Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is a classic comfort food dish. This hearty version is made with tender egg noodles that couldn’t be any easier to make and rotisserie chicken. Simple, satisfying, and SO good.
Be sure to try my homemade chicken noodle soup next – it’s a warm bowl full of love!
Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Homemade chicken and dumplings from scratch is one of those comfort food recipes that always felt like they needed to be reserved for a special Sunday dinner, like it was something grandmas spent most of the day preparing in the kitchen.
And while I’m sure there are some chicken and dumpling recipes that take all day to prepare, this isn’t one! Instead, this comfort food recipe takes a few shortcuts to save time without sacrificing any flavor.
Using a time-saving rotisserie chicken makes this budget-friendly meal a cinch to pull together, and nothing goes to waste because we use the rotisserie chicken to make an ultra-rich savory broth, too. The dumplings, as I mentioned above, are also made from simple homemade egg noodles which have an incredibly forgiving dough that requires little time to prepare.
There’s truly no way to mess up this easy chicken and dumplings recipe and with just 20 minutes of prep, it doesn’t have to be saved for a special occasion either.
Ingredients Needed
In this recipe, we’re taking basic chicken broth up a notch with some added ingredients and also making the dumplings from scratch. Nevertheless, the ingredients list is still quite short and full of pantry staples.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
For the Soup
- Chicken – I use store-bought rotisserie chicken to keep things super easy.
- Onion – You’ll want to peel the onion and cut off the root but otherwise keep it intact.
- Garlic – Peel and smash but no need to mince.
- Seasonings – Dried rosemary & thyme plus salt and pepper season the chicken broth.
- Chicken broth – I recommend using low-sodium broth.
- Carrots, Celery, and Parsley – Add flavor, texture, and color to the recipe.
For the Dumplings
- Flour – Simple all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder – To give the dumplings some lift.
- Salt – For flavor.
- Cold butter – Makes the dough rich and tender.
- Eggs – Gives the dough structure.
- Cold water – It’s important to use cold water to prevent the butter from melting too soon.
Recipe Variations
Make this recipe your own with these easy variations.
- Add more veggies. If you’d like to add more veggies toss in 1/3 cup of frozen green peas just before serving.
- Use raw chicken pieces instead of rotisserie chicken. Place the broth and chicken in the dutch oven, adding aromatics if desired. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove and shred the chicken, then strain the broth.
- Use turkey instead of chicken. If you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, you can easily make turkey and dumplings instead of chicken and dumplings. A great way to use up leftovers!
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
Making this dish from scratch is not nearly as difficult as you may think! And you can easily work on a few parts simultaneously, like letting the broth simmer while you prepare the dumpling dough.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Prepare the broth base. Shred the meat from the chicken. Place the bones, skin, and juices in a soup pot with the onion, garlic, fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Top with enough broth to cover the chicken, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to allow it to simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
- Make the dumpling dough. Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs, and 1/2 cup water until the dough forms one ball. It may be slightly sticky.
- Knead the dough. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface. Knead the dough, adding sprinkles of flour as needed, until it forms a soft dough that is no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
- Form the dumplings. Flatten half of the dough with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll it out, flipping it over and flouring as needed. It should be about as thin as a credit card. Cut into 1-inch squares. Gently round up the noodles with your fingers and lightly toss with flour. Set aside and repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Strain the broth. Remove the chicken carcass from the broth and strain.
- Cook the noodles. Add the remaining broth, bring it to a boil, and add the shredded chicken, carrots, and celery. Add the noodles, stirring immediately. Simmer, partially covered, until the noodles are tender and cooked through.
- Enjoy. Taste test the broth and add more salt or pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.
How to Make A Jumbo Batch
Need to make chicken and dumplings for a crowd? You can easily adapt this recipe to making a jumbo batch. The process will stay the same but the amount of each ingredient will vary (and not necessarily double).
I recommend using two shredded chickens, 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon plus a pinch salt, 4 tablespoon butter or shortening, and 2 eggs. (I do not recommend adding an additional egg.) Start with 1/2 cup water, adding more as needed to bring a soft dough together. Then proceed with the recipe as usual.
