How to: Make the Best and Easiest Chicken and Dumplings
There are two types of dumplings associated with the Southern dish chicken and dumplings. One is the fluffy style that is made with biscuit dough. The dumplings sit atop the chicken and broth while cooking. The other type of dumpling is the strip dumpling, a chewy noodle that is boiled in the chicken broth rather than cooked on top. Either of these styles makes a savory main dish that is especially enjoyable in cool weather. A few shortcuts also make them very easy to prepare. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 fryer chicken, cut up
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- Water
- Dutch oven with lid
- Large slotted spoon
- Platter
- 2 cups biscuit baking mix
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 spoons
- 1 package frozen dumplings
Instructions
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Fluffy Chicken and Dumplings
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1
Put the chicken, onion, garlic, salt and pepper into the Dutch oven and cover everything with water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the burner so that the broth simmers. Cover the pot and stew the chicken until it is tender.
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2
Remove the chicken pieces from the broth with the slotted spoon and place them on the platter. Turn off the burner under the broth. Let the chicken cool down enough to handle, then pick the chicken from the bones and add it back to the broth.
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3
Mix the biscuit dough by combining the mix and milk.
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4
Bring the broth and chicken back up to boiling and scoop up a heaping tablespoon of the dough. Drop it into the broth, using a second spoon to push it off. Drop the remaining dough onto the chicken and broth in this manner.
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5
Turn down the heat on the burner so that the broth just simmers, and cover.
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6
Cook the dumplings for 20 minutes, then uncover and check to see if they are done. Do this by removing one dumpling and splitting it. If it is dry on the inside, resembling a cooked biscuit, the dumplings are done.
Strip Chicken and Dumplings
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7
Prepare the stewed chicken as for the fluffy chicken and dumplings, and remove the chicken from the Dutch oven. De-bone the chicken and set aside.
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8
Bring the broth in the Dutch oven to a boil and begin putting in the frozen dumpling strips one at a time. Do not let the broth cease boiling. When all the dumplings are in, turn down the heat to medium low and cook the dumplings for about 25 minutes, covered.
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9
Stir the dumplings occasionally to make sure enough liquid is still present and the dumplings are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add a bit of water if they are too dry.
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10
When the dumplings are soft, add back the chicken and stir gently.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Provide plenty of cracked pepper on the side for dressing the chicken and dumplings.
For a little added richness, add a can of cream of chicken soup or a can of cream of celery soup to the chicken broth. With fluffy dumplings, add the soup just before adding the dumplings and stir until heated. For strip dumplings, add the soup after the dumpling noodles are cooked. Stir gently to avoid breaking the delicate noodles.
Serve the strip dumpling dish in individual bowls. A large amount of gravy forms as the dumplings cook. The fluffy-dumpling variety is just a bit drier and is successfully served on a plate.
Homemade strip dumplings are more authentic but are time consuming to make from scratch. The frozen will work fine.
Stewed chicken can produce a lot of unwanted fat. Eliminate this problem by stewing your chicken the day before you plan to serve it. Remove the chicken from the broth and strain the broth into another container. Refrigerate the chicken and broth separately. The next day, skim off the congealed fat that has risen to the surface of the broth, then continue with either recipe.
