How to Cook Chicken Dumplings

The women in my family have always lived by the motto “Treat your family as friends.” As a child, Sunday dinner was always a grand event with Grandma’s chicken dumplings as the star of the day. This simple old-fashioned recipe is perfect for those days when you’re craving some down-home comfort food.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• 4 chicken breast halves
• 3 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 ribs of celery chopped
• 1 large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid
• 1 plate
• 1 pair of tongs
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 7 tsp. Unsalted butter
• 1 pastry cutter

Instructions

Chicken Dumplings on the Way

1. Remove the excess skin and fat from the chicken breast halves then rinse under cold water. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

2. Place the chicken breasts, chopped onions, chopped celery, 2 tsp. salt, black pepper, 2 bay leaves and chicken bouillon cubes in a large Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to the pan to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to a constant simmer and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer the chicken until the juices run clear and the meat pulls away from the bone.

3. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and then place the chicken on a plate to cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off of the bone in medium-size pieces. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer uncovered while you prepare the dumplings.

4. Combine, in a large mixing bowl, the flour, 1 tsp. salt and 2 tbsp. baking powder and mix well. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter. Stir in the buttermilk until the dough forms a soft ball.

5. Raise the heat under the chicken and allow it to reach a boil.

6. Drop the dumplings by spoonfuls into the boiling chicken. Cook the dumplings for 7 to 10 minutes or until the dumplings float to the top of the pot and the center of the dumpling is no longer doughy.

7. Serve by ladling the chicken dumplings into shallow serving bowls. Enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• 1 tsp. white vinegar added to 1 cup of milk and allowed to sour for 6 to 8 minutes can be substituted for buttermilk. Soak chicken in water and 1 tbps. of baking soda for 10 minutes to stop bacteria from growing.