Description
Homestyle chicken & dumplings with fluffy dumplings and flavorful chicken in every creamy bite!
Ingredients
- 1 whole fryer chicken (4–5 pounds)
- 8 cups water, divided
- 4 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 4 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup vegetable shortening or butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Rinse and clean out chicken and place in a large pot. Add 6 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth. Sprinkle the top evenly with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for 1 to 1.5 hours until chicken is cooked all the way through and tender when poked with a fork.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Once cool, remove chicken from the bone, discarding bones and skin.
- Leave the broth in the pot on medium heat and add 2 cups milk and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- In a jar with a lid, make a roux by combining 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 cups water. Shake well then whisk into the liquid in the pot. This will thicken the soup.
- To make the dumplings, place the self-rising flour in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or by pulling two knives in opposite directions through the flour and shortening. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup whole milk. Stir with a spoon or mix with your hands until well combined. Turn half of the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into strips that are 1-inch wide by 3-inches long. Put strips on a pan and repeat process with remaining dough.
- Drop dumplings into the simmering liquid. Gently press down on dumplings with a large spoon so they are submerged in the liquid, but do not stir. Cover and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in chicken. Allow to cook until thickened, about another 10-15 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.