Homemade Chicken and Dumplings is a hearty, creamy, and flavorful classic soup that I make all year round! It has fluffy homemade dumplings, tender chicken, carrots, herbs and cooked in a flavorful chicken soup! It’s completely made from scratch and can be on your table in less than 45 minutes. 😉 

This is what I crave any time I feel like myself or someone in the family is coming down with something. A few weeks ago all three of the boys and myself were sick with bad colds and the one morning I woke up craving this soup so bad. LOL I fixed a big pot for myself before 10am, still in pajamas. I swear it works better than medicine. 😉 But I do have to admit that I get spoiled with my mom’s homemade chicken broth that I always have on hand when making this soup. 

Chicken and Dumplings means one thing… stick-to-your-bones comfort food! Hearty chicken soup with tender dumplings that are cooked right in the broth and simmered for 20 minutes. The broth turns into a delicious and creamy, rich broth that is seasoned with rosemary, thyme and garlic.

You can make this chicken and dumplings dish in less than 45 minutes. I usually bake the chicken breasts while preparing and prepping everything else but feel free to use a shredded rotisserie chicken. That’ll save you so much time and still give you that homemade taste. 

Yield: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large chicken breasts. Shredded
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/3 cup milk (preferably whole or 2%)

DUMPLINGS

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk*

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush on both sides evenly with olive oil and sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. 
2. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts. I always use a cooking thermometer (I’m extremely paranoid about undercooked chicken!) and 160F is when it’s fully cooked, making sure to check in the thickest part of the breast. 
3. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. You can either shred it with two forks once it’s cooled or throw it in the bowl of your mixer and shred it with the paddle attachment. 
4. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper, and stir well. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. 
5. While vegetables cook, you can mix up the dumplings. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt – whisk it to combine well. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk and eggs and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix!
6. Add ¼ cup flour to the veggies and stir until it coats all the vegetables, then continue to stir until the vegetables turn golden, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock 1 cup at the time, stirring well while adding the stock so the mixture thickens. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot. Turn the heat up a bit and bring the mixture to a simmer, then let it cook for about 10 minutes. After it starts bubbling, turn the heat back to medium. You want it to thicken up a little but not burn the bottom. Add in the milk and stir well. Drop large spoonfuls of dough all around the top of the pot (I use my biggest cookie scoop). Don’t worry about overcrowding the pot and cover the entire soup with dumplings. Let the soup mixture “bubble” for 12 minutes so it cooks the dumplings, then after 12 minutes, gently flip the dumplings over with a spoon and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. This is very dumpling heavy, which we love! But you can half it if you’re not up for it. 😉 Serve immediately and dive in! 
8. For reheating the next day, just add a bit of stock or milk.

RECIPE NOTES

• If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, just add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to a glass measuring cup of 1 scant whole or 2% milk. Combine and let it stand for 5-10 minutes until it’s thickened. It will not become as thick as regular buttermilk, but you will not notice the difference. 

Adapted from Tyler Florence