Chicken and dumplings is a comfort food from the southern region of the United States. It’s a seriously hearty and tasty dish. A true, scratch made, chicken and dumplings takes a decent amount of time. But if you want the short version, scroll down.
The Long Version
To make the full (long) version of chicken and dumplings takes three separate steps:
- Cooking the chicken and making stock
- Creating the chicken broth for the dish
- Making the dumplings
I prefer making my chicken stock via a slow cooker. I chunk up the veggies into the bottom of the slow cooker, toss in some seasonings, and then top with chicken. To have the best flavor for the chicken broth, you really need to use bone-in chicken. I prefer chicken thighs because they are the easiest bone-in pieces to pull the meat off the bone after cooking.
Once everything is cooked, I pull the chicken out and then blend the veggies in a blender to include all those goodies in the broth. I toss in some more seasonings to make it bomb!
Short Version
You can do chicken and dumplings
- The easiest way to make the broth quickly, chunk the veggies and chicken breast into a stock pot. Cover that with water, and let that boil or simmer until the chicken is done.
- Pull the chicken out to cool and blend the veggies in the stock, add some more seasonings, and you’re good to go
- Then make your dumplings
- Steam the dumplings in the broth until puffy
- Then cut the chicken into chunks and toss in, and you’ve got cheater chicken and dumplings
Regardless of which route you go, you will end up with an amazing, heart, truly comforting, dish. A huge bonus is that this will freeze and thaw beautifully so you can do some great meal prep with it! My trick is to spoon single portions into quart freezer baggies to reheat a single serve bowl later. Sometimes I need to add in a little chicken broth when reheating, but that’s easy peasy.
Chicken & Dumplings
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
Chicken Stock
- 2 cups chunked celery I like using the leafy insides
- 1 large yellow onion you can use less if you prefer
- 2 whole carrots leave the skin on for extra flavor
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- greek seasoning
- salt & pepper
Chicken Broth
- Knorr chicken bouillion
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- pepper
Dumplings
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 2 tsp bacon drippings
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
Making Chicken Stock
- Cut the celery, onion, and carrots into large chunks. Place veggies at the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle veggies with greek seasoning.
- Layer the bone-in chicken on top of the veggies, sprinkling skin with salt and pepper
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours
Making Chicken Broth
- Using a spider or large slotted spoon, carefully remove all the chicken onto a plate to cool.
- Scoop the boiled veggies into a blender and blend well so that no pieces exist
- Pour the blended veggie broth into a large stock pot over medium heat to boil
- Once it is boiling, lower the heat to simmer and begin making the dumplings
Dumplings
- Measure flour and poultry seasoning into a mixing bowl or stand mixer, whisk them together.
- Add shortening and bacon drippings, mix on low till flour resembles course sand.
- Add milk and stir on low until dough comes together, feeling like playdough.
- Roll dough onto floured surface to desired depth and cut into preferred dumpling shape. Using a spatula, transfer dumplings into simmering chicken broth. Give them a stir to avoid them sticking together
- Cover and simmer the dumplings for 20 minutes.
- Once dumplings have cooked and are puffed up, de-bone chicken and drop chicken into the pot.
- Give the pot a stir, cover, and let chicken warm back up. Serve chicken and dumplings warm.
