Old-School Chicken and Dumplings
Craving easy comfort food? Mary Katherine’s Table offers a brilliant, simplified Chicken & Dumplings recipe. Using rotisserie chicken and Better Than Bouillon, this hack delivers rich, creamy broth and tender dumplings in under an hour. Get your weeknight comfort fix fast—details below!
There are few dishes that conjure up the feeling of pure, cozy comfort quite like a steaming bowl of Chicken & Dumplings. For many, it’s a dish reserved for cold weather or sick days, steeped in nostalgia and home-cooked love. But often, the thought of making it from scratch feels intimidating—a task best left to grandmothers and seasoned chefs.
Well, fear not! Mary Katherine’s Table has delivered a recipe that is not only packed with flavor but is shockingly easy to execute. This version skips the complicated stock-making process by leveraging a simple, genius hack: Better Than Bouillon and a store-bought rotisserie chicken. The result? A creamy, flavorful broth, tender shredded chicken, and perfectly textured, pillowy (or flat!) dumplings that come together in less than an hour. Get ready to add this to your weeknight rotation—it’s comfort food, simplified.
Can I use store-bought chicken stock instead of Better Than Bouillon?
Absolutely! If you prefer using liquid stock, substitute the 8 cups of water and 8 tsp of Better Than Bouillon with 8 cups of chicken stock or broth. You may wish to slightly reduce the salt in the recipe depending on the sodium level of your chosen stock.
Why add the oil last to the dumpling dough?
Adding the oil last, as demonstrated in the video, helps create a more tender and pliable dough texture. It prevents the gluten from developing too much, which is key to avoiding tough dumplings.
My dumplings stuck together! What did I do wrong?
There are a few common culprits. Ensure your broth is at a full, rolling boil before adding the dumplings. Also, when dropping them in, do so in small batches and stir gently between additions to keep them separated initially. Finally, make sure you generously flour your dough and work surface during the rolling and cutting phase.
How do I make the broth thicker or creamier?
This recipe uses a cream and cornstarch slurry, repeated twice, to achieve the perfect consistency. If, after the 15–20 minute simmer, you want it even thicker, you can create a third, smaller slurry (1 tbsp cream and 1 tsp cornstarch) and stir it in. Alternatively, let the dish cool slightly, as the cornstarch and flour from the dumplings will continue to thicken the mixture as it rests.
Can I use raw chicken instead of rotisserie chicken?
Yes, but you will need to adjust the cooking time. Sear your raw chicken pieces first, then remove them before making the broth. Add the cooked chicken back in at Step 5. If you prefer to poach the chicken in the broth, you would need to cook it through before adding the dumplings. The rotisserie chicken is used for convenience, saving significant time.
Easy Chicken & Dumplings
Ingredients
Broth Base:
- 8 cups water
- 8 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken flavor, or use 8 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dumpling Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder optional: omit for flatter dumplings, keep for puffy ones
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup water described as a “generous” 3/4 cup
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Chicken & Cream Sauce:
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken meat pulled off the bone and shredded/chunked
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
Start the Broth:
- In a large pot, combine the 8 cups of water and 8 tsp Better Than Bouillon. Add the ½ tsp onion powder and ½ tsp garlic powder. Cover the pot and bring it to a full boil.
Make the Dumpling Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the water and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just combined.
- Add the ½ cup vegetable oil last. Mix until the dough comes together and has a consistent texture. Tip: Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.
Roll and Cut:
- Generously flour your countertop or workspace. Turn the dough out and sprinkle with more flour so it doesn’t stick to your hands or rolling pin.
- Roll the dough out thin, about ¼ to ⅓ inch thick.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into strips about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide, then cut crosswise to create rectangular dumplings roughly 2 inches long.
Cook the Dumplings:
- Once the broth is at a rolling boil, drop the dumplings in a few at a time.
- Stir gently between batches to prevent them from sticking together.
- Continue until all dumplings are in the pot.
Add Chicken & Thicken:
- Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken. Reduce heat to medium.
- In a small separate bowl, create a slurry by mixing ¼ cup heavy cream with ½ tbsp cornstarch. Pour this into the pot to add creaminess and thicken the broth.
- Repeat the slurry step one more time (mix another ¼ cup cream with ½ tbsp cornstarch and add it).
Simmer and Serve:
- Turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Serve warm in a bowl!
Love the dumplings. We eat them over mashed potatoes
Look delicious and the dumpling recipe look real easy. I will try this recipe soon, maybe during the holidays. I am happy that I found your channel.
Welcome! I’m so glad you found us too! 🙂
Easy to make and so comforting.
Exactly! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
This dish is so delicious! thank you for sharing!