{"id":5019,"date":"2018-10-02T11:52:05","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T16:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/?p=5019"},"modified":"2021-08-05T09:52:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T13:52:12","slug":"easy-chicken-and-dumplings-from-scratch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/easy-chicken-and-dumplings-from-scratch\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe<\/strong> is SO FAST AND EASY to make from scratch in only 30 minutes<\/strong> if you use rotisserie chicken and store-bought (or other pre-made) <\/em>broth! It’s a fast, easy comfort food to make on busy nights. The fresh thyme in the perfectly fluffy dumplings<\/strong> sets it over the edge! The chicken and dumplings broth can be made thick and luscious like a gravy, or more thin like a soup depending on preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This, my friends, is comfort food at its finest. It has all the taste of chicken pot pie without the effort (because who has time to deal with a pie crust on a busy weeknight?)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the fluffy dumplings with a biscuit-like texture, the juicy, tender shredded chicken, and the creamy, thick broth, this easy chicken and dumplings recipe will have you and your whole family literally RUNNING to the dinner table!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post I’ll explain how to make this easy chicken and dumplings from scratch in only 30 minutes with a few simple shortcuts, and give my best tips and tricks for getting the fluffiest dumplings that still hold their shape!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this chicken and dumplings recipe is SO FAST!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, chicken and dumplings is a labor-intensive process, involving boiling an entire chicken to make stock, waiting for it to cool, and de-boning it, not to mention making dumpling dough by rolling and flattening out biscuit dough. It makes a mess and takes hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But almost every “quick and easy” recipe for chicken and dumplings I’ve come across uses processed ingredients like condensed canned creamed soup and pre-made biscuit dough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to make a version of chicken and dumplings that was fast and easy to make but used as few pre-made, processed ingredients as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can make this chicken and dumplings recipe in only 30 minutes<\/strong> if you use shredded rotisserie chicken<\/strong> (or leftover roast chicken<\/a>, poached chicken<\/a>, or meat from a slow cooker whole chicken<\/a>)<\/em> and store-bought chicken broth<\/strong> helps save loads of time without sacrificing any of that down-home, from scratch taste! Easy peasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to make Easy Chicken and Dumplings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’m telling you, this recipe for chicken and dumplings could not be easier. It cooks up super fast in only one pot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. First, sauté some diced carrots, onions, and celery in some butter. Tip:<\/strong> use the rib AND the leaves from the celery, if you have them. The leaves are packed with flavor!<\/li>
  2. Then, sprinkle some flour on the veggies and stir around to coat, and add some chicken stock and bring to a boil. The flour will help thicken the gravy-like broth to a perfect consistency.<\/li>
  3. While the soup is coming to a boil, mix the dumpling dough: flour, salt, baking powder, fresh thyme, melted butter, and milk.<\/li>
  4. Once the soup comes to a boil, add some milk and the cooked chicken to the pot. Add scoops of the dumpling dough to the broth, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. Done! Told you that was easy.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    One thing to keep in mind: if the soup doesn’t seem that thick at first, don’t worry<\/strong>. Some of the flour from the dumpling dough will also seep into the broth, thickening it a bit more, and it will also thicken as it cools some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Tips and Tricks for making the BEST fluffy Dumplings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There are two kinds of dumplings used for chicken and dumplings. The first is a flat dumpling- the dough is rolled out and cut, then dropped in the soup. The result is a thick noodle-like consistency (like Cracker Barrel’s chicken and dumplings)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The other kind of dumpling is more biscuit-like: fluffy, round balls of dough that expand and cook after being dropped in the soup. This chicken and dumplings has the fluffy kind of dumplings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the best tips to getting the fluffiest dumplings that won’t fall apart with the PERFECT texture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Use white flour, not whole wheat.<\/strong> Whole wheat tends to be a bit dense and has less gluten, so the result won’t be as fluffy. If whole grains are super important to you, try a combination of half white and half whole wheat flour.<\/li>
    2. Don’t overmix the<\/strong> dough. <\/strong>Stir it until it’s just combined and you can’t see any powdery flour anymore.<\/li>
    3. Use a cookie scoop<\/a> to scoop the dough into the soup<\/strong>. This will ensure that all the dumplings are evenly sized and fairly round.<\/li>
    4. No peeking!<\/strong> Keep the lid on for 15 minutes while the dumplings cook. This will trap the steam and also ensure you don’t stir it, which may smush the dumplings and affect their texture.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      How to make the broth thick and gravy-like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Craving a more substantial broth? Some readers have commented that the base of this chicken and dumplings is a bit thin for their taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you want a more gravy-like base to this chicken and dumplings recipe, just increase the amount of flour added to the veggies. <\/strong>Add about 2 tablespoons more flour, more or less depending on preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Other easy comfort food recipes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n