Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
This recipe starts with a whole chicken simmered to tender perfection with veggies and seasonings. Simple dumplings made with pantry ingredients are simmered in the broth until plump and tender. This is a family favorite that will be requested again and again!
Homemade Chicken and dumplings is good ol’ comfort food at its best. While I love quick and easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings, there is nothing quite like a meal that is completely homemade.
Making old fashioned chicken and dumplings from scratch is much easier than you’d think. Most of the time is spent letting the broth simmer until it is flavorful and the chicken is cooked to tender perfection.
This recipe starts with chicken, onion and carrots simmered on the stove. When making the broth I choose a large onion and leave the skin on to add extra color and flavor to the broth. Feel free to add in your favorite herbs such as bay leaf, a pinch of poultry seasoning and fresh parsley. Once the chicken is cooked, it is removed from the broth along with the vegetables.
We like to eat the veggies as a side dish but feel free to chop the carrots & celery and add them back into your broth.
Ingredients
BROTH
- 1 chicken cut into pieces
- 1 onion
- 3 large carrots cut into thirds
- 3 stalks celery cut into thirds
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- salt & pepper to taste
- bay leaf or a pinch of poultry seasoning optional
DUMPLINGS
- 1 3/4 cups flour plus extra for dusting
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
OTHER
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- parsley for garnish
- Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest
Instructions
- Combine chicken, onion, carrots and celery in a large pot. Season to taste.
- Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. While broth is simmering, prepare dumplings below.
- Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Discard skin and bones and chop remaining chicken, set aside.
- Gently add dumplings to broth. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- Stir chicken (and vegetables if desired) into broth and cook about 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
DUMPLINGS
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt and shortening with a fork until shortening is mixed in.
- Add milk a little at a time and mix until combined (you may not need all of it, you want a soft but not sticky dough).
- Knead a few times on a floured surface until dough is smooth.
- Generously flour your surface and roll the dough out to 1/8? thick. Cut dough into 1? x 2? strips. Flour generously to avoid sticking.
- Cook in broth as directed above.
TO THICKEN BROTH (OPTIONAL)
- In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water.
- Add to boiling broth a little bit at a time stirring to reach desired consistency.