How to Make the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings

The combination of chicken and dumplings is an American classic. Made with a thick chicken broth packed with vegetables, shredded chicken, and light, fluffy dumplings, this dish is comforting and nourishing, and one I make when I need a cozy meal to warm me up. As with many popular recipes, there are many variations on chicken and dumplings, with different cooks adding their own spins.  

In my research, I came across plenty of recipes that call for shortcuts like using canned cream of chicken soup, a rotisserie chicken, or ready-made buttermilk biscuits cooked right on top of the broth. While these shortcuts are convenient, they don’t necessarily guarantee the most delicious version of chicken and dumplings. Canned soup is often heavily salted, which means you can’t entirely control the seasoning of the dish, and ready-made biscuits tend to disintegrate during the cooking and reheating process. I wanted chicken and dumplings with a rich, flavorful broth and dumplings that were fluffy, but still had some heft to them. My recipe below is my ideal version, and one I make for myself and my family when we need a warm, comforting meal.

How to Make the Most Flavorful Chicken and Dumplings

If possible, make your own broth. While good-quality store-bought broth is an option, I prefer to make my own, as it allows me to better control the flavor and texture of the base. My homemade broth is packed with aromatics, including carrots, celery, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, and also includes an entire chicken. The meat gives the broth a robust poultry flavor, while the gelatin-rich bones add body. Plus: Using a whole chicken is the most practical route here, as it allows you to incorporate the cooked meat into the final dish.

Use a whole chicken, but separate the parts. While some cooks like to chuck a whole chicken into the pot, because white meat cooks much faster than dark meat and dries out easily, I remove the breast and legs from the rest of the carcass and then remove each part from the simmering broth when it finishes cooking. Cooking the chicken in parts ensures that both the white and dark meat stay tender and succulent.

Thicken the soup with flour. To help thicken the base, I coat the aromatics in flour, then add the broth, evaporated milk, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. As the mixture simmers, the starch granules swell, thickening the soup.

Use evaporated milk. Though many cooks use heavy cream, milk, or half-and-half, I like to reach for evaporated milk—which is not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk. To make evaporated milk, manufacturers cook fresh milk until about 60% of the water has been removed, thickening it and concentrating its flavor. It adds richness and body to whatever it’s used in, and here, it gives the base of my chicken and dumplings a pleasant velvety texture. Pro tip: Stick to a gentle simmer and avoid boiling the soup once you’ve added the dairy, otherwise the fat will split. 

Let Worcestershire work its magic. A dash of Worcestershire sauce—which contains malt vinegar, molasses, sugar, anchovies, onions, and tamarind—is an incredibly easy way to add a deep savoriness to the dish.

For the fluffiest dumplings, incorporate baking soda and sour cream. Baking soda and sour cream help leaven the biscuits: The baking soda reacts with sour cream’s acidity, producing airy dumplings while also creating an alkaline environment that weakens gluten, making for more tender dumplings. It’s still crucial, however, that you handle the dough lightly. Overworking the dough can develop too much gluten, resulting in chewy, thick dumplings. I cook the dumplings straight in the soup, which allows them to absorb the flavorful broth. The dumpling’s starches also help thicken the soup further, resulting in a rich, hearty meal.