by Texas Homesteader
There’s not a much better comfort food than homemade Chicken & Dumplings. I always have homemade broth on hand so when I have leftover chicken it’s my kinda quick & easy southern comfort to whip up chicken & dumplings from scratch. It’s a very versatile recipe and you can add whatever seasonings float your boat.
I’ll share the basic recipe I use, although I’ll admit I throw in whatever sounds good at the time or whatever I have waiting to be used. I’ve used beef broth instead of chicken broth, carrots, no carrots, celery, no celery, etc.
All came out deliciously.
Although I’ll be canning my chicken broth this winter so I can store it in the pantry, when I make broth during the heat & humidity of a typical Texas summer I freeze it instead. I just can’t stand the thought of adding even more heat & humidity to the house by canning when other options exist!
This time I’m using frozen broth. So the night before I simply take a container of chicken broth from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight.
First Add Veggies To Broth
The following day when I’m ready to start making my chicken & dumplings I’ll pour the broth into a deep pot & put it on the heat to simmer, usually tossing in a handful of whatever dehydrated veggies I want so they can rehydrate right there in the broth.
Typical additions for me are chopped onion and celery and also a chopped carrot. If you don’t have dehydrated veggies tossing the fresh counterparts in at this point would be appropriate.
I also chop about 2 cups of chicken and have it ready to drop into the simmering broth at the end. You can use more or less chicken based on how much leftover chicken you have available or how meaty you want your chicken-n-dumplings to be.
Making The Dumpling Dough
While the broth is simmering and the veggies are rehydrating/cooking I whip up my homemade dumplings using a bit of flour, baking powder, milk, shortening and seasonings. My typical seasoning is simply salt, coarsely-cracked pepper and thyme.
This makes a pretty stiff dough.
Cooking The Dumplings
Now that my broth is simmering nicely I pinch off about a teaspoon of my dumpling dough. I roll it into a small ball & press it gently between my palms to flatten it somewhat before dropping it into my broth.
This procedure is continued until all my dumplings are simmering in the broth. I give a very gentle stir and put the lid on the pot to allow it to simmer for 12-15 minutes. (depending upon the size & thickness of your dumplings).
It’s important not to stir the dumplings too much when they are in dough form as they will dissolve into your broth. (Ask me how I know. Eh hemmm….)
Sometimes I Like To Thicken The Broth
After the dumplings have cooked I remove the lid and stir again very gently. Oftentimes the broth of my chicken & dumplings is not quite as thick as I like it.
If that’s the case I’ll take a jar and add about 1/4 cup of flour with enough water or broth to make a thin paste, stirring until the flour is completely incorporated and no lumps remain. Then I pour this thickening into my simmering broth stirring very slowly & gently. My broth always thickens up beautifully.
Now is the time to drop in my chopped chicken and leave just enough for it to get heated through.
This chicken & dumplings recipe fed RancherMan & me a hearty supper. Plus I still had enough leftovers for a couple of lunches for each of us. Gotta love it!
Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
Leftover chicken makes a homemade chicken & dumplings dish quick and easy! #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Cups Chopped Cooked Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Onions
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Celery
- Dumplings (recipe below)
DUMPLINGS:
- 2 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt (or salted chicken seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon Coarsely-Cracked Black Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Shortening (sometimes I use bacon grease instead)
- 1/2 Cup milk
Instructions
Dumpling Directions
-
Combine flour, baking powder, thyme, salt & pepper. Cut in shortening, add milk and knead until all ingredients are combined to make a stiff dough.
Chicken & Dumplings Directions:
-
Make dumplings & set aside. Boil broth and add veggies. When broth is simmering start dropping in dumplings by pinching off 1-teaspoon dumpling dough, rolling into a small ball and pressing the dough ball between palms to flatten slightly. Drop dumplings into simmering broth. When all dumplings are in the broth stir gently, cover pot and simmer for 12-15 minutes, depending upon the size and thickness of your dumplings.
-
If broth is not thick enough after the dumplings are cooked, mix up about 1/4 cup of flour with enough water or broth to make a thin paste & stir until no flour lumps remain. Then pour into simmering broth and stir very gently just to incorporate thickening and keep dumplings from sticking to the pan. When it's as thick as you want it, add the diced cooked chicken and heat a few minutes more until heated through.
