16 Chicken and Dumplings Recipes That Will Warm You From the Inside Out

Chicken and dumplings is one of the coziest examples of comfort food you can make. A chicken-soup base gets dotted with soft, pillowy dumplings to yield a nourishing meal that everyone can enjoy. Don’t be fooled, though—not every version is alike and there’s more than just one way to make this traditional dish. Read on for our favorite takes.

We think this iteration of the classic comfort food dish deserves the term "best" because it’s hearty and nourishing while packing in robust flavor thanks to homemade chicken stock. Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables come together in a creamy, richly-flavored sauce with pillowy dumplings baked right on top. It's hearty but not too heavy and comes together from scratch in about an hour.

It can be hard to repurpose leftover fried chicken, but this chicken and dumplings recipe is a great way to do it. In this creamy skillet dinner, the biscuit-like dumplings bake up into a flaky, golden crust. The hearty and savory dish is like chicken and dumplings meets pot pie.

Comforting chicken and dumplings come together at lightning speed thanks to the Instant Pot, in this perfect addition to your weeknight dinner arsenal. Forget waiting hours for chicken and dumplings—the handy gadget delivers this classic dish in under 40 minutes. Garnish with freshly-chopped flat leaf parsley.

This simple version of the old-fashioned dish works beautifully in the microwave. The best part? It’s made with rotisserie chicken, so you're halfway done before you start. Golden cornmeal dumplings make a tender-chewy topping.

Chicken and dumplings can be a heavy dish, so if you’re looking for a way to enjoy a lightened-up version, this recipe is a sure-thing. It has all the parts you love about traditional chicken and dumplings