Cracker barrel dumpling recipe for chicken and dumplings

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5. Cracker Barrel Dumplings ~ Copy Cat

By Amy H.

from Detroit, MI

Cracker Barrel Restaurants serve a side dish called dumplings. This is not their chicken & dumplings main dish. It is a delicious side of just the dumplings without chicken. You could easily add chicken to this recipe if you wanted chicken & dumplings. They are so yummy and they do taste just like Cracker Barrel's Dumplins! You can make dumpling dough ahead of time. Do not cook first. Simply roll and cut your dough then place on a tray lined with freezer paper. Freeze them for a couple of hours and then they can be placed into a zip lock freezer bag to go back in the freezer for later use.

Ingredients For cracker barrel dumplings ~ copy cat

• DUMPLINGS

• 2 c

  all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling

• SAUCE

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup dumpling cooking liquid (from after dumplings have been cooked)

How To Make cracker barrel dumplings ~ copy cat

• 1

  Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and oil, blending well, and turn out on to a floured surface. Knead four or five times. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick and cut into 1 x 1 1/2-inch dumplings.

• 2

  In a large saucepan, combine the water and bouillon cubes/soup base. Boil until the bouillon cubes/soup base dissolve. Cook the dumplings until just about done; dumplings are done when they float up towards the top of the pot. Use a strainer to remove them to a bowl and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

• 3

  While the dumplings are cooking, you can start to prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in medium saucepan. Add salt and flour; stir until thick. Mix the sugar with the milk and add to flour mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk until thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Add the cooked dumplings to the sauce.

• 4

  Reserve 3/4-1 cup of the cooking liquid and stir gently into the sauce and dumplings. Return to low heat and simmer until blended. If the sauce seems too thick, gently stir in a little more cooking liquid. Add pepper to taste.

• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

Man, oh man!  If there is every a simple recipe to try it would be this Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe.  I was able to make this meal from frozen chicken to done in a little less than 30 minutes!  I made this recipe with a bag of frozen chicken breast tenders.  I totally forgot to defrost something for dinner.  My mind was elsewhere obviously.  It wasn’t until about 2 hours before dinner time that I remembered what I forgot.

I ended up boiling the bag of chicken tenders to start my broth mixture and cook the chicken.  Chicken always comes out so tender when you boil it.  The weather is starting to cool down (Thank GOD!) here in Texas so I am happy to start making dumplings again!

We have made many different versions of dumplings but this recipe might just be my fav!  I might just be saying that because it’s so darn easy.  I live for easy now-a-days.  Who doesn’t, right?

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked chicken

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe Instructions:

I started this recipe by boiling my chicken first.  After the chicken was completely cooked, I removed the cooked chicken and shredded it into smaller pieces.  I set it aside to make the dumplings.  This created my broth.

You can use leftover chicken for this recipe also.  If you don’t boil your chicken, or are using leftovers, you can heat up 2 quarts of chicken broth you purchase from the store.  Or,  add a bit of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.  (not all stores carry this but you can grab a can on Amazon)  This stuff is amazing and gives it such a good flavor.  In fact,  even when I boil my own chicken I spoonful of this stuff for extra flavor!

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter.  The pastry blender is easy to use especially when the butter is rock hard.  If you don’t have one, get one!

Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface.  The ball of dough will be a bit sticky and you don’t want it sticking to your counter.  You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings. I like to use a pizza cutter. 

Roll the dough out thin with a rolling pin.  Be sure to dust your rolling pin with flour before you use it to prevent sticking.  Now cut the dumplings in squares about 2 inch strips as seen in the photos. These do not have to be perfect by any means.  You want them all about the same size so they will all cook the same.

Next, I use a spatula to put them back in the bowl the dough just came from.  I’m all about messing up less dishes so I have less to clean up.  When you pick up the dumplings, if you notice any sticking you may want to dust them with a little bit more flour so they don’t stick.  Don’t worry about using too much flour though.  The extra flour dust helps create the thicker soup sauce.  

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in a small amount at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and Voila!  Dinner is done!

Copycat Chicken and Dumpling Recipe Nutrition

Serves 8

Calories 148, Total C 26.7g, Fiber 0.9g, Sugars 2.6g, Fat 1.8g, Protein 5.8g

Here’s a printable version of this recipe for you!

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe

Best Chicken and Dumplings EVER! Easy meal idea from scratch

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 148

• 2 cups Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 quarts Chicken Broth
• 3 cups Cooked Chicken

• I started this recipe by boiling my chicken first. After the chicken was completely cooked, I removed the cooked chicken and shredded it into smaller pieces. I set it aside to make the dumplings. This created my broth.

• You can use leftover chicken for this recipe also. If you don't boil your chicken, or are using leftovers, you can heat up 2 quarts of chicken broth you purchase from the store. Or, add a bit of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. (not all stores carry this but you can grab a can on Amazon) This stuff is amazing and gives it such a good flavor. In fact, even when I boil my own chicken I spoonful of this stuff for extra flavor!

• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl.

• Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. The pastry blender is easy to use especially when the butter is rock hard.

• Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

• Heavily flour a work surface. The ball of dough will be a bit sticky and you don't want it sticking to your counter. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings. I like to use a pizza cutter.

• Roll the dough out thin with a rolling pin. Be sure to dust your rolling pin with flour before you use it to prevent sticking. Now cut the dumplings in squares about 2 inch strips as seen in the photos. These do not have to be perfect by any means. You want them all about the same size so they will all cook the same.

• Next, I use a spatula to put them back in the bowl the dough just came from. I'm all about messing up less dishes so I have less to clean up. When you pick up the dumplings, if you notice any sticking you may want to dust them with a little bit more flour so they don't stick. Don't worry about using too much flour though. The extra flour dust helps create the thicker soup sauce.

• To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in a small amount at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and Voila! Dinner is done!

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 148 | Carbohydrates: 26.7g | Protein: 5.8g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 2.6g | Net Carbs: 25.8g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy.