Super Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe - Eat at Home (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken homemade chicken and dumplings? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Opt for classic sides like mashed potatoes and cornbread for maximum sauce-sopping potential. Balance out the richness with lighter vegetable sides like green beans or Brussels sprouts. Steer clear of heavy, competing dishes to prevent a culinary overload.

Most recipes I have seen are a simple mixture of chicken broth, chicken, and flour based dumplings. And while my easy to make recipe certainly includes all of those classic ingredients, I decided kick up the flavor level just a bit with the addition of sauteed onion & garlic and a couple of bay leaves...

Place cornstarch and cold water or milk in mason jar. Shake until well combined and then add to boiling chicken and dumplings to thicken.

Fortunately, we're here to let you in on a game-changing secret: Water makes a more than acceptable replacement for chicken stock in most soups, stews, sauces, and braises. And in many cases, water actually produces a better-tasting result.

The steam that builds up by covering the pot is what cooks the dumplings. Don't boil or stir the dumplings. Vigorous boiling and stirring will cause the dumplings to fall apart.

Popular meat fillings include ground meat (usually pork, but sometimes beef or chicken), shrimp, and even fish. Popular mixtures include pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with garlic chives, pork and shrimp with vegetables, pork with spring onion, and garlic chives with scrambled eggs.

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

How to thicken up chicken and dumplings with flour? ›

Create a Slurry.

Combine flour and milk in a sealable container like a Mason Jar, and shake it up. You'll get a smooth flour mixture called a slurry, which will help to thicken your sauce. This turns this recipe into more a a creamy chicken dumpling soup, loaded with flavor.

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

If you find that your filling has too much liquid, I recommend draining the entire mixture in a colander. Another trick that I learned from my mother is to add a teaspoon of cornstarch or breadcrumbs to help soak up the liquid.

The cornstarch will absorb excess water, which will then convert to steam, allowing the bottoms to form that crisp crust.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.