumplings themselves will soak up all the broth and turn into mush. You also have the possibility of the soup separating because of the creamy base. You can try freezing the soup without the dumplings, then making the dumplings fresh! Just know there is that possibility that the soup base may separate when reheated. To try to prevent that, I would thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and reheat it slowly on the stove, stirring often, before adding the dumplings. Hope this helps!
PHENOMENAL was my husbands response, this was amazing! Only recipe I will ever use for chicken and dumplings! I used broth from skin on breast and thighs and TBSP chicken bouillon paste. Dumplings were perfection!
Made this today, and we both loved it. Its a winner. Think I’ll make the dumplings a bit smaller next time. But they, plus the soup, were very delicious. I just need to learn not to over cook the chicken. I’ll definitely be making it again
Absolutely LOVED this meal! I did use coconut milk (dairy sensitivity) instead of the evaporated milk/or half and half , and left out the thyme (didn’t have any). Used a Costco rotisserie chicken as well. Definitely going to be making this again.
The soup was very delicious. The whole family loved it. However, the dumplings never fully cooked in the middle. I let them cook about twice as long as the recipe said to but they were still doughy and floury inside. Any suggestions?
I know what you mean by doughy and dense! But after more experimenting, I realized you need to add more milk to make it a wet dough!
Hi Michelle! When you say the centers were raw – do you truly mean raw uncooked dough? Or just a soft doughy texture? Drop dumplings are doughy in the center, it’s just the type of dumpling they are. So you may prefer canned biscuit dumplings or rolled flat style dumplings instead! I have both options in other recipes, hopefully one of them will match your tastes better. 🙂
Flat/Rolled Dumplings: https://thenovicechefblog.com/southern-chicken-and-dumplings/
Canned Biscuit Dumplings: https://thenovicechefblog.com/quick-and-delicious-stove-top-chicken-and-dumplings/
It is good to know that is the type of dumpling they are. They were not raw, just not as cooked as I expected. Thank you for sharing the other recipes – I will check those out.
To die for! This recipe is elegant comfort food! I used half and half instead of evaporated milk. I will be doing this one again.
What can I replace the milk with for the dumplings?
Hi Sandra! You can use any liquid and they will work, but it will alter the taste and possibly texture. The milk adds fat, making them tender. However, you could use something like chicken broth too.
Excellent recipe, I enjoyed!
Honestly this is the best recipe & I’ve made chicken n dumplings for years. I used a few different recipes depending what I felt like having, but every now & then I searched for a new one. So glad I found this one! i’ll be making it again soon. It was that good. I used fresh baby carrots instead of matchstix and I always do the dumplings from bisquick mix. great tasting recipe.
I made this recipe today. I made my own broth from the wings, skin, and the rest of the carcass from a Costco rotisserie chicken. I omitted the Thyme in the soup and added 1 Tblsp. of parsley to the dumplings which comes from my childhood. Mom made awesome dumplings.
This is an excellent recipe. I will use it again and adapt the process to a couple of other soups we love.
I have been craving chicken and dumpling soup for weeks. After a long week at work I decided to treat myself to comfort in the form of soup. I found this recipe immediately and was hopeful based on reviews. I’m normally the type to tweak a recipe before I even try it but something told me to test it like is first. I am so glad I did. Honestly one of the best soups I’ve had in a long time. This soup is like getting a hug from your mom after a really terrible day. This is a soup I could absolutely see myself making for friends or family to show them just how loved and cared for they are. I am convinced that anyone who just needs a little extra something after a long day could find comfort in this. The dumplings were flavorful and the soup itself was rich and filled with the flavors of thyme and veggies. I’ve already shared the recipe with 3 people and will be adding this to my collection of recipes to be saved.
This turned out GREAT!