~TxH~
Want to see other Meal Ideas?
- Poor Man’s Stuffed Steak (hamburger)
- Award-Winning Cowboy Chili
- Slow-Cooker Spicy Sticky Chicken
- Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Lasagne Cooked In Its Shell
- Savory Meatloaf
- Lazy Cook’s Chile Relleno
- Hot & Hearty Cabbage Stew
- Homemade Chicken & Dumplings
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole
- Meat-Stuffed Ravioli
- Homemade Pork Tamales
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Homemade Pasta – Only 3 Ingredients!
- Southwest Chicken w/Seasoned Brown Rice
- Meat & Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Homemade Tamales (includes Instant-Pot shortcut)
- Homemade Meals Every Day – The EASY Way!
New Meals Remade With Leftovers
- Planned Leftovers: Easy Slow-Cooker Pork Roast
- How To Quickly Shred Leftover Roast
- Fast Food: Remaking Leftover Steak & Veggies
- Leftover Mashed Potatoes Into Potato Cakes
- Leftover Biscuit Dough? Make Cinnamon Rolls!
- Hearty Stew – Quickest Planned Leftover Meal Of All
- Pulled Pork Enchiladas From Leftover Roast
- Planned Leftovers: Carnitas Tacos From Pork Roast
- Leftover Meatloaf Made Into Quesadillas
- Leftover Chicken & Zucchini Noodles with Herb Bombs
- Chicken Tortilla Soup From Leftovers
- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Made Easy
- Chicken & Dumplings Using Leftover Chicken
- Using It ALL – The Art Of Eliminating Leftover Food
- Leftover Navy Beans Into Delicious HUMMUS!
- Leftover Turkey & Dressing Into Patties
- Homemade Meals Every Day – The EASY Way!
…and MUCH MORE!
See All Our Recipes
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Thank you for the instructions to thicken the broth. I’ve never cooked with shortening before but this tasted delicious and we’ll add it to our regular line up. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you love it as much as we do Lindsey. There are two things I always use shortening for – my pie crust and my chicken & dumplings. Enjoy – it’s a great cold-weather meal during the winter months! ~TxH~
Chicken and dumplings are the perfect fall food ! This looks really good. Thanks for linking up at Family Joy Blog Party!!
Thyme in the dumplings sounds good! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up and don’t forget to leave a comment at the party – Next week’s features that also leave a comment get pinned and tweeted!
This looks so good. My husband will love it!
It seems like forever since I’ve made homemade dumplings. Your yum-looking recipe, along with the change of the seasons, has inspired me to make some chicken and dumplings verrryyy soon. Thanks! –Ginger
Yum, this looks so good! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday, hope to see you again next week!
Pinned this one too! I LOVE chicken and dumplings.
Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you again this week!! I pinned this to My 2 Favorite Things Pinterest Board!
This looks amazing! I have never had or made chicken and dumplings (crazy, huh!). However, we have a freezer full of chicken we processed last winter that I am going to try this with! Thank you for sharing on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! 🙂
This looks yummy! I should really surprise my husband with this meal with the temperatures cool. Mornings have been wonderful but need another 10 degree drop before I’m ready for soup. Thanks for the recipe looks pretty easy and I happen to have a rooster that’s ready to go.
sounds yummy
I love chicken and dumplings. Definitely comfort food and I remember many a dumpling that my Mother and Granny made. Good times!
I can’t remember the last time I had this. I will have to put it on the menu. Still hot here (FL) though so it will be a while, lol. Thanks!
We have Chicken & Dumplings relatively often Bobbi. It’s oodles better in the cold weather just for the coziness of it, but it’s still pretty hot in Texas right now too and it was still a delicious supper for us recently. ~TxH~
Sure does look delicious and Good for the soul
Now I have had chicken noodle soup and used the veggie broth but I must admit; I have Never had or made dumplings before. Guess I was always intimidated in making them so never have; but never to old to learn new things; no matter what the person’s age is :}
Will be giving them a try……using your recipe of course.
Thank You
OMGoodness Colleen, chicken-n-dumplings evokes fond childhood memories for me – I grew up on the stuff! I love that it’s a quick delicious and very low-cost meal for us. ~TxH~