You know those days when you just need a hug in a bowl? Yeah, me too. A rainy day, a bad day at work, or just because it’s Tuesday. For me, that hug has always been a warm bowl of chicken and dumplings.
But a lot of recipes out there are just… too much. They take forever and have a million steps. Who has time for that? I sure don’t.
So, I’m going to share my super easy, crazy delicious chicken and dumplings recipe. This is the one that tastes like it simmered all day but actually comes together faster than you can decide what to watch on TV. Let’s get you fed and feeling good.
What You’ll Need
Getting all your stuff together first is a game-changer. Trust me. It makes everything go way smoother so you’re not running around like a crazy person. Here’s the simple list of what you need.
| Category | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| For the Soup | Cooked Chicken, shredded | 3 cups |
| Chicken Broth | 6 cups | |
| Cream of Chicken Soup | 1 can (10.5 oz) | |
| Yellow Onion, chopped | 1 medium | |
| Carrots, sliced | 2 medium | |
| Celery Stalks, sliced | 2 stalks | |
| Butter | 2 tablespoons | |
| Dried Thyme | 1 teaspoon | |
| Black Pepper | 1/2 teaspoon | |
| Salt | To taste | |
| Fresh Parsley, chopped | 2 tablespoons | |
| For the Dumplings | All-Purpose Flour | 2 cups |
| Baking Powder | 1 tablespoon | |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon | |
| Milk | 1 cup | |
| Melted Butter | 2 tablespoons |
Tools To Get The Job Done
You don’t need a bunch of fancy gadgets for this. Just the basics will do.
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Spoon or cookie scoop
How to Make Quick & Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Alright, this is where the magic happens. Don’t stress, just follow along. You got this.
Step 1: Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in your big pot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook them for about 5-7 minutes until they start to get soft.
Step 2: Pour in the chicken broth and the can of cream of chicken soup. Add the thyme and black pepper, then give it a good stir to mix it all together.
Step 3: Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
Step 4: While that’s heating up, let’s make the dumpling dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then pour in the milk and melted butter. Mix it just until it comes together. Don’t go crazy here.
Step 5: Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Now, drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough right into the simmering soup. A regular spoon or a small cookie scoop works great.
Step 6: Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 15-18 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID. I’m serious. The dumplings need that trapped steam to get all fluffy and perfect.
Step 7: After the time is up, you can finally peek. The dumplings should be big and cooked through. Gently stir in your shredded chicken and fresh parsley. Let it warm up for a minute or two. Taste it and add more salt if you think it needs it.
Pro Tips from My Kitchen
I’ve made this dish more times than I can count. Here are a few little tricks that make a big difference.
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Use a Rotisserie Chicken: This is my favorite shortcut ever. It saves so much time, and the flavor of a rotisserie chicken is way better than just a plain boiled chicken breast. Plus, you get both white and dark meat.
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Don’t Overmix the Dough: When you mix the dumpling dough, stop as soon as the flour is gone. If you mix it too much, the dumplings will be tough and chewy instead of light and fluffy. We want fluffy.
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Seriously, Don’t Peek: I know I said it before, but it’s the most important rule of dumplings. Lifting the lid lets all the steam out, and steam is what cooks them. If you let it out, you’ll get sad, gummy dumplings.
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Give Them Space: Don’t overcrowd the pot with dumplings. They expand a lot as they cook. Make sure to leave a little room between them when you drop them in so they cook evenly.
Possible Substitutions and Variations
Want to change things up? Go for it. Cooking is supposed to be fun, not a strict set of rules.
- Veggies: Not a fan of celery? Leave it out. Want to add some frozen peas or corn? Toss them in with the chicken at the end.
- Herbs: You can use fresh thyme instead of dried, just use about 1 tablespoon. A little bit of sage or rosemary is also really nice in this.
- Creamy vs. Brothy: If you don’t like a creamy soup, just skip the cream of chicken soup. You might want to add a little cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water) at the end to thicken it slightly.
- Biscuit Dumplings: In a real hurry? Use canned refrigerated biscuit dough. Just cut each biscuit into four pieces and drop them in. It works like a charm.
Swaps for Different Diets
Need to adjust this for a specific diet? No problem. It’s pretty easy to tweak.
| Diet | Suggested Swaps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-Free | Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (one with xanthan gum) for the dumplings. Use gluten-free cream of chicken soup. | The texture of the dumplings might be slightly different, but still delicious. |
| Dairy-Free | Use a dairy-free milk alternative like unsweetened almond or soy milk. Use oil or a vegan butter for the butter. | Ensure your cream of chicken soup is dairy-free or omit it. |
| Lower Sodium | Use low-sodium chicken broth and no-salt-added cream of chicken soup. Control the salt by adding it yourself at the end. | A rotisserie chicken can be high in sodium, so cooking your own chicken is a better choice here. |
Leftovers and Storage
If you actually have leftovers, they are amazing the next day. The soup gets even thicker and more flavorful.
Just put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, you can use the microwave or warm it up gently in a pot on the stove. You might need to add a little splash of chicken broth or water to thin it out because it gets really thick overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why were my dumplings tough?
Ans: You probably overmixed the dough. You want to mix it just enough to bring the ingredients together. The more you work it, the tougher the dumplings will be.
Q2. Can I freeze chicken and dumplings?
Ans: You can, but the dumplings can get a little mushy when you reheat them. If you know you want to freeze it, it’s best to freeze the soup base without the dumplings. Then when you’re ready to eat, thaw the soup, bring it to a simmer, and make fresh dumplings.
Q3. My soup seems too thin. How can I thicken it?
Ans: The soup will thicken up as it sits, especially overnight. If you want it thicker right away, you can make a small slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir that into the simmering soup (before adding the dumplings) and let it cook for a minute.
Wrapping Up
See? That wasn’t so bad. Now you have a go-to recipe for one of the best comfort foods on the planet. It’s warm, it’s filling, and it just makes you feel good.
Go ahead and give it a try. I promise you’ll love it. And when you do, come back and leave a comment to let me know how it went. I’d love to hear about it