Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
FYI…This homemade chicken and dumpling post contains affiliate links for products we like. This means that if you click on a product link on this page, and then purchase the product, The Culinary Exchange will make a small amount of money from your purchase. However, we ONLY link to products that Chef Matthew Robinson personally recommends.
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings In The Slow Cooker
I have discussed homemade chicken and dumplings before. In fact, there was a post about homemade chicken and dumplings even before that one, but it was not fully homemade. The dumplings were made from canned biscuits and peas are in the recipes. I was young then. Peas in homemade chicken and biscuits – who would have thought? This time, I am using my slow cooker. The slowness makes them feel more Southern.
Back when I was a youngster in the burbs of Atlanta, homemade chicken and dumplings didn’t really exist. My mamma never made such things. We had to go out to the smorgasbord (I kid you not. There was a smorgasbord in Norcross, GA with all you could eat chicken and dumplings and banana pudding, too!) or other Southern restaurants to get of dish of this goodness. There was never an argument about whether or not the dumplings had to be flat or round. We got what we got and it was good either way.
For me, a good chicken and dumplings can have round or flat dumplings, but it should be murky and slightly unrefined with chicken flavor simply overflowing on your tastebuds. There is no straining or degreasing. All we are looking for is a big bowl of chickenness! This is where the slow cooker
When I say murky, I also mean not creamy. Nothing creamy should be added and any thickening should be done by the bathing of the dumplings in the broth which serves to make the broth even more murky.
A dumpling that is sticky on the outside and fluffy on the inside is just right. A little density is not a bad thing either. The second advantage of the slow cooker is that there is time for the dumplings to soak up all that chicken flavor. The guy in me who needs to have dinner on the table quick loves a simple flour dumpling made with only flour, water and salt. The Southern me loves a dumpling with more of a biscuit foundation so the cutting of butter into the flour is in order. I also use milk. In truth, my dumpling dough can also be used to make nice biscuits. When I am feeling the need for activity, I cut the butter in by hand. But in a rush, it is all done in a food processor
I am over the use of canned biscuits. It is not bad thing, but making your own dough is just not that hard and a homemade chicken and dumplings deserves this.
A dumpling will steam up nice and tender in the slow cooker. You can even make the dumpling dough and make the balls a day or two before. That is nice and convenient. Come home from work, add the dumplings to the cooker then get a few other things done before dinner. That works for me!
I should mention the vegetables. The classic chicken and dumplings really is vegetable feee, but carrots, celery and onion are nice additions. With a broth that is murky, seeing the tops of dumplings and chunks of vegetables boueying in the bowl makes my mouth water.
Here is a video that shows you all the steps. The Recipe follows.
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 stalks of celery
- 4-5 medium carrots
- 1.5 lbs of skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 2 cups of chicken stock or broth
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 stick of very cold butter
- 3/4 cup of milk
- salt and pepper
- Peel the onion and chop it into a large dice.
- Wash the celery and chop it into 2 inch pieces.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into large pieces.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Place the vegetables, chicken and stock into a 3qt. slow cooker and set to low according to the manufacturer's instructions. Cook for 6-7 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the dumpling dough.
- Using a sharp knife, chop the cold butter into a small dice.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse 2 or 3 times to mix.
- Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks sandy and the butter is incorporated into the flour. Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
- With a fork, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Drizzle the milk into the flour mixture while stirring with a fork. Stir until all the milk is poured in and a loose dough has formed.
- Pour the dough onto a clean work surface. Using a pastry scraper, fold the dough together until it is fully formed. Shape it into a disk.
- Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a large walnut and roll them into a ball. Line them on a plate and cover them with plastic. Store in the refrigerator until the chicken is done cooking.
- When the chicken is done cooking, turn the slow cooker to high (if there is no high setting keep it on low). Add the dumpling dough balls to the cooker. Close the lid and cook for an additional 45-60 minutes until the dumplings have swelled and they are cooked through.
- Serve hot.
- The butter can be cut into the flour by hand using your fingers, a pastry cutter or a fork. The dumpling dough can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator well wrapped.
- The dumpling dough can also be made into biscuits. Push the dough into a disc that is 1.5 inches thick, cut biscuits with a cutter and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Do You Have Any Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Recipes To Share? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
The Culinary Exchange can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
Come On! Follow Along!
