Hen and Dumplings Made Simple for Freshmen

November 4, 2025

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Should you’re craving a comforting meal that can heat your soul on a chilly night time, look no additional than Home made Hen and Dumplings. This traditional hen dish is a household favourite in lots of households, and for good cause. The mix of tender hen, flavorful broth, and fluffy dumplings is just irresistible.

But when that is your first time making it, the considered creating this dish from scratch may appear daunting. However don’t fear– I’ll assist you turn out to be a professional very quickly! So get able to impress your loved ones and buddies with a steaming bowl of the final word consolation meals that can have them coming again for seconds.

Immediately I’m sharing a dish that I’ve by no means made earlier than, and are available to think about it had by no means even eaten it till I made the recipe from my weblog buddy Melissa’s e-book, Melissa’s Southern Cookbook – Tried and True Household Recipes.

This stunning cookbook is full of great recipes from Melissa’s household and the generations earlier than her who had been her inspiration. There are beautiful footage of appetizers, fundamental programs, desserts, and a lot extra. Should you love fairly cookbooks in your shelf, that is one you may’t miss out on.

Hen Dumplings

The “dumplings” on this one-pot meal aren’t the sort which are wrapped round a chunk of meat or vegetable. In addition they aren’t flat dumplings like noodles that some recipes make. As an alternative, they’re like small doughy biscuits formed into balls that you simply prepare dinner proper within the broth.

It was a lot enjoyable to drop scoopfuls of the buttermilk dough into the pot and see them flip into cooked dumplings. After about 25 minutes of simmering with the hen, inventory, and seasonings, the dumplings had been cooked via and completely excellent.

Components wanted for Home made Hen and Dumplings

Earlier than we dive into the cooking course of, let’s collect all of the components you’ll have to make this simple recipe. Right here’s what you’ll want:

3 cups roughly chopped cooked hen items (I used hen breasts)
3 14-ounce cans low sodium hen broth or inventory
1 can cream of celery soup
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

For the dumpling dough

½ cup (1 stick) chilly salted butter
3 cups self-rising flour
1 cup entire buttermilk

Process photos for Chicken and Dumplings

The right way to make Hen and Dumplings

Place the cooked, shredded hen, hen inventory, celery soup, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, tarragon, onion powder, and garlic powder in a big pot over medium-high warmth and produce to a boil. I exploit this pot after I make my Hen and Dumplings.

Notice- I seasoned every of the hen breasts I cooked with 1 1/2 teaspoons of Weber’s Kick’N Hen Seasoning and lowered the quantity of poultry seasoning known as for to 1 1/2 teaspoons and omitted the salt, pepper, tarragon, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Additionally, rather than poultry seasoning, you should use 1/2 teaspoon every of floor sage, floor marjoram, floor thyme, and floor rosemary.

In a small bowl, mix flour and butter to kind a paste. Whisk into the pot to thicken the broth.

2nd set of process photos for Chicken and Dumplings

Simple Home made Dumplings:

In a medium bowl, reduce the butter into the self-rising flour utilizing a pastry blender (or you should use a meals processor) till the combination resembles cornmeal.

Combine the buttermilk into the flour combination with a fork till it varieties a tender biscuit dough.

Drop the dumpling batter into the boiling broth utilizing an ice cream soup or a big desk spoon. Instantly decrease the warmth to a delicate simmer and canopy tightly. Let the meal simmer for 25 minutes with out lifting the lid.

Uncover and gently stir with a picket spoon. Let the simmering soup relaxation, uncovered, for not less than 5 minutes to permit the broth to thicken.

Congratulations, your Hen ‘n’ Dumplins (as Grandma known as them) are able to be served! Ladle the dish into bowls, ensuring to incorporate loads of flavorful hen soup. Garnish with recent parsley or chopped inexperienced onions for a burst of freshness and colour. Serve sizzling and benefit from the comforting flavors of this traditional dish.

I do know your loved ones goes to like this simple dinner recipe as a result of mine positive does!

