Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
This Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings recipe is the ultimate comfort food, with soft pillows of dough simmered in a flavorful chicken broth that thickens into a rich, creamy sauce. Made with simple ingredients and ready in under an hour, it’s a cozy, homestyle meal the whole family will love.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 606kcal
Cost: $2.19/ Serving
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil ($0.33)
- 1 yellow onion chopped ($0.80)
- 2 teaspoons salt divided ($0.06)
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced ($0.08)
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts about 2 ($4.5)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($1.00)
- 1 ½ cups water
Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour scoop and level (280g) ($0.56)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder ($0.1)
- 4 Tablespoons cold butter cubed (56g) ($0.52)
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature (180ml) ($0.52)
- ½ teaspoon ground sage ($0.1)
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed ($0.1)
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme ($0.0125)
- ½ teaspoon pepper ($0.08)
- Extra flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a large braiser pan or dutch oven, I like to use a 5 qt. Heat up olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Add 1 teaspoon of salt while cooking the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, water and chicken breasts.
- Lower heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken breasts are fully cooked throughout and the internal temperature is 165°F. Cooking the chicken on a lower heat ensures the juiciest chicken and keeps it from drying out.
Prepare the Dumplings:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or clean hands until crumbly.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix until a soft sticky dough forms.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to about ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into rectangles using a knife or pizza cutter.
- Lightly dust dumplings with flour, this will help thicken the sauce later when they’re cooking as well as keep them from sticking. Allow the dumplings to rest for a few minutes.
Shred the Chicken:
- Check the chicken is done and then carefully remove chicken breasts from the pot leaving the onions and broth in the pot.
- Using two forks or a sharp knife, chop/shred the chicken.
- Return the chicken back into the broth. The chicken should be partially submerged in broth. If needed, add a ¼ cup more chicken broth before cooking the dumplings.
- Add sage, celery seed, thyme and pepper. Bring broth to a gentle simmer.
Cooking the dumplings:
- Drop dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time, spacing out so they do not fully overlap.
- Cover and cook for 12 minutes.
- Then uncover and cook for additional 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- The dumplings should be set and the broth should transform into a thick, creamy sauce.
- Do not aggressively stir. If needed, gently nudge the dumplings around the edge
- The dumplings, chicken should be wrapped in a creamy sauce when done.
Notes
- Add seasonings before the dumplings for best flavor distribution. If you forget, you can add them after and gently stir.
- It’s vital to cover the dumplings tightly for the first 12 minutes, this allows them to steam and cook. Taking the cover off thereafter, allows the liquid to reduce and thicken.
- Lightly dusting the dumplings helps naturally thicken the broth.
This dish similar to Cracker Barrels is simple and comforting. Go easy on the seasonings. - The buttermilk should be room temperature so the dough comes together easily.
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 2160mg | Potassium: 833mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 483IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 4mg