How Do I Know If My Dough Is Too Sticky or Too Dry?
The dough should not stick to your hands, countertop, or rolling pin. If it does, your dough is too sticky. Simply dust it with flour, or knead in another tablespoon of flour.
On the flip side, if the dough appears cracked or crumbly at all, it’s too dry, and you need to knead it more. If kneading doesn’t help, add a sprinkle of water with your fingertips and knead.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this homemade chicken and dumplings recipe – especially for working with the dough.
- This dough recipe is very forgiving and impossible to mess up. If it’s too sticky, simply add more flour. If it’s too dry, add sprinkles of water.
- Why won’t my dough roll out? Do not skip resting the dough. This allows the proteins in the flour to relax, making it easier to roll out. If your dough is still difficult to roll out after resting for 10 minutes, cover it and try again in 5 minutes.
- The thinner you roll out your dough, the more tender the dumplings will be. Rolling out the dough VERY thin, they will puff up considerably when they hit the hot broth.
- Add more broth if desired. If you would like your chicken and dumplings more soupy, simply add more broth.
Video: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Serving Suggestions
These easy chicken and dumplings are the perfect meal on their own. However, if you want to add a side, buttermilk biscuits or dutch oven bread are perfect for ensuring you soak up every bit of the tasty broth.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Storing leftovers. Store any leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that by the next day, the dumplings will have absorbed all of the liquid. Use any reserved broth to loosen it back up if desired.
- To reheat. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently, or microwave individual servings in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
More Comfort Food Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP
- 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 onion , peeled and root cut off, but kept intact
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- handful of fresh parsley sprigs/leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- pinch dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 64 ounces low-sodium chicken broth , divided
- 2 large carrots , slice into thin rounds
- 2 ribs celery , diced
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for dusting
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter (or vegetable shortening) , cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup cold water
Instructions
- Shred the breast and thigh meat from the chicken and set aside. In a large dutch oven or soup pot, place the chicken bones, skin, and any juices from the tray. Add in the onion, garlic, a few sprigs fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and the salt and pepper. Top with enough broth to just cover the chicken (about 32 ounces), bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, covered with the lid cracked, while you prep the dumplings.
- For the dumplings: In the work bowl of a food processor; add the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs, and 1/2 cup water. Pulse and process until mostly combined, about 1 minute. If needed, slowly stream in more water as the processor is running, just until the dough forms into one ball and begins to thump around inside the bowl. The dough should be well combined, and may be slightly sticky. (Alternatively; combine all dry ingredients, butter, eggs, and 1/2 cup water in a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until mostly combined. Switch to using your hands to combine and knead until a soft dough forms, adding sprinkles of water as needed.)
- Generously flour your work surface and turn out the dough. This dough is very forgiving. If the dough is sticky; knead the dough, adding sprinkles of flour as needed, until a soft dough forms that is no longer sticky. If it appears dry or cracked; knead for 2 to 3 minutes until a smooth dough forms, adding a sprinkle of water if needed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, divide in half. Place one half of the dough on a generously floured work surface and flatten it with your hands. Use a heavy rolling pin to roll the dough out, flouring the dough generously, and flipping it over as needed. It should be very thin, about as thick as a credit card. Use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut into 1-inch squares – this is a rustic dish do not worry about being precise! Use your fingers to gently round up the noodles and toss lightly with flour so they don’t stick together, place them in a bowl and set aside. Repeat the rolling process with the second ball of dough.
- Remove the chicken carcass from the broth and strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer. Add in about 12 more ounces of broth. Bring the broth back up to a boil and add the shredded chicken, carrots, and celery. CAREFULLY add the noodles to avoid splashing the hot broth, stir immediately.Simmer partially covered until noodles are tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnish with fresh parsley.
Absolutely delish and delightful! So yum! Lived the dumplings especially. Will make again. Love all her recipes bc they all so good and made w love. I watch Amy on Tik Tok always and that’s where I find/see her amazing recipes!
Loved this recipe