Recipe Variations

You possibly can strive a number of variations so as to add your individual twist to this scrumptious recipe. Listed here are some concepts:

Add greens: Be at liberty so as to add extra greens, similar to recent or frozen peas, corn, or inexperienced beans. Merely add them to the pot together with the hen and allow them to prepare dinner till tender.
Creamier model: Should you favor a creamier broth, add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half in the direction of the top of the cooking course of. It will give the dish a richer and extra indulgent taste.
Spicier kick: Should you like a bit of warmth, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a number of dashes of sizzling sauce to the creamy hen stew.

FAQs

Can I exploit pre-cooked hen for this recipe?

Sure, you should use pre-cooked hen in case you have leftovers or favor a shortcut. Shred or chop the cooked hen and add it to the pot if you’re able to prepare dinner the dumplings.

Can I freeze do-it-yourself hen and dumplings?

Sure, you may freeze this dish. Let the stew dish cool utterly, then switch it to an hermetic container or freezer bag. Label and date the container and retailer it within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

Whenever you’re able to get pleasure from, thaw the hen and dumplings within the fridge in a single day, then reheat on the range or within the microwave.

How lengthy will this recipe preserve?

Hen and dumplings could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. In any other case, it’s going to preserve within the freezer for as much as three months.

Can I substitute cream of hen soup on this recipe?

Sure, you should use just about any “Cream Of” soup for another variety. The style may be barely completely different, however they’re in any other case interchangeable.

Dumplings made from scratch in homemade chicken soup.

Extra Hen Recipes You’ll Love

Listed here are some extra hen consolation meals I believe you’ll get pleasure from:

A bowl of dumplings made from scratch in a thick chicken soup.

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Created by: Lynne Feifer

Hen and Dumplings

Prep Time 10

Cook dinner Time 25

Complete Time 40

Heat your stomach and your soul on a chilly night time with Home made Hen and Dumplings. This traditional hen dish is a household favourite of many with a mixture of hen, broth, and fluffy dumplings.

Cook dinner ModeForestall your display screen from going darkish

Directions

Place the hen, hen inventory, celery soup, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, tarragon, onion powder, and garlic powder in a big pot over excessive warmth and produce to a boil.
In a small bowl, combine collectively the flour and butter to kind a paste. Whisk into the pot to thicken the broth.

To Make the Dumplings

Minimize the butter into the flour, utilizing a pastry blender or meals processor, till the combination resembles cornmeal.
Utilizing a fork, combine the buttermilk into the flour till it varieties a tender dough.
Utilizing a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough into the boiling broth. Instantly decrease the warmth to a simmer and canopy tightly. Enable to simmer for 25 minutes with out lifting the lid.
Uncover and gently stir. Let relaxation, uncovered, for not less than 5 minutes, to permit the each to thicken.

Cook dinner’s Notice:

Rather than poultry seasoning, you could use 1/2 teaspoon every of floor sage, floor marjoram, floor thyme and floor rosemary.

Notes

I seasoned every of the hen breasts I cooked with 1 1/2 teaspoons of Weber’s Kick’N Hen Seasoning and lowered the quantity of poultry seasoning known as for to 1 1/2 teaspoons and omitted the salt, pepper, tarragon, onion powder and garlic powder.

Diet

Did you make this recipe?

Share it with me on Instagram and ensure to comply with me on Pinterest for extra recipes.

Listed here are another recipes buddies have created from Melissa’s cookbook:

What’s the decision?

Melissa’s Hen N’ Dumplins recipe is consolation meals at its finest. I’ll be saving to make once more subsequent time I’m within the temper for down-home consolation meals!

Once I’m bored with my regular soups and stews throughout chilly climate, I do know Hen N’ Dumplins can be excellent to heat us up on a cold night time. Melissa actually hit it out of the ballpark with this one!

As at all times, all opinions expressed are my very own and I recognize your assist of 365 Days of Baking and your assist of Melissa’s Southern Type Kitchen as nicely.

Reprinted with specific permission from Melissa Sperka, writer of Melissa’s Southern Cookbook – Tried and True Household Recipes, The Countryman Press, a division of W. W. Norton & Firm, New York, NY 2016. ISBN 978-1-58157-383-1

This put up was initially revealed August 27, 2016. It has been up to date in format and with footage on October 11, 2023.

Chicken 'N' Dumplins - diced chicken in a flavorful broth topped with mounds of buttermilk dumplins. This is southern cooking comfort food at its' finest.