How to Make the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings

The combination of chicken and dumplings is an American classic. Made with a thick chicken broth filled with vegetables, shredded chicken, and light dumplings, this dish is comforting and nourishing, and I make it when I need comfort food to warm up. As with many popular recipes, chicken and dumplings have many variations, with different chefs putting their own twists.

In my research, I came across many recipes that called for shortcuts like canned cream of chicken soup, rotisserie chicken, or buttermilk biscuits baked right on top of the broth. While these shortcuts are convenient, they don’t necessarily guarantee the tastiest version of chicken and dumplings. Canned soups are often salted, which means you can’t fully control the seasoning of the dish, and ready-made biscuits fall apart during the cooking and reheating process. I wanted chicken and dumplings with a rich, flavorful broth and dumplings that were light, but still had some weight to them. My recipe below is my ideal version, and what I make for myself and my family when we need a warm, comforting meal.

How to make super flavorful chicken and dumplings

If possible, make your own broth. While good quality Store-bought broth There is an option, I prefer to make my own, as it allows me to better control the flavor and texture of the base. My homemade broth is full of aromatics, including carrots, celery, bay leaves, and pepper, and includes a whole chicken. The meat gives the broth a strong poultry flavor, while the gelatin-rich bones add body. Plus: Using a whole chicken is the most practical option here, as it allows you to incorporate the cooked meat into the final dish.

Use a whole chicken, but separate the parts. While some cooks prefer to add a whole chicken to the pot, because the white meat cooks faster than the dark meat and dries out more easily, I remove the breast and legs from the rest of the carcass and then add each part to the boiling broth. Remove from Finishes cooking. Cooking the chicken in portions ensures that the white and dark meat remain tender and juicy.

Thicken the soup with flour. To help thicken the base, I coat the flour with aromatics, then add broth, evaporated milk, salt and Worcestershire sauce. As the mixture boils, the starch grains swell, thickening the soup.

Use evaporated milk. While many cooks use heavy cream, milk, or half-and-half, I like to reach for evaporated milk—not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk. To make evaporated milk, manufacturers cook fresh milk until about 60 percent of the water is removed, thickening it and concentrating its flavor. It adds richness and body to anything it’s used in, and here, it lends a delightfully velvety texture to my chicken and dumpling base. Pro-tip: Keep simmering gently and avoid bringing the soup to a simmer after adding the dairy, or the fat will split.

Let Worcestershire work its magic. A dash of Worcestershire sauce — made with malt vinegar, molasses, sugar, anchovies, onions and tamarind — is an incredibly easy way to add depth of flavor to a dish.

Add baking soda and sour cream for the fastest fritters. Baking Soda and Sour Cream Help the Biscuits Leaven: Baking soda reacts with the acidity of the sour cream, creating airy cookies while also creating an alkaline environment that weakens the gluten, which Makes softer dumplings. However, it is still important that you handle the dough lightly. Overworking the dough can create too much gluten, resulting in chewy, coarse fritters. I cook the dumplings straight into the soup, allowing them to absorb the flavorful broth. The starches in the dumplings also help thicken the soup, resulting in a rich, hearty meal.

Cook mode
(keep screen awake)