Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
This chicken and dumplings recipe is a family favorite. My mom gave me the initial recipe, and I improvised to make it my own. Feel free to add your own twist. But the basics here are solid – my kids love this healthy meal.
Chicken and dumplings is easy to make – just start heating the broth and water, and add ingredients as you cut them up. By the time you spoon dumplings on top, everything else is pretty much cooked.
I tend to make a big pot of chicken and dumplings so that we have leftovers. As a single parent, I love having extra to save. You can heat leftovers up for lunch the next day, or have a pre-made dinner ready to heat up later in the week.
Here’s the recipe:
Chicken and Dumplings
Use a tall sauce pan, or a big pot
Heat a 32oz carton of chicken broth with about as much water (32oz) – it’s totally fine to dilute the broth, because you’ll be adding chicken pieces
Cut up 1.5 lbs or so of chicken breast (or whatever part of the chicken you like) into bite-sized pieces, and add it to the broth and water
Dice half a white onion (or a whole one, if you’re bold) and drop it in the pot
Chop up 3-4 carrots, and add to the pot
Add one can of corn
Add one can of green beans
Maybe 2-3 pieces of celery chopped up, if you have it
(If I don’t have corn or green beans, I sometimes add peas)
Drop in a bay leaf if you have one. Whoever gets it in their bowl will have good luck for a week! (I tell my kids that, anyways) Feel free to add other spices. Just experiment. It always turns out great. Don’t stress!
While the chicken soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings…
Dumplings
Mix in a metal bowl:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt (or a little less)
4 Tbsp chopped parsley – I never measure this. I just chop up a good handful.
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk (I use whole milk)
4 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil, but canola or whatever should work)
Barely stir together for soft dough!
Drop in 12-16 spoonfuls onto chicken stew. They’ll probably sink a little, but no worries. Just spread them around the pot.
Put lid on pot and DO NOT REMOVE for 15 minutes.
Serve in bowls. Mrs. Dash is a good topping.
Your kids will love this chicken and dumplings recipe, I promise.
Bock-bock-bokaw!
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Comment by Cathouse Teri
| January 29th, 2009
This looks sooooooooooooooooooooo good!
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..All The World’s A Stage
Comment by T
| January 29th, 2009
Ya know, my mom grew up in the sticks of Loooziana and my grandma made THE best chicken and dumplings EVER!!!
I have her chicken and dumplings recipe somewhere… you’ve inspired me to look it up. I still remember when my grandma was telling me the ingredients for the dumplings, she said,
“Or you can skip all that and just use refrigerated biscuits. But don’t you go tellin’ everyone that I cheat sometimes!”
Ha! Ok, Grandma.
*hope she doesn’t strike me down!*
T´s last blog post..Wrasslin’
Comment by Dr. Leah
| January 29th, 2009
T: Your grandmother was so right. Sometimes it’s okay to cheat. My favorite “cheat” is ready made pie crust that you just unroll and put in the pan.
Great for quiche, which I have discovered men do eat.
Comment by MindyMom
| January 29th, 2009
This chicken and dumplings recipe is perfect for me right now since I am fighting the sniffles!
MindyMom´s last blog post..Mother & Daughter
Comment by Exception
| January 29th, 2009
I love these – or I used to. My dad always thought I was crazy to go to a restaurant and order them as he grew up on such foods.
Exception´s last blog post..When is Enough Enough?
Comment by junctionmama
| January 29th, 2009
hi there!
i’m a newbie in the single parenting blogging universe and it’s nice to see a blog by a single dad with good taste in music :)
i found your blog through your facebook group and i also just created my own network on ning.com.
cheers from canada ;)
junctionmama´s last blog post..Quote of the Day
Comment by krn
| January 29th, 2009
Mmmmm. This chicken and dumplings recipe sounds so good.
If a man I was into made this for his kids and invited me to join them for dinner, I’d ask him to meet me on the sofa after the kids are asleep. Just saying, this could melt a woman’s heart, Dad’s. Add a ripe mango for two, a fire in the fireplace and a Dark and Stormy to share and she’ll be all yours. Make sure she’s right for you first, because she may never want to leave! ;)
Comment by krn
| January 29th, 2009
Just wanted to add that I think it was the “Bock-bok-bokaw” at the end of your chicken and dumplings recipe that got me started. Anyone else get a super cute visual from that?
LOL!
Comment by dadshouse
| January 29th, 2009
I don’t drain the cans. I figure the liquid there is a drop compared to the chicken broth and water. Frozen corn or frozen green beans work fine for this chicken and dumplings recipe, too.
As for bread – I love Alfaro’s yeast-free sourdough, baked in Santa Cruz. It’s a daily staple in my house. I don’t bake my own. I’ll bet yours is awesome!
Comment by katherine.
| January 29th, 2009
oh yum….I haven’t made chicken and dumplings in forever…I never used the canned veggies…do you drain them?
I’m collecting sourdough starter recipes….Do you have one? I’m getting ready to start baking sourdough again. In the past I’ve been given starter already bubbling…but don’t know anyone who has one these days.
katherine.´s last blog post..the fam….
Comment by Myrna
| January 29th, 2009
Wow David! I’m impressed! I’m an ole’ southern gal whose chicken and dumplings recipe has been handed down 5 generations. It mostly involves throwing a bird in a pot of water, boiling it till the meat falls off, adding dumplings into the broth and the “pieces” and stuffing your face until you think you’ll blow up. I like the fact you add vegetables. I’m trying your recipe.
