Easy Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

My Mostly From Scratch Homemade Chicken & Dumplings recipe has a lot going for it including the fact that there are only 7 easy ingredients and it’s super easy to make.

This is one of my Cook Once Eat Twice recipes. I usually boil one hen and make this Chicken & Dumpling recipe one day and my Homemade Chicken Pot Pie the next.

See my Meal Plans page for more budget-friendly weeknight meal ideas.

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Ingredients

• 1 medium to large hen
• About 7 cups water
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. Sage
• 1 pkg. Mary Hill frozen dumplings

This recipe is almost from scratch because we use frozen dumplings but the rest is from scratch. We being by boiling a fresh hen to get the meat and the broth for this chicken and dumplings recipe.

Directions

Step 1

Place your prepared hen into a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover completely with water. Heat on medium-high heat until boiling. Then lower the heat and continue to boil, adding more hot water when needed so the hen is completely covered. Boil until the meat begins to fall off the bone.

Optional: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe if you like and follow the boiling directions until the meat is done. You won’t have to deal with the bones.

Step 2

Use a large slotted spoon to remove the chicken into a colander placed over a large bowl. Continue to scoop the meat and bones from the pot until only the broth remains.

Step 3

After boiling, draining, and cooling the chicken. Pull the chicken pieces off the bone and shred them by hand.

If your hen is large enough to provide two meals, divide the meat between two containers, one of which will go into the refrigerator for the next day’s meal. My homemade chicken pot pie recipe is a nice change to have the next day.

Step 4

Be sure to scoop out the extra broth and freeze to use another time.

Scoop chicken broth into an airtight container to freeze. Allow the broth to cool before placing the lid on and freezing. Don’t forget to write the date on top. 

Chicken stock makes a delicious soup base. See my Soup Recipes for lots of ideas.

How to make fat free chicken broth: Place the broth in the refrigerator for a few hours. The fat will rise to the top so that you can skim it off. You can also do this after thawing frozen broth.

Step 5

Bring the broth in the pot back to a low boil. Add salt, pepper, and sage. My family likes a lot of pepper in our homemade Chicken & Dumplings.

Add one can of cream of celery soup and stir well. The soup will add a touch of flavor and also thicken the broth just a little bit.

Return chicken into the heated seasoned broth and stir.

Step 6

This is where we make our chicken and dumplings with frozen dumplings.

You can find Mary Hill Dumplings in your grocery store freezer section. They taste homemade! Follow the package directions which suggest you microwave for a few seconds to make pulling them apart easier.

Drop dumplings into the boiling liquid one at a time and stir occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer.

Boil the dumplings until your desired tenderness and according to package directions.

Go ahead and get your serving dishes out, you are almost ready to eat! We tend to serve our Chicken and Dumplings in a big wide bowl but a plate will work too. Serve and enjoy!

My Mom was famous for her homemade dumplings but in her later years, she used Mary Hill frozen dumplings. She said they were almost as good as hers and we agree.

Chicken and dumplings are the ultimate comfort food and a family favorite at my house. We love this dish in the winter the best.

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5 from 1 vote

Mostly From Scratch Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

An easy 7 ingredient recipe for almost homemade Chicken and Dumplings. Well, they really are homemade. This meal is one of our Cook Once, Eat Twice recipes.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 46 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Shirley Wood

Ingredients

• 1 hen
• About 7 cups water
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. Sage
• 1 pkg. Mary Hill frozen dumplings

Instructions

• Boil the chicken until done in a Dutch oven.
• Drain and cool.
• Remove the skin and discard along with the bones while picking the meat off.
• Separate an equal portion of shredded chicken between two containers. Save one portion for the next day’s meal. A medium size hen should yield about 8 cups of meat.
• Scoop out about 4 cups of broth to freeze.
• To the remaining broth, add the seasoning and cream of celery soup and return to a low boil. Stir well.
• Add the shredded chicken and stir well.
• Add the dumplings and cook on a low boil until tender.
• Serve and enjoy.