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My chicken and dumplings recipe is thick, creamy, and packed with tender chicken, so it eats like a real dinner instead of a bowl of soup with a few dumplings tossed in. Every bite is savory and buttery, with dumplings so soft they practically melt into the broth. Forty-five minutes, no dumpling dough to roll, and rotisserie chicken makes it even faster.

Bowl of chicken and dumplings with carrots and a spoon on a wooden table.
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I turn to chicken and dumplings once the weather turns, when I want something that eats like a full meal instead of a bowl of soup. It skips the all-day dumpling project, and it’s ready in under an hour with enough left over for the next day. Eight servings means it works for a full table too.

I pulled the seasoning out of the dumplings on purpose, so they take on the broth’s flavor instead of competing with it, and I make them smaller than a lot of recipes call for. That’s the difference between a dumpling that tastes like broth and one that tastes like a biscuit.

If you love a one-pot chicken dinner, my crack chicken casserole is another cozy, hands-off option for a busy night.

photo of Jen

TESTED FAVORITE

How I Got These Dumplings Soft, Not Dry, Every Time

I heard from readers that the dumplings could turn out gritty, so I put this recipe back through testing to find out why. They were not gritty when I made them exactly as written, but the bigger dumplings did come out a little dry in the center. Scooping them smaller fixed it. Smaller dumplings cook through more evenly and soak up more of that chicken broth, and I also pulled the seasoning out of the dumplings themselves so they take on the broth’s flavor instead of competing with it. This is the version I stand behind now.

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Here’s What Most People Skip

Most chicken and dumplings recipes tell you to drop the dough in by the spoonful, and that is exactly how dumplings end up dry in the center. A big spoonful looks right going into the pot, but it has to cook all the way through before the middle catches up, and by then the outside can turn tough while the inside stays gummy.

Use a small, 2-teaspoon cookie scoop instead, and leave space between each dumpling since they expand as they cook. A smaller dumpling cooks through evenly in the same 15 minutes, and it has more surface touching the broth, so it soaks up more flavor instead of sitting on top of it.

Don’t overmix the dumpling batter either. It’s supposed to be thick and a little paste-like, not smooth. Stir just until the milk is incorporated, then let it rest a minute or two before you start scooping.

Chicken and dumplings ingredients.

Key Ingredients

  • Better Than Bouillon Chicken: I use this instead of plain broth because it gives the base more concentrated chicken flavor, and you can taste the difference in the finished bowl. Chicken bouillon cubes work as a swap if that’s what you have, dissolved 8 cubes in the same 8 cups of water.
  • Butter and flour: These two are what turn plain broth into something thick enough to coat a spoon. Skip the flour step and you end up with a thin soup instead of the creamy texture this recipe is built around.
  • Bisquick: This is the shortcut that keeps the recipe to 45 minutes. You get a real dumpling without mixing your own dry ingredients or rolling out dough. I have not tested this recipe with a homemade dumpling dough or a different biscuit mix, so I can’t tell you it will turn out the same.
  • Garlic powder: It’s the only seasoning that goes into the dumplings themselves, on purpose. Anything more competes with the broth instead of letting the dumplings soak it up.
  • Rotisserie chicken: Swap this in for the cooked, shredded chicken breasts any time you want to skip a step. It shreds easily and saves you from cooking chicken from raw.
Ladle scooping chicken and dumplings from a pot.

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings

Step 1: Make the Broth Microwave the water and Better Than Bouillon together for 3 minutes, then stir well. This dissolves it faster than waiting for it to melt into hot broth on the stove.

Step 2: Build the Base Cook the carrots, celery, and onion in butter for about 10 minutes, stirring often so nothing browns. Stir in the flour, then pour in the broth and bring it to a boil. This is the step that turns thin broth into something thick enough to coat the dumplings.Hand stirring flour into diced vegetables and chicken in a pot.

Step 3: Add the Chicken and Simmer Stir in the shredded chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and salt, then turn the heat to low. Let it simmer gently while you mix the dumplings.Hand stirring chicken soup with carrots and celery in a pot.

Step 4: Mix the Dumplings Stir the garlic powder into the Bisquick, then drizzle in the milk and stir gently to combine. Do not overmix or the dumplings will turn out dense. Let the batter rest a minute or two before you start scooping.Dumpling dough mixed in a glass bowl.

Step 5: Scoop the Dumplings Using a small, 2-teaspoon scoop, drop the dumplings into the simmering broth with space between each one.

Step 6: Cover and Cook Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, then carefully turn each dumpling and cook uncovered for another 2 to 3 minutes.Cooked chicken and dumplings in a pot on a marble counter.

Slow Cooker Method

Add the raw chicken breasts, carrots, celery, and onion to the slow cooker. Whisk the flour into the broth mixture and pour it over the top. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot. Mix and scoop the dumplings the same way as the stovetop method, then drop them into the hot broth and cook until they’re cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Overhead view of chicken and dumplings in a pot with a ladle.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water since the dumplings soak up liquid as they sit.

Bowl of chicken and dumplings with a spoon next to the pot.

Ways to Switch It Up

This chicken and dumplings recipe is flexible if you want to add more vegetables. Frozen peas, green beans, corn, or mushrooms are common additions. Stir them in with the carrots, celery, and onion, or add frozen vegetables toward the end so they don’t overcook. I haven’t retested this exact version with every combination, so start with a small amount and adjust to taste.

Diced potatoes work too if you want to stretch the recipe further, though they’ll add cook time since they need to soften in the broth. If you’d rather have this in soup form, my chicken pot pie soup uses a lot of the same ingredients.

More Chicken Dinner Recipes

5 from 5 votes
chicken and dumpling in a bowl.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Author — Jennifer Fishkind
Serves — 8
This chicken and dumplings recipe is thick, creamy, and loaded with tender chicken, with dumplings so soft they melt into the broth. Ready in 45 minutes, no dumpling dough required.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

Chicken and Broth Mixture

  • 2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded (about 4 cups), rotisserie chicken would work perfectly in this recipe!
  • 8 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 carrots cut in half lengthwise and then diced (about 3 cups)
  • 4 celery stalks diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 small yellow onions diced finely (about 2 cups)
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Dumplings Mixture

  • 2 cups bisquick
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅔ cup milk

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine water and better than bouillon to make chicken broth. Place in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove and stir well. Set aside.
    8 cups water, 4 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken
  • In a large stock pot over medium heat, add carrots, celery, onion, and 4 tbsp butter. Stir well to combine. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure that the onions don’t burn.
    4 carrots, 4 celery stalks, 2 small yellow onions, 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • Add the flour and stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
    ½ cup flour
  • Add the shredded chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir well. Turn temperature to low and let simmer while making the dumplings mixture.
    2 large chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • To make the dumplings, add the garlic powder to the bowl with the bisquick and gently stir to combine.
    2 cups bisquick, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Drizzle the milk into the bisquick mixture and gently stir to incorporate the liquid. The dumplings mixture will be thick and paste-like, DO NOT OVERMIX. Let the batter rest for 1-2 minutes before scooping and dropping into the hot chicken mixture.
    ⅔ cup milk
  • Using a small (2 teaspoon) cookie scoop, gently drop the dumplings mixture into the simmering chicken and vegetables *leaving space between each dumpling because they will expand in size as they cook*. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the dumplings to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
  • Very carefully turn over each dumpling in the pot (being careful not to break them apart) and continue to cook, uncovered, for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and serve. YIELDS: 22-24 dumplings

Jenn’s Notes

Tips:
  • Use a small, 2-teaspoon cookie scoop for the dumplings. A bigger scoop makes a dumpling that stays dry in the center.
  • Don’t overmix the dumpling batter. It should be thick and paste-like, not smooth.
  • Leave space between the dumplings when you drop them into the pot. They expand as they cook.
  • Chicken bouillon cubes work as a swap for Better Than Bouillon. Use 8 cubes in 8 cups of water.
Storage:
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth or water.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1425mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5335IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments

  2. Hi. Is it one cup or 1/2 cup of flour that’s added to the broth? The recipe called for one cup but the directions listed for a 1/2 cup. So I don’t know which to use. Thank you & I’m gona make this delicious recipe.

    Reply

      1. Now the recipe reads . . . “Add ½ cup flour and stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
        ½ cup flour.” It reads like you add another 1/2 after you bring to a boil. (I love your recipes). Thanks.