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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My husband and I made this recipe for Christmas dinner today. It was wonderful! Flavorful and filling. Thanks for sharing this recipe.💕This will be filed as a favorite!
Wonderful thick creamy soup! I did take another reviewers advice and made herbed dumplings (I added garlic powder, thyme and sage). I also added garlic powder to the broth as well. We all loved it and my daughter even asked if she could take some home with her.
This recipe is perfect! One of my favorites I’ve ever made and my bf agreed. I use rotisserie chicken to make it a little more convenient and add one potato diced to the broth boil. Five stars thank you
I’ve made this several times now, and even my picky partner likes it. There’s 2 small changes that I use, I add tyme, sage, and basil to the dumpling dough for a wonderful flavor bonus, and I add half a teaspoon roasted granulated garlic to the soup. Absolutely love this, so thank you for the recipe!
I haven’t seen a recipe with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and I was afraid it was a typo and I would end up tasting baking powder in my dumplings. I’m making this now and am making a judgment call and cutting the baking powder down to 1.5 teaspoons. If I fail it’s on me. I’ll try to remember to report back.
Yummy but too salty. The bouillon would be enough
Loved the flavor the extra bouillon added! I made a side batch with gluten free dumplings and mushrooms for my vegetarian daughter and I. It was great!
Wonderful light fluffy dumplings. I live with 4 teenage boys, my sons, someone ate all the dumplings! I contemplated making more but the chicken and vegetables in the creamy gravy can stand alone. Thank You for this recipe.
Just made this and it is absolutely delicious. I did as some other commenters said and used a little more flour in the dumplings (about 1 & 3/4 cups, maybe a smidge more). Thanks for the recipe!
Best ever! I made the single batch, which was gone much too quickly, so I made a double batch two days later. My intention was to freeze half, but it didn’t last long enough to do that🤣 A huge hit with the entire family! Thank you!