My Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings is the ideal comfort meal. Velvety smooth chicken stew with handmade dumplings – what can be better? Is it a stew or a soup? Whatever you call it, I call it the ultimate cozy dinner.
For those cool evenings, you can have this sumptuous dinner ready in a flash with ingredients you likely have in your pantry. Don’t be intimidated by the dumplings, they are easy and will taste amazing. Kid-friendly and husband-approved, you will love this recipe.
I have to admit I’ve taken liberty with the ingredients of our “copycat” version here. The restaurant version doesn’t have carrots. They add so much flavor, I’m compelled to add them. In fact, I believe they strain their soup leaving only chicken, noodles, and broth. I prefer it unstrained, but feel free to omit or strain if you’d prefer. Personally, I think this recipe follow the spirit of the restaurant version but honestly, it’s quite a bit better. Please let me know what you think in the comments below.
Are you a fan of chicken and dumplings? I sure am. I hope you’ll try our old fashioned chicken and dumplings, crockpot chicken and dumplings, southern chicken and dumplings, and chicken and dumpling casserole.
CRACKER BARREL CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted butter: Used to sauté the veggies.
- Celery + Carrot + Onion: This trio of veggies is known as mirepoix, a traditional base for soups and stews.
- Thyme leaves: Dried is suggested or use three times the amount if using fresh thyme.
- Chicken broth: I like low sodium to control the salt level of the stew.
- Chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon: Always dissolve in boiling water, this adds a deeper chicken flavor.
- Salt + black pepper: To taste.
- All-purpose flour: This is for the dumplings.
- Baking powder: The necessary leavening for the dumplings.
- Shortening: Just a little fat for tenderness of the dumpling.
- Milk: The liquid needed to activate the baking powder and to bind the dumpling dough.
- Cooked chicken: Use your own cooked chicken or use a pre-cooked roasted chicken.
- Heavy cream: This adds a little velvety texture to the stew.
WHAT IS A SIMMER
When a recipe calls for you to simmer a dish what does that mean exactly? Generally speaking, there are three types of simmers used in cooking. They are as follows, low, regular, or rapid. All simmers are considered to be a gentle heat, below the boiling point. Within those parameters, there are of course, many temperatures.
For this soup, and frankly most of my recipes, it’s really not that specific. You don’t need to use a thermometer. What I’m looking for in a simmer is a steady stream of gentle bubbling on the surface, not aggressive bubbling. You want to cook the noodles but the heat has to be gentle enough so as not to break the noodles up. If your simmer is too aggressively, it will also toughen the chicken when you add it back to the Dutch oven to heat through.
TIPS
- Browning The Chicken: This is a really important step. Browning the chicken seals the exterior of the chicken and keeps it nice and juicy when it’s all cooked.
- Thin As Needed: Add more chicken broth to the soup if it reduces too much.
- Make ‘Em Thin: When making the dumplings, roll them very thin. They will expand when cooked. Don’t worry about making them perfect, they are handmade and will taste deliciously comforting!
- Be Gentle: When dropping the dumplings into the soup, release them into the liquid one at a time so they don’t stick together. Then, stir gently to avoid breaking them.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once made, your Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings will last up to four days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? I don’t recommend freezing because the dumplings’ texture changes.
- Make-Ahead: This dish can be warmed up. Warm it up gently, do not overheat.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link. Just be sure to let this soup cool completely before putting it in the fridge and reserve the FDA-recommended 2-hour serving rule.
HOW TO MAKE CRACKER BARREL CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
- Cook the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Saute the veggies.
- Add the broth, bouillon, and bay leaf and simmer.
- Prepare the dumplings: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add the milk.
- Mix until it creates a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface then roll out to about 1/4 inch or thinner.
- Cut the noodles into 1/2 X 1-inch pieces.
- Add the dough strips to the simmering broth and cook, uncovered. Stir occasionally.
- When the noodles are almost cooked through, return the cut chicken pieces.
- Mix.
- Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE CHICKEN SOUP RECIPES
- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Italian Chicken Soup
- Cream Of Chicken Soup
- Creamy Chicken Potato Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Matzo Ball Soup
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
MORE COPYCAT RECIPES
- Paula Deen Corn Casserole
- Pioneer Woman Chili
- Alton Brown Chili
- Popeyes Mac and Cheese
- KFC Famous Bowl Casserole
- KFC Chicken Pot Pie
- Chick Fil A Mac And Cheese
- Olive Garden Tortellini Al Forno
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
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Cracker Barrel Chicken And Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- salt + black pepper
- 2 tablespoon, plus more as needed vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon, more if needed butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
- 1 cup carrot, chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup celery, chopped into small cubes
- 8 cups, plus more for thinning leftovers low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon
- 1 dried bay leaf
Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Pat chicken (1 pound) dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- In a Dutch oven, heat oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden, 3-4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, place on a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces; set aside.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven. Sauté onion (1/2 cup), carrot (1 cup), and celery (1 cup) over medium-low heat, until the onion is translucent and the other vegetables are soft and tender, about 7-9 minutes.
- Add the broth (8 cups), Better Than Bouillon (1 tablespoon), and bay leaf (1) to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
- While the chicken and veggies are cooking, prepare the dumplings.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour (2 cups), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1 teaspoon). Slowly, add milk (1 cup), just until it mixes into dough and creates a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface then roll out to about 1/4 inch or thinner. (Dumplings will thicken significantly as they cook).
- Using a long knife or pizza cutter, cut the dumplings into 1/2 X 1-inch pieces.
- Add the dough strips to the simmering broth and cook, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the dumplings don't stick together. Moderate heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, allowing the dumplings to cook and the broth to thicken.
- When the noodles are almost cooked through, return the cut chicken pieces to the Dutch oven.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Browning The Chicken: This is a really important step. Browning the chicken seals the exterior of the chicken and keeps it nice and juicy when it’s all cooked.
- Thin As Needed: Add more chicken broth to the soup if it reduces too much.
- Make ‘Em Thin: When making the dumplings, roll them very thin. They will expand when cooked. Don’t worry about making them perfect, they are handmade and will taste deliciously comforting!
- Be Gentle: When dropping the dumplings into the soup, release them into the liquid one at a time so they don’t stick together. Then, stir gently to avoid breaking them.
Thank you very much for this! As an autistic, I am not allowed to eat in cracker barrel. They refused a class of high school students because of their autism. I do not feel welcomed there.