Comment by justrun
| January 30th, 2009
Yum! What time’s dinner?!
justrun´s last blog post..Brought to you buy exhaustion, caffeine, and the letter F
Comment by katherine.
| January 30th, 2009
laughing…I always have fresh baked sourdough in our home…I actually live in santa cruz….
katherine.´s last blog post..the fam….
Comment by SoloMother
| January 31st, 2009
AARG! Canned veggies! For shame.
At least use frozen, man.
SoloMother´s last blog post..Sick day
Comment by Electric Smoker
| February 21st, 2009
I love me some chicken! Thanks for sharing that chicken and dumplings recipe. Here’s a quick tip for when you’re in a hurry and you need grilled chicken fast. First of all, you need to buy the pre-cooked grilled chicken packages at Sam’s Club. They are in the frozen section. They’re mesquite flavored…and quite tasty. So anyway, when you’re in a pinch, just pop these babies in the microwave (about 5 minutes for two), and they come out hot & ready to eat. You can cut them up into strips to use in a salad, eat them as is, or make a sandwich out of them.
Comment by Coliemom
| October 1st, 2009
The idea about the one who gets the bay leaf will have good luck is adorable! My kids will love that! Your recipe sounds amazing, but I have one question? Do you ever add potatoes/. I cannot find a Chicken and Dumplings recipe with potatoes, but it just sounds good to me. Is there an obvious reason that Im missing why I shouldnt add them? I was thinking maybe just one or two to a pot, cut very small? What do you think? Thank you for taking your time to add the recipe and respond..God Bless–Coliemom
Comment by dadshouse
| October 1st, 2009
Coliemom – I think if you cut potatoes into pieces and boil them they will turn into mashed potatoes after 15 or 20 minutes. This recipe cooks longer. I’m guessing that’s why you haven’t seen potatoes in a chicken and dumplings recipe. I wonder if you drop in a few new potatoes, uncut, if they’d cook the right amount? Fun to experiment.
Comment by Brandon
| November 13th, 2009
I made your recipe for the first time, and I have to say, its flippin amazing. My whole family loves it. For a quick recipe, I went to wal-mart and purchased a original rotessarie chicken, and pulled the meat out. I was perfect! Thank You so much for the recipe. Thank You and God Bless!
Comment by mags
| January 5th, 2010
I have a really stupid question. Does the chicken breast in this recipe need to be cooked before you put it in the broth?
(I’m a beginner in the kitchen)
Comment by dadshouse
| January 5th, 2010
Mags – you can put raw chunks of chicken in the broth and it will cook. I usually put the chicken in first, then take my time cutting and adding vegetables, just to be sure the chicken cooks for long enough.
Comment by Ross
| January 11th, 2010
I am in the process of cooking this recipe and wanted to know if the broth mixture thickens up after its been cooked? Its all coming together great, but that is my only worry.
Comment by dadshouse
| January 11th, 2010
No, the broth does not thicken much. The dumplings should cook into good form. Enjoy!
Comment by Jenny
| February 12th, 2010
Thank you for the recipe. I’m having it tonight.I love simple recipes.that don’t cost much. Thanks again
Comment by Dren
| February 13th, 2010
I am cooking this right now and I have to thank you. After dropping the dumplings in I mixed some baking powder with a touch of heavy cream to add SLOWLY to the dish. This thickened it up quite a bit and gave just the right consistency. Hope this helps. Thank you for this post.
Comment by Christy
| February 16th, 2010
I have tried a few times to make GOOD chicken and dumplings, its always turned out bland and just not good. So I tried this recipe. Its delicious. The dumplings are wonderful, and even my picky family ate this and wanted more. Right now I am cooking up another pot. Thanks for such a fantastic recipe. :)
Comment by DEBORAH
| February 25th, 2010
I MAKE MINE MUCH THE SAME WAY, BUT I USE MORE BAY LEAVES,GARLIC,FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER, AND KOSHER OR SEA SALT, CELERY SEED, LEFTOVER MASHED POTATOES IF I HAVE THEM, FRSH OR CANNED VEGETABLES, FRESH CARROTS,ONIONS OR GREEN ONIONS, CELERY AND MAKE MY OWN BROTH FROM COOKING THE CHICKEN IN WATER…..I DEBONE THE CHICKEN AND ALSO MAKE MY OWN DUMPLINGS AND SOMETIMES I EVEN ADD EGG NOODLES…..MMMM GOOD..
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING A SINGLE PARENT AND BEING A MAN WHO ACTUALLY COOKS……I DO ALL OF THIS ON A DAY THAT I HAVE EXTRA TIME TO DO SO…..
Comment by Jen
| February 27th, 2010
I haven’t had Chicken and Dumplings for YEARS! I mean YEARRRRS! My then step-mother used to make them every now and then, and *always* scorched them. But even scorched, we loved dumplings. So I decided to try this last week – your recipe is brilliant! I did what I always do with “toss in” recipes, and tossed in a few substitutions and variations. I cooked the chicken from raw, and it took about 30-40 minutes to cook through – very manageable.
Anyway, the whole point in me commenting was to STRONGLY suggest that people go toward the 16 dumpling count as opposed to 12. I thought “oh, 12 big yummy dumplings, yes!” but noooooo! They were far too large (and I’ve never made dumplings, ever, so I had no knowledge about cooking them) and I cooked them 20 minutes with the lid on (distracted by the kids) and they were still doughy and very thick on the insides.
Don’t do 12!
I was worried about the thin broth, as my memory served a thick gravy-like liquid, but once the dumplings were in, it thickened to a wonderful consistency. This will be my go-to recipe for C&D! Thank you!
Jen´s last blog ..Happy Big Red Birthday