This EASY Chicken and Dumplings recipe is a comforting, creamy chicken soup with simple homemade dumplings that make it irresistible! It's hearty, loaded with vegetables, and is the perfect meal to make on a chilly day.
Looking for more soup recipes? Try Cioppino, Beef Noodle Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, or Pozole Verde!
Why I love this recipe:
- Comforting – One of my favorite soups to enjoy on a chilly day, homemade Chicken and Dumplings soup hits the spot every single time!
- Crowd Pleaser – Every age family member loves this meal. It's full of flavor, loaded with fresh veggies and homemade dumplings and lower in sodium than store-bought. The taste can't be beat.
How to make Chicken and Dumplings:
Sauté Veggies: Heat a large pot with oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion and sauté for 3 minutes then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Dump in butter and flour and whisk well for 1 minute.
Pour in Broth and Seasonings: Stir in chicken broth and bouillon, scraping up anything on the bottom. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding. Add evaporated milk and peas to the broth.
Make Dumplings for Soup: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add milk, sour cream and melted butter. Stir until combined, but don’t over mix.
Add Dumplings: Bring soup to a simmer and then use a small spoon to drop teaspoon-sized amounts of dough all over the top of the simmering soup (the dumplings will double in size as they cook).
Simmer: Cover the pot and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes. Remove lid, gently stir to break dumplings apart, and scoop out a dumpling to check for doneness. If still doughy, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Stir in chicken.
Serve: Ladle warm chicken dumpling soup into bowls or bread bowls, with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make this easy chicken and dumplings 1-3 days ahead of time, excluding the dumplings. When ready to eat, rewarm on the stove, bring to a simmer and add dumplings.
To Freeze: Leftover soup may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw chicken and dumpling soup overnight in the fridge before rewarming on the stove.
Recipe Variations:
- Chicken: I recommend thighs, because they have more fat and won't dry out or overcook as easily, but breast meat will also work. To use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (or turkey), simply skip the step of cooking the chicken, and stir in cooked chicken just before cooking the dumplings.
- Bouillon: I use chicken better than bouillon base because the flavor is bolder, but 4 regular chicken bouillon cubes may be used.
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings: Prepare steps 1 and 2 in a skillet. Add everything to slow cooker, and add chicken. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (if using thighs) or High for 2-3 hours. Make dumplings and spoon them over the top of the hot soup, as directed in this recipe. Press them under the liquid a little before applying the lid. Slow cook on HIGH for 45 minutes. Break dumplings apart if needed and test for doneness.
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Recipe
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 celery , ribs, diced
- 2 carrots , large, diced
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste , better than bouillon base*
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 12 oz evaporated milk , canned
- ½ cup frozen peas
- fresh chopped parsley , for garnish
For the Dumplings:
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons butter , melted
Instructions
- Sauté Veggies: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil. Once hot, add celery, carrots and onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add butter and flour and whisk well for 1 minute.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bouillon, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Stir add evaporated milk and peas.
- Make Dumplings: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add milk, sour cream and melted butter. Stir until combined, but don’t over mix.
- Add Dumplings: Bring soup to a simmer and then use a small spoon to drop teaspoon-sized amounts of dough all over the top of the simmering soup (the dumplings will double in size as they cook).
- Cover the pot and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes. Remove lid, gently stir to break dumplings apart, and scoop out a dumpling to check for doneness. If still doughy, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Chop chicken and add to soup.
- Serve warm, with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top.
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
1 ½ cups celery, 1 ½ cups carrots, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, ¾ unsweetened almond milk, ¼ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurtPer Serving Amount
508 gramsMacros
530 kcal, Fat: 20g, Carbs 50g, Protein: 38gNutrition
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Hands down best chicken and dumplings ever!!! Easy to make and tastes delicious!!
I made this for dinner for my son and husband and both enjoyed. Deemed it as a make again. Pretty much followed the recipe. However, my package of thighs weighed and I cooked it all in the broth to have in hand but did not use it all in the soup. I do think it would be helpful to know if the herbs called out were rubbed, ground, or whole. I ended up using whole dried herbs, the amounts called for, and then grinding with a mortar and pestle but later added more to enhance flavor. I do not like spikes of dried herbs, especially rosemary, in the finished product. I would also suggest adding weight measurements for the flour. My dough was not as wet as that in the video. I used king author flour and have experienced this before when using cup measurements. Weighing flour is the most accurate way to go. Still turned out well though. Thanks very much
My go to recipe for this dish. I tripled the thyme rosemary and oregano.
Hi Lauren. I plan to make this tomorrow for my parents and a few close friends. I’m not too sure about dropping the dumplings so have a question. Can the dumplings be rolled out and cut into strips before adding to the soup? If so, how thin should I roll them and do I need to change the recipe to roll them out? Thanks in advance!!
Hi there, these dumplings are too wet/moist to roll out. If you’re looking to add more of an “Egg nooge” type of noodle that you can roll out, you could add one batch of this recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-egg-noodles/
Now this is the one! I’m deleting the other chicken & dumpling recipes I have because this is the keeper. So delicious, can’t wait to make it again. And thanks for turning me on to the better than boullion base.
I followed your recipe exactly, and it came out soooo good! This one’s a keeper!! Thanks for sharing 🥰
I love this recipe. I did a few things a little different. I slow cooked my chicken the day b4 and kept the stock after shredding my chicken. I used both leg quarters and drumsticks. Also, I added mushrooms and fresh zucchini to the list of veggies and used store brand biscuits(cut in halves) bc they are so fluffy and soft. The broth was fabulous and it was so easy to make. Absolutely love this recipe! Thank you!!
Easy and so delicious. I took your advice and used boneless chicken thighs.
I’m going to tell you. My husband was NOT thrilled with me making chicken and dumplings tonight. He was expecting something bland like he has had before. But not.this.recipe. He was pleasantly surprised with the flavor and just told me, “Ok…you can make this again!” I didn’t have peas, but it was still delicious. This is a keeper!!!
My family really loved it. They want me to make it when we go on vacation.
What a fabulous recipe! My husband and I LOVED it. I added tons of peas and celery (didn’t have carrots) and served it with freshly made, crusty bread. I think the only modification I’ll make for next time is use slightly less chicken broth because we like soups with more substance to liquid ratio. Thank you!