Creamy Chicken and Dumplings (Best Easy Soup Recipe) + Video (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken up 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.

You can make a slurry out of flour and cold water, add to the chicken mixture and cook until thickened (you need to cook this to cook the raw taste out of the flour).

An aggressive simmer or boiling will break them apart. Keep the heat low and keep your pot covered so that they steam. The dumplings can cook longer than the suggested times without issues, but agitating them with an aggressive simmer will make them fall apart.

The fillings for soup dumplings are typically made from seasoned pork, and the aspic or gelatin is made by cooking down broth and letting it cool and congeal. The dough must be kneaded to be extremely soft and smooth before it is rolled into a thin, flat circle.

Chicken Broth Substitute: Water

If your recipe calls for a small amount of broth for deglazing a pan or thinning out a soup, stew or sauce, try water instead. You may want to add a few more seasonings like salt, pepper, or dried herbs to get the full flavor the chicken broth would provide.

How can I thicken stove top chicken and dumplings? You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

It's best to have your lid ready: Immediately add about 3 tablespoons of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. Lift the lid and allow the dumpling to cook for another 30 seconds, to allow the bottoms to get extra crispy.

Lower your heat so that your broth is just barely barely barely boiling and drop these pieces in one at a time. It is important that you DO NOT STIR. We are not going to stir these as we don't want our dumplings cooking up. If you do stir, you will basically cause your dumplings to dissolve.

Make sure your dumplings are sealed well, otherwise the filling will fall out in the boiling process. Try not to over boil it, or else the skin will become too soggy and break apart. If your dumplings are stuck together from the freezing process, just throw them in the pot altogether.

You'll know the dumplings are done when they're light and fluffy.

Can you boil dumplings in water instead of soup? ›

I usually serve 2 dumplings per bowl. I usually cook these in boiling water, not broth. Prep time allows for bringing a pot of water to the boil - it only takes about 10 minutes to mix up the batter."

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.

It could also be that your doughballs cooled your broth enough that the outer surface of the doughball couldn't get "set" fast enough and the flour began to mix with the broth. If that was the issue, I'd think hotter broth, a larger volume of hot broth, or smaller/fewer dumplings at once would help.

You will actually need to add some additional milk to them the next day. Once the dumplings are done and transferred to a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of cornstarch into a cup of milk and add it to the hot broth. Stir the broth over medium heat until it has thickened. This only takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

Set instant pot to saute and once boiling, drop dumplings into hot liquid; simmer for several minutes. Add shredded chicken back to instant pot. Place cornstarch and cold water or milk in mason jar. Shake until well combined and then add to boiling chicken and dumplings to thicken.