Chicken and Dumpling Casserole Recipe
Add Preferred SourceChicken and dumpling casserole is the dinner I make when there’s cooked chicken in the fridge and I want chicken and dumplings without standing over a pot. You spoon soft dumplings straight onto a hot chicken-and-vegetable filling, then let the oven finish the job.
Get the filling properly hot before the dumplings go on, so they get a head start before the oven takes over. I keep them small, too, which is the trick to getting them cooked through rather than stodgy inside.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses chicken you’ve already cooked. Shredded rotisserie, roast chicken, or holiday turkey all slot in, so you aren’t cooking chicken especially for it.
- No rolling or cutting dumplings. You stir the batter together and drop it on in spoonfuls, which skips the fiddly part people tend to dread about chicken and dumplings.
- Two cups of chicken feeds six. Shredded chicken stretches across six servings, filled out with a cup each of carrots and peas so it isn’t all meat.
- Freezer and pantry basics. Frozen carrots and peas, chicken stock, flour, and baking powder are the kind of thing already in the kitchen, with no specialty shopping.
- On the table in about 40 minutes. Twenty minutes of prep and a 20-minute bake.
- Leftovers reheat without falling apart. The egg in the dumplings helps them hold their shape the next day instead of dissolving into the sauce.
- Mild enough for picky eaters. Chicken, peas, carrots, and a soft dumpling top is the kind of plate that tends to get cleared without a fight.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what’s worth noting before you start. The printable card below has the full list with quantities.
- Cooked, shredded chicken. Two cups is what you need. Rotisserie or leftover roast chicken both work, and leftover turkey is a good stand-in after a holiday.
- Frozen carrots and peas. They go in frozen, straight from the bag, so there’s no chopping or par-cooking. A cup of each keeps the filling from being all chicken.
- Red onion. Half an onion, diced, cooked down with the vegetables for a little sweetness in the base.
- Flour, used twice. A few tablespoons thicken the filling into a gravy, and a separate cup goes into the dumpling batter. The card lists them apart, so measure them separately.
- Baking powder. This is what makes the dumplings rise and stay light rather than dense. If yours has been open a while, check it’s still active, because tired baking powder is one common reason for flat dumplings.
- Egg. It binds the dumpling batter and, handily, helps the dumplings hold together when you reheat leftovers.
- Chicken stock. Two cups becomes the gravy once the flour goes in, so a well-seasoned stock does a lot of the flavoring here.
How to make Chicken and Dumpling Casserole with Step-By-Step Instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Here’s how it comes together, step by step.
Cook the vegetables
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Warm the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the frozen carrots, peas, and diced red onion. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the onion is tender.
Build the filling
Stir in the flour so it coats the vegetables, pour in the chicken stock, and mix until it thickens into a gravy.
Add the shredded chicken, season the filling with salt and pepper, and taste it now, because this is your last chance to fix the seasoning before the dumplings go on.
Mix the dumplings
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, egg, and milk until you have a thick batter.
Don’t overmix it; stir just until it comes together, since working the batter hard builds the gluten that turns dumplings gummy.
Drop the dumplings
Spread the hot chicken filling in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Using two spoons, scoop the batter into small balls and settle them into the filling, spacing them out so they have room to puff.
Keep them on the small side, since they expand as they bake and oversized ones can stay doughy in the center.
Bake the casserole
Bake for 20 minutes, until the dumplings are set and cooked through, then serve it hot. Serve your chicken and dumpling casserole hot right out of the oven.
Enjoy the blend of flavors and the lovely dumpling texture with every bite!
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Make sure the filling is steaming, not just warm. A hot filling gives the dumplings a head start, and a lukewarm one is a common reason for pale, doughy centers. Spoon the batter on while the filling is still hot from the skillet.
- Keep the dumplings small and spaced out. Crowded or oversized dumplings trap steam and cook unevenly. About a tablespoon of batter each, with a little room between them, cooks the most reliably.
- Taste and adjust the filling first. The dumplings are fairly plain and soak up flavor from the filling as they bake, so a filling that tastes right on its own can end up a little flat under them. Fix the seasoning before you top it.
- Check your baking powder is fresh. Baking powder that’s past its best is one common reason for flat, heavy dumplings.
- Don’t overwork the batter. Stir it just until it comes together. The more you mix, the more gluten develops, and that’s what makes dumplings chewy and dense instead of light.
Recipe Variations
- When you’re short on time, swap the scratch dumplings for pre-made biscuit dough. It’s a tested shortcut, though the topping bakes up more like biscuits than soft dumplings, so you lose a little of the classic texture.
- For a richer, creamier sauce, stir a spoonful of cream of chicken soup into the stock before the chicken goes in. I make it this way when I want it more indulgent, and it’s a tested tweak.
- Extra vegetables like sliced mushrooms or diced bell pepper fold into the filling easily. I’ve tested both to use up what’s in the drawer, and they cook through in the same time as the carrots and peas.
- Leftover turkey works in place of the chicken, cup for cup, which makes this a good way to use up the bird after a holiday. It’s a tested swap that changes nothing about the method.
How to Store Leftovers
Move leftovers into an airtight container within two hours of baking rather than leaving the dish to cool on the counter.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze in portions for up to 2 to 3 months.
To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave or a 350°F (180°C) oven until they’re piping hot, to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), and stir in a splash of stock or milk if the sauce has thickened.
To get ahead, assemble the casserole up to the point of baking, cover it, and keep it in the fridge; bake it straight from cold and add a few extra minutes for the center to heat through.
Thaw a frozen portion overnight in the fridge before you reheat it.
What to Serve With Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
This casserole is a full plate on its own, with chicken, vegetables, and dumplings all in one dish, so the sides that suit it best are the light, fresh ones.
A green vegetable does the most good here, and a batch of air fryer broccoli adds a crisp bite that cuts through the creamy filling without weighing the meal down.
A sharp salad works the same way. A honeycrisp salad brings crunch and a little acidity, and a bowl of tangy red cabbage coleslaw is a good make-ahead option.
I’d skip piling on another starch like potatoes or bread, since the dumplings already cover that part of the plate.
FAQs
Gummy dumplings usually trace back to one of three things: a filling that wasn’t hot enough when they went on, batter that was overmixed, or baking powder that’s lost its lift. Spoon the dumplings onto actively steaming filling, stir the batter just until it comes together, and start with fresh baking powder for light, cooked-through dumplings.
Yes, and it’s one of the best reasons to make this. Any cooked, shredded chicken works, whether it’s rotisserie, leftover roast chicken, or even leftover turkey, so you can build the whole casserole without cooking chicken specially.
Yes, it freezes well once baked. Portion it into airtight containers, and see How to Store Leftovers above for the freezer window, thawing, and reheating.
More Chicken Dinners to Put on Repeat
If this one earns a spot in the rotation, these are more chicken dinners to try next.
- Copycat Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings is the one to make when you want the classic stovetop version with flat, rolled dumplings instead of a bake.
- Easy chicken casserole is my pick for a faster weeknight, since it’s built on egg noodles and cheese and comes together in about 25 minutes.
- Chicken pot pie scratches the same creamy-chicken itch for nights you’d rather have a buttery puff pastry crust than dumplings.
- Chicken tamale pie is where I go to point that same use-up-cooked-chicken idea in a Tex-Mex direction, with a cornbread base.
- Chicken and rice casserole is for a night when you have time for a longer bake, since the uncooked rice cooks right in the dish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup frozen carrot diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ red onion diced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
Video
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Heat a non-stick skillet to medium high and add the olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the frozen carrots, peas and red onion. Cook for 7 minutes, or until the onion is tender.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup frozen carrot, 1 cup frozen peas, ½ red onion
- Add the flour and mix with the veggies, add the chicken stock and mix well. Add the shredded chicken and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.3 tablespoons flour, 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups shredded chicken, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, egg and milk and mix well.1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 egg, ⅓ cup milk
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a casserole dish and use two spoons to make balls of the dough and sink them in the casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Use cooked, shredded chicken: rotisserie, roast, or leftover turkey all work.
- Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning before the dumplings go on, while it’s still easy to change.
- Scoop small dumplings, since they puff up in the oven and cook through more evenly at that size.
- Get the filling hot before spooning on the dumplings so they get a head start.
- Stir the dumpling batter just until it comes together; overmixing makes the dumplings dense.
- Stir a spoonful of cream of chicken soup into the stock before the chicken goes in for a richer sauce.
- Fold sliced mushrooms or diced bell pepper into the filling to use up what you have on hand.
- Add chopped fresh parsley or thyme to the filling right before baking for a herby lift.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze in portions for up to 2 to 3 months.
Absolutely delicious! I was generous with the broth and used biscuit mix for the dumplings. Will be making often! Thanks for posting! A keeper!
That’s great to hear, and thanks for taking the time to let me know!