Homemade Cracker Barrel-Style Chicken and Dumplings
A warm, creamy bowl of homemade chicken and dumplings that captures the cozy flavors of Cracker Barrel, perfect for a family-friendly dinner.
Ingredients
Broth and Chicken
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 ribs celery, broken into large pieces
- ½ medium onion
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
Dumpling Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup milk plus 2 tbsp
- to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine chicken broth, celery, onion, and chicken breasts. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for approximately 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gently stir in the milk until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thick and slice into strips or squares (1–2 inches wide).
- When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the broth and set aside, discarding the celery and onion.
Cooking
- Drop dough strips into the simmering broth, stirring gently.
- Let the dumplings simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and the broth thickens to a gravy-like consistency.
- While the dumplings cook, shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the chicken to the pot, mix gently, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
For added flavor, consider using rotisserie chicken. Experiment with herbs like thyme or rosemary, and add veggies like carrots or peas. For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with chickpeas and the broth with vegetable broth. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.