Chicken & Dumplings
This family recipe is for a chewy style dumpling, using all-purpose flour with no baking powder added. Also just a simple recipe, as well as very economical. More about this below. And remember, simple doesn't necessarily mean easy. 😅
Chicken & Dumplings…Using just flour, a little butter or shortening, chicken**, chicken broth (made from water by boiling the chicken), and salt and pepper makes a very economical meal that “everyone” in my family loves!
**You can honestly make this recipe using a very small amount of chicken. In years past I've used just a couple of chicken backs I saved from cutting up a whole chicken (freeze the back for later use). Boil the backs, when done pick the meat from the back and add the meat back to the pot. As long as the taste is there, by having a rich broth, the amount of chicken isn't that important in my opinion. You can always have baked chicken, fried chicken, or even another type of meat or protein along with the dumplings, as you like. Just sayin'. . .you don't need a whole chicken to make dumplings!
**You can honestly make this recipe using a very small amount of chicken. In years past I've used just a couple of chicken backs I saved from cutting up a whole chicken (freeze the back for later use). Boil the backs, when done pick the meat from the back and add the meat back to the pot. As long as the taste is there, by having a rich broth, the amount of chicken isn't that important in my opinion. You can always have baked chicken, fried chicken, or even another type of meat or protein along with the dumplings, as you like. Just sayin'. . .you don't need a whole chicken to make dumplings!
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INGREDIENTS:
4 heaping cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 cups cold water, more or less
Your choice of boneless or bone-in chicken. I save backbones in a freezer bag until I have enough to make dumplings, usually 4-5. Or use leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
Chicken bouillion - For added flavor, or as needed when using canned chicken.
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra butter for a richer broth (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
CHICKEN:
Boil chicken in a large pot/saucepan or dutch oven, in at least 2 quarts of water, until done. If using bone-in chicken, (because it's larger and takes longer to cool), take it out of the boiling water and place it in a bowl of ice water to cool. Take the meat off the bones, cut up to desired size, and return meat to pot. Otherwise if using smaller pieces of chicken, cool chicken and cut it up in cubes, or shred it, however you like it. If using canned chicken, I would drain the juices and add the chicken to the boiling water.
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
Using a large bowl, or on the counter, rub the flour, salt and butter together with your fingers until all of the butter is mashed up. Pour in cold water and stir or knead until a dough is formed. ***Sprinkle extra flour onto counter, a cutting mat or brown paper bag. Knead dough a few times, roll out with floured rolling pin or glass. Roll out thin, about an 1/8 of an inch. Cut in 1-2 inch squares with back of butter knife. Drop the dumplings into the boiling broth. Turn down to low and cover for about 10 minutes, taste and add desired seasonings, stir and turn it off. Let cool slightly, then serve.
***An alternate way to make the dumplings is to spoon out a small amount on the tip of a teaspoon and drop into boiling water (or broth, if you've boiled chicken in the water). This size dumpling is pictured on the plate above. The rolled out method is pictured with the rolling pin.
4 heaping cups all-purpose flour
1 stick of butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 cups cold water, more or less
Your choice of boneless or bone-in chicken. I save backbones in a freezer bag until I have enough to make dumplings, usually 4-5. Or use leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
Chicken bouillion - For added flavor, or as needed when using canned chicken.
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra butter for a richer broth (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
CHICKEN:
Boil chicken in a large pot/saucepan or dutch oven, in at least 2 quarts of water, until done. If using bone-in chicken, (because it's larger and takes longer to cool), take it out of the boiling water and place it in a bowl of ice water to cool. Take the meat off the bones, cut up to desired size, and return meat to pot. Otherwise if using smaller pieces of chicken, cool chicken and cut it up in cubes, or shred it, however you like it. If using canned chicken, I would drain the juices and add the chicken to the boiling water.
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
Using a large bowl, or on the counter, rub the flour, salt and butter together with your fingers until all of the butter is mashed up. Pour in cold water and stir or knead until a dough is formed. ***Sprinkle extra flour onto counter, a cutting mat or brown paper bag. Knead dough a few times, roll out with floured rolling pin or glass. Roll out thin, about an 1/8 of an inch. Cut in 1-2 inch squares with back of butter knife. Drop the dumplings into the boiling broth. Turn down to low and cover for about 10 minutes, taste and add desired seasonings, stir and turn it off. Let cool slightly, then serve.
***An alternate way to make the dumplings is to spoon out a small amount on the tip of a teaspoon and drop into boiling water (or broth, if you've boiled chicken in the water). This size dumpling is pictured on the plate above. The rolled out method is pictured with the rolling pin.