Fall Classics: What’s The Easiest Way To Make Chicken And Dumplings?

Beautiful Soul, sometimes I want the whole chicken-and-dumplings experience.

And sometimes? I just want chicken and dumplings!

Those are not necessarily the same Tuesday.

That’s why I don’t believe a Southern classic has to be frozen into one cooking method to remain a classic. What matters to me is preserving the things that make chicken and dumplings worth craving in the first place: tender chicken, creamy and flavorful broth, and soft dumplings soaking up all that goodness.

How I get there can depend on the day—and even which kitchen I’m cooking in.

I make chicken and dumplings three easy ways: on the stovetop with homemade dumplings, in the Instant Pot, or on the stovetop using canned biscuits as my shortcut.

And no matter which method I choose, my rule is the same:

Shortcut the work. Never shortcut the flavor.

So if you’re standing in your kitchen wondering which version makes sense today?

I’ve already thought this through so you don’t have to.™

What’s the easiest way to make chicken and dumplings?

For me, it’s usually the Instant Pot because there’s no babysitting the pot. Drop and walk, baby!

But the easiest method for you depends on how you want to cook. I use three:

• Stovetop with homemade dumplings when I want that homemade dumpling flavor I grew up with.
• Instant Pot chicken and dumplings when convenience and speed win the day.
• Stovetop with canned biscuits when I want to eliminate making dumpling dough altogether.

The method changes. The flavor profile doesn’t.

💡 I’ve already thought this through: Which chicken and dumplings should you make?

When I’m cooking on my gas stove in Vegas, I’m more likely to make my stovetop version. In Virginia, where I have an electric stove, I’m more likely to reach for my Instant Pot.

Choose stovetop with homemade dumplings when…

You want the homemade dumpling flavor without turning dinner into an all-day kitchen project.

But my stovetop recipe is still relatively easy. My homemade dumplings use five pantry staples: oil, flour, milk, baking powder, and salt. And I make them into hand-rolled dough balls. No complicated dumpling production happening over here!

I love the taste because it’s the flavor I grew up with and the closest to the chicken and dumplings I remember from my Grandma Leora.

🥄 Shaunda says: And here’s a little cookbook tease! In The Soul Food Pot Cookbook, I’m sharing them rolled flat like my Grandma Leora made hers.

Choose Instant Pot chicken and dumplings when…

You want to drop and walk. This is the method I use most often because my Instant Pot—AKA my soul food sous chef—doesn’t need me standing over the stove babysitting a pot.

🥄 Shaunda says: And I layer another shortcut on top of it: The chicken doesn’t have to start raw. I like using pre-cooked, already-seasoned chicken or leftover chicken. Picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is another smart shortcut, and I sometimes do exactly that!

I still prefer making my homemade dumpling dough and rolling it into balls because… Beautiful Soul, I live for those doughy dumplings in every bite! Honestly, I could just eat the dumplings. No chicken. There. I said it!

Once the Instant Pot has done its work, there’s very little left to do. Stir in the heavy cream after pressure cooking, and we’re headed to the bowl. Easy peasy.

Choose the canned-biscuit shortcut when…

You want to skip making dumpling dough completely. Using canned biscuits eliminates gathering the five ingredients, mixing the dough, and rolling it out.

🥄 Shaunda says: And I simplify the shortcut even further. Instead of flattening the biscuits, reaching for a rolling pin, and cutting them into strips, I pinch off pieces of biscuit dough and roll them between my hands into balls. That’s it!

No special treatment before they hit the broth.

Add the biscuit dough balls just before covering the pot, then let them cook as the chicken and broth simmer, covered. That covered simmer gives the dumplings time to cook through instead of remaining raw in the center.

I recommend using regular or buttermilk canned biscuits rather than cheese-flavored or other flavored varieties. We’re borrowing the convenience of prepared dough—not changing the flavor profile of the chicken and dumplings!

And if somebody wants to argue that canned biscuits make chicken and dumplings less authentic comfort food? Convenience doesn’t make it less authentic comfort food.

You’re still making dinner in your kitchen. You’re simply letting somebody else handle the biscuit dough first!

Why do my homemade dumplings have baking powder and oil?

Because ingredients aren’t just hanging around in my recipes looking cute! I use baking powder and oil in my homemade dumpling dough to help create the texture I’m after and keep the dumplings from falling apart while cooking.

And I’m not trying to make every dumpling look factory-perfect. Mine have a rustic homemade appearance, and I like the character that adds to the bowl. They look homemade because… They are. 

🥄 Shaunda’s signature flavor touch

Don’t skip ingredients and then wonder why you didn’t get the same result!

Especially for my chicken and dumplings recipes, I’ve already thought through the ingredients and method to give you the dumpling texture and creamy, seasoned broth I’m looking for.

Every ingredient has a job. If you start removing the pieces responsible for flavor or texture, you’re no longer making the same bowl.

I’ve already thought this through so you don’t have to.™

👩🏾‍🍳 Make-It-Your-Way

Your schedule gets a vote.

• Want the homemade stovetop experience? Make my easy dumpling dough and hand-roll those babies into balls.
• Want the Instant Pot doing more of the work? Call in the soul food sous chef.
• Need to open a can of biscuits and get dinner moving? Beautiful Soul, open the biscuits. Use regular or buttermilk biscuits, pinch the dough into balls, and keep it moving!

The goal isn’t to prove how hard you worked. It’s to understand which parts of the recipe can be made easier without sacrificing the flavor that made you want chicken and dumplings in the first place.

Sometimes the best recipe isn’t the one that takes the longest. It’s the one that helps you keep cooking the classics. 

Featured Fall Classic: chicken and dumplings 3 easy ways

I make chicken and dumplings three easy ways because comfort food should fit the way you actually cook.

Choose my stovetop method with easy homemade dumplings, let the Instant Pot do more of the work, or use my stovetop canned-biscuit shortcut when making dumpling dough isn’t happening today!

Whichever method you choose, my rule stays the same: Shortcut the work. Never shortcut the flavor. That means seasoned chicken, seasoned broth, flavorful dumplings, and the creamy, comforting bowl you came for.

Choose your easy way to make chicken and dumplings:

❤️ Serve it like a Southerner: What else should you make when you’re craving Southern comfort food?

Chicken and dumplings may have brought you here, but Beautiful Soul, we’re certainly not leaving you with only one dinner option!

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