The Best Classic From-Scratch Chicken and Dumplings

Is there any dish more comforting, more soulful, or more deeply satisfying than a warm, steaming bowl of classic, from-scratch Chicken and Dumplings? If you’re searching for that ultimate “hug in a bowl”—the kind with fall-apart tender chicken, a rich and creamy soup, and impossibly light and fluffy dumplings—you have come to the right place. This recipe, inspired by the legendary Chef John, is your definitive guide to making it the old-fashioned way, for the best flavor imaginable.

This isn’t a quick, shortcut recipe; it’s a rewarding Sunday dinner project that celebrates the soul-warming magic of slow cooking. We start by making a rich, homemade chicken stock from a whole chicken, which also gives us the most tender, succulent meat. This beautiful stock is then transformed into a creamy soup and topped with the fluffiest, most tender dumplings you’ve ever tasted, thanks to a secret ingredient: crème fraîche.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Comfort Food Classic

What makes this Chicken and Dumplings recipe the absolute gold standard is its traditional, from-scratch method that builds layers of incredible, deep flavor. Starting with a whole chicken is the non-negotiable first step to creating both a superior, collagen-rich broth and perfectly cooked meat. The soup is then thickened with a classic roux made from rendered chicken fat, and the dumplings are made with self-rising flour and tangy crème fraîche for a foolproof, incredibly tender result. It’s a true labor of love that is worth every single moment.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	2 hours
Active Prep Time	30 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	4-6

The Essential Ingredients for a Perfect Pot

This recipe uses simple, classic ingredients to create a dish with an authentic, deeply comforting flavor.

• A Whole Chicken: This is the key to a truly magnificent soup. By slowly poaching a whole, 3 to 3.5-pound chicken with aromatics, you are accomplishing two crucial things at once: creating a rich, golden, homemade chicken stock and cooking the chicken meat to perfect, fall-apart tenderness.
• The Aromatics (Carrot, Celery, Onion): This classic trio, also known as a mirepoix, is gently simmered with the chicken to build the sweet, savory, and aromatic foundation of our soup stock.
• The Roux (Reserved Chicken Fat & Flour): The secret to a rich, creamy soup (not a thin, brothy one) is a simple roux. We use the rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) that is skimmed from the top of the stock and cook it with flour. This adds an incredible, authentic layer of pure chicken flavor that you can’t get from just butter.
• The Dumplings: These are the light, fluffy, crowning glory of the dish.
  • Self-Rising Flour: The ultimate shortcut for foolproof, perfectly risen dumplings every time! Self-rising flour already has the leavening (baking powder) and salt mixed in.
  • Crème Fraîche: This is the brilliant, secret ingredient. Crème fraîche is a French-style cultured cream that is similar to sour cream but richer and less tangy. It adds an incredible richness and a subtle tang to the dumplings, making them unbelievably tender and moist.

Step-by-Step to the Best Chicken and Dumplings

This is a rewarding, from-scratch project. Follow these detailed steps for a perfect result every time.

Part 1: Creating the Rich, Homemade Chicken and Stock

Step 1: Place your whole chicken in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the 2 1/2 quarts of cold water, the cubed carrot, chopped celery, chopped onion, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, and the bay leaf.

Step 2: Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then immediately cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the chicken simmer gently for 1 hour.

Step 3: After an hour, carefully remove the cooked chicken from the Dutch oven and transfer it to a large bowl. Set it aside to cool until it is comfortable enough to handle.

Part 2: Making the Creamy Soup Base

Step 1: Increase the heat under the Dutch oven and bring the stock back to a steady simmer. As it simmers, use a large spoon to skim off any of the golden chicken fat that rises to the top. Reserve this fat in a small bowl.

Step 2: In a separate small bowl, combine 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved, warm chicken fat with the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir them together with a fork to make a smooth, thick paste (a “roux”).

Step 3: Whisk this paste into the simmering stock in the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat and let the stock simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flour to cook and the soup to thicken slightly.

Step 4: While the soup is simmering, remove all the chicken meat from the cooled carcass. Discard the bones and skin, and shred or cube the tender chicken meat. Add the cooked chicken meat back to the pot of simmering, thickened stock.

Step 5: Season the soup with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to your taste. Let the soup continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Part 3: The Secret to Light and Fluffy Dumplings

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup of crème fraîche, the 1/2 cup of milk, the 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves, and the 2 eggs.

Step 2: Add the 2 cups of self-rising flour to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir everything together until it is almost entirely incorporated.

Pro Tip: The absolute key to light and fluffy dumplings is to not overmix the batter. Mix only until you no longer see large streaks of dry flour. A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing will develop the gluten and result in tough, dense dumplings.

Part 4: Cooking the Dumplings to Perfection

Step 1: Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop, drop large dollops of the dumpling mixture on top of the gently simmering chicken soup.

Step 2: Increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady, medium-high simmer. Cover the pot tightly with its lid.

Step 3 (Don’t Peek!): Let the dumplings simmer and steam, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. It is crucial that you do not lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking. The trapped steam is what cooks them through and makes them light and fluffy.

Step 4: After 10-15 minutes, you can check for doneness. The dumplings should appear light and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest dumpling should come out clean, with no wet batter attached.

Serve the Chicken and Dumplings hot, garnished with a few fresh thyme sprigs.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Chicken and Dumplings is a dish that is at its absolute best when the dumplings are served fresh and fluffy, straight from the pot.

• Make-Ahead: You can make the entire soup base (through Part 2) up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, simply bring the soup back to a simmer on the stovetop, and then proceed with making and cooking the fresh dumpling batter.
• Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Be aware that the dumplings will absorb a significant amount of the soup as they sit, and the leftovers will be much thicker. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, and you may want to add a splash of chicken broth to loosen the soup to your desired consistency.

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Creative Recipe Variations

This classic, from-scratch recipe is a wonderful base for your own comforting creations.

1. Add More Vegetables: For an even heartier, more vegetable-packed stew, you can add 1 cup of frozen peas or corn to the soup at the same time you add the cooked chicken back to the pot.
2. Make it with a Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: If you are very short on time, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken and 2 1/2 quarts of a high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth. Simply shred the chicken meat and start the recipe from Part 2, using melted butter instead of the reserved chicken fat to make your roux.
3. Use a Rolled Biscuit-Style Dumpling: For a different, more traditional Southern-style dumpling, you can make a rolled biscuit dough. Pat it out to 1/2-inch thickness, cut it into squares, and then lay the squares on top of the simmering soup to cook.

Enjoy The Ultimate Bowl of Comfort!

You’ve just created a truly special, from-scratch meal that is the very definition of love in a bowl. This classic Chicken and Dumplings, with its rich homemade broth, its tender chicken, and its impossibly light and fluffy dumplings, is a rewarding project that is guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out. It’s the kind of timeless, nostalgic meal that makes a house feel like a home.

We hope you enjoy every last, warm, creamy, and delicious spoonful!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves true, old-fashioned comfort food!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)