Description
Recreate Cracker Barrel’s famous Chicken and Dumplings at home! This hearty, comforting dish features tender chicken and fluffy dumplings cooked in a flavorful, creamy broth. Perfect for family dinners, this recipe delivers all the nostalgia of the classic southern favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken and broth:
- 2 lbs chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
- 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks (optional)
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
-
Cook the chicken:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine chicken, chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Remove the chicken and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the broth, discarding vegetables, and return the broth to the pot.
-
Shred the chicken:
- Once cooled, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Set aside.
-
Prepare the dumpling dough:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually stir in milk until a dough forms.
-
Roll and cut the dumplings:
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut into strips or small squares, approximately 1×1 inch.
-
Cook the dumplings:
- Bring the strained broth to a simmer over medium heat.
- Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth, one at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through and tender.
-
Add the chicken:
- Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot and cook until heated through.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
-
Serve:
- Ladle chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve hot.
Notes
- For added flavor, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken and remove the bones after cooking.
- To thicken the broth, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the simmering broth before adding the dumplings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Comfort Food
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (1/6th of the recipe)
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 2g
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 95mg