Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

These were a staple in our house when I was growing up. I still remember the smell of the kitchen and the taste of all the flavors. My mom used a dumpling mix from a box so I’m excited to share with you my recipe for Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings. The dumplings are made from scratch and do not take anytime to prepare.

Ingredients

Soup

Chicken breasts or (a roasted chicken will work great too)

Extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

Medium onion, diced

Medium carrots, sliced

Cremini mushrooms, or baby bella (sliced)

Garlic cloves, minced

Chicken bone broth

Whole/raw milk

Soft white wheat flour (or you can use all-purpose)

Italian seasoning (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme, Rosemary or parsley)

Real salt (adjust to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Fresh parsley or thyme, chopped (for garnish)

Dumplings

Fresh-milled or all-purpose flour

Baking powder

Black pepper

Real salt

Italian seasoning

Whole milk or buttermilk

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Directions

1.  Cook the Chicken:

Heat olive oil or butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add chicken, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until done (internal temp should be 165°). Remove and set aside. If using a cooked roasted chicken, see below for when to add it to the soup.

In the same pot, add onion, celery (if using) and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Next, add the flour and stir, making a paste. Slowly, whisk in the chicken broth. It should be a smooth texture.

Add in the milk/buttermilk, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a slight boil (on medium to low heat), then reduce to a simmer. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 20 minutes.

2.  Add/Shred the Chicken:

Shred the meat with a fork and a knife, discarding bones and skin (if using a roasted chicken). Return shredded chicken to the pot. Add peas (if using).

3.  Make the Dumplings:

•  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, seasoning and salt/pepper. Add the milk/buttermilk Stir until just combined—don’t overmix; the batter should be thick and slightly sticky.

•  Drop tablespoon-sized portions of dumpling batter into the simmering broth, spacing them evenly. (A small cookie/ice cream scoop works well for uniform dumplings.)

4.  Cook the Dumplings:

•  Cover the pot and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through (a toothpick inserted should come out clean). Avoid lifting the lid too often to keep steam in.

5.  Serve:

•  Ladle soup and dumplings into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve hot.

Notes

For variety, add 1 cup of frozen peas or 2 celery stalks, diced for more flavor. See directions above or on the printable recipe card below.

Chicken thighs would be great in this recipe too. Just prepare them the same way the chicken breasts are cooked.

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A Southern Staple

Chicken and dumplings became particularly associated with the American South during the 19th century. The dish was a product of agrarian life, where families raised chickens and grew vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, which form the backbone of the stew. Dumplings, made from basic pantry staples (flour, water, or milk), were an economical way to make a meal more filling, especially during tough times like the Great Depression in the 1930s, when the dish surged in popularity. Southern cooks refined the recipe, creating two main styles of dumplings:

•  Fluffy, biscuit-like dumplings: Common in the Upper South, these are light, fluffy, and often made with baking powder, resembling a drop biscuit. These resemble the ones made from the common box called Biquick.

•  Flat, noodle-like dumplings: More prevalent in the Deep South, these are rolled out and cut into strips, similar to German spaetzle or British suet dumplings. These resemble the ones you get from Cracker Barrel.

I actually like them both ways. The biscuit type are a little quicker to prepare but they are both delicious. The dish’s prominence in Southern cuisine was further cemented by its role as a communal, family-oriented meal, often served at gatherings or Sunday dinners. It was a dish that could feed many with minimal ingredients, making it a symbol of resourcefulness and hospitality.

Why Make Your Own Dumplings

Well, for the most part, they are much healthier if you make them from scratch. The brand Bisquick was created in 1931 by Betty Crocker (General Mills). It became a household name for all the wives and cooks of the home. Bisquick was to make it “quicker” to make things like biscuits, dumplings, pancakes and more. Let’s look and see the ingredients in this box.

This so called box that was supposed to make things quicker and easier for us has just filled our bodies with junk. There is nothing in here that is good for us. Nothing. First, the flour is “enriched” with synthetic vitamins and minerals and it’s bleached. Lots of seed oils are in here as well. There is also sugar, dextrose and we don’t know what kind of salt is in the mix. I don’t recommend buying this. The original idea came from a chef on a train back in 1930. A General Mills salesman was on board and asked the check if he could whip up something quick but filling.The chef had a pre-mixed blend of lard, baking powder, flour and salt that he stored in an ice chest. From that batter, the chef could whip up delectable, homemade biscuits in a matter of minutes. This is where the Bisquick idea was created.

DIY Dumpling Mix

Ok, so here are the ingredients to make your own mix. It’s just a few:

• Fresh-milled flour or a cleaner flour (see below for one I recommend)
• Baking powder
• Real salt
• Black pepper
• Whole milk ( I use raw milk)
• Fresh Herbs

That’s it folks. So simple to make and you probably have everything in your pantry. You can fill a jar with all the ingredients (minus the milk) and have it ready to go. If using fresh-milled flour, you wouldn’t be able to add that to the jar as the nutrients start oxidizing in a matter of days from grinding the wheat.

Where to Buy Grains

I have been a co-op leader for BreadBecker’s since 2016. We order 3x a year. If you ever get a chance to visit their store, I highly encourage you to go. It’s in Woodstock, GA and you’ll spend hours in there browsing through all of their goodies. If you are local to me, send me an email at [email protected] for more information on joining our co-op. 

Because I bake year-round, sometimes I run out of my grains. I have found a few companies that I trust to fill in the gap until my next order is ready to arrive through BreadBecker’s. I have researched all of them and they meet my standards. All organic, non-gmo, no glyphosate, no fertilizers, and no pesticides. These family owned companies even have fresh milled flour. More about this down below.

Azure Standard – They sell 5lb bags to 50lb bags. Azure Standard also is a big organic grocery store and they deliver to a town near me every month. I hardly go to the big box grocery stores anymore.

Sunrise Flour Mill – (receive 20% off, no code needed)

Guardian Grains – (receive 15% off, enter code: lhsimpleliving)

Keep Reading

The above companies also have fresh-milled flour that is shelf stable. Because they grind the wheat using a “unifine” process, it retains all the nutrients. Yes, it’s so convenient and you are still feeding your body with good ingredients.

There are some millers who use a Unifine Mill. It processes the entire bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain into a nutritious, whole-grain flour in one step. Instead of crushing or cutting the grain, the Unifine process uses a high-speed rotor with a single-pass impact system to instantly pulverize the kernels of grains, never subjecting them to the high temperatures common in regular grain milling. Using the entire grain without any heat means the valuable nutrients of ancient grains are retained, so the whole grain flours have longer shelf-life, better flavor, and more nutrition. In fact, Unifine flours are packed with many times the nutritional value than commercial roller-milled flours and stone ground flours — they contain almost four times as much dietary fiber, more than twice as much potassium, and three times as much magnesium. 

With the Unifine Milling process, the result is a texture lighter than traditional wheat flour, but with all the benefits of the whole grain and its natural oils. Unifine flours are ideal for fine-textured breads. Note that Unifine flours require a little more liquid than other flours, because the oil molecules remain intact.

Tools Used in This Recipe

Dutch oven

Ladle

Real Salt

Blue-striped bowl

Resources

https://therike.com/blogs/health-beauty-tips-trends-and-wellness-insights/the-truth-about-raw-milk

https://rawmilk.com/the-shame-of-pastuerization

https://www.organicfacts.com/raw-milk.html

https://www.rawinstitute.org

https://www.generalmills.com/news/stories/how-bisquick-got-its-start

https://oldrecipeblog.com/vintage-recipes/what-is-the-history-of-chicken-and-dumplings-from-the-south/

I hope this old-fashioned chicken and dumplings recipe brings either a memory from your childhood (like me) or just the comfort of a warm and fluffy meal. Tag me over on Instagram if you make this. I’d love to see how yours turns out.