Old Fashioned Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

This cozy, old-fashioned recipe delivers tender shredded chicken swimming in a rich, buttery broth, topped with thin, rolled dumplings. Made entirely from scratch, it’s the ultimate comfort food that easily feeds a crowd and tastes best served warm straight from the Dutch oven.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

• Servings: 10

• Calories: 615 kcal per serving

Ingredients

For the Broth & Chicken

• 2 to 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs)

• Water (enough to fully cover the chicken in your Dutch oven)

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter

• 2 packages chicken bouillon (or 2 spoonfuls of bouillon paste/powder)

For the Dumplings

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted

• 3 large eggs

• ½ cup 2% milk

• 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided (3 cups for the dough + 2 cups for rolling)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 drops yellow food coloring, or a pinch of turmeric (for color)

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken:
   Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven and add enough water to cover it completely. Stir in 1 stick of butter and the chicken bouillon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through—about 45 minutes for breasts, or 1 hour and 15 minutes for a whole 3-pound chicken.

2. Shred the meat:
   Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool slightly. Keep the flavorful broth in the Dutch oven. Once cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, then shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set the chicken aside (do not add it back to the pot yet).

3. Make the dumpling dough:
   In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the melted stick of butter with the eggs until smooth. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine. Gradually add 3 cups of the flour, mixing as you go, until a sticky dough forms. Stir in the yellow food coloring or turmeric until evenly distributed.

4. Roll and cut the dumplings:
   Sprinkle a clean work surface (or wooden board) with about 2 cups of the reserved flour. Place about 1 cup of the sticky dough onto the floured surface and knead in enough flour until the dough is no longer sticky and can be rolled out thinly. Roll the dough very thin, then use a pizza cutter to slice it into strips. Repeat with the remaining dough in batches.

5. Cook the dumplings:
   Bring the broth in the Dutch oven back to a rapid boil. Drop in the first batch of cut dumplings, then immediately reduce the heat to low and let them simmer gently while you roll and cut the next batch. Continue adding dumplings in batches, keeping the pot at a low simmer and stirring gently to prevent sticking.

6. Finish and rest:
   Once all the dumplings are in the pot, gently stir in the reserved shredded chicken. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid, and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the flavors to meld and the broth to thicken slightly.

Notes

• Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The dumplings will absorb broth overnight, thickening the mixture. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring carefully and adding a small splash of water or broth if needed to loosen it up.

• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended, as the dumplings can become mushy or change texture upon thawing..