My Dad’s Chicken and Dumplings

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By Jenny
November 24, 2020

This is my dad’s “recipe” for Chicken and Dumplings… and I use quotes around recipe because I’ll do my best to list measurements… but he never really measured anything.  His way of making Chicken and Dumplings was to just throw a little of this and a little of that in, but it was always so comforting.  He made his own dumplings just out of a simple flour dough. Sometimes he used a whole chicken, other times just dark meat, other times chicken breasts.  I’ve made this over the years even using rotisserie chicken meat, but I’ve found the most flavorful method is using the whole chicken with bone to really get the full flavor in the broth.  He always used Carnation Evaporated Milk – which I never really understood why until I was older and understood that Evaporated Milk provides more creaminess and cooks out better than milk or cream.  He also used a ton of butter – and trust me on this one – don’t skimp here.  That extra butter is divine.

My Dad's Chicken and Dumplings

Servings 10
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours

Equipment

  • Large Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 5-6 pound Whole Chicken - cut up, leave bones in, You could also use rotisserie - but the bones make the broth extra tasty.
  • 2 quarts Chicken Stock - only used if you need to add more liquid.
  • 4 cups All Purpose Flour (plus more for sprinkling and rolling)
  • 1 cup Ice Cold Water
  • 1/2 stick Ice Cold Butter - cubed
  • 1/4 cup Crisco - Ice cold and cubed
  • 2 sliced Carrots (optional)
  • 1/2 diced White or yellow onion
  • 1 can Evaporated Milk
  • 1/2 stick butter

Instructions
 

  • Start by cutting up and boiling your chicken. If you are using rotisserie chicken, cut that all up, and put in pot to bring to a boil with the chicken stock. If you are using raw chicken, leave the bones in, cook fully, then remove the chicken, cut it up, strain and keep the broth, and put cut chicken back in. You might need to add more chicken stock - your pot should be almost full.
  • I never really add carrots or onion - but if you are doing that, put those in with the chicken and bring up to a slow boil.
  • While the chicken and vegies are warming up, start to prepare your dumplings. In a mixer bowl or food processor, mix the flour, cold butter, and cold crisco until it looks like large crumbles.
  • One you reach large crumbles, drizzle in enough of the cold water to form a dough. You want the consistancy of a tough pie dough. If it gets too runny, add more flour. If it is too dry, add more cold water.
  • Sprinkle your counter or a pan with flour and roll your dough out until it is as thick as you would like your dumplings. My kids always loved somewhat thin but really long dumplings.
  • I use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dumplings into thin strips, but cut them however thin or thick you'd like. No rules!
  • Once you're done cutting the dumplings, put them straight into the pot with the chicken and veggies. Add a sprinkle of salt and plenty of black pepper.
  • Turn up the heat and bring to a slow boil. Add the evaporated milk.
  • Add the 1/2 stick of butter and more black pepper. Stir and let cook on low for about an hour.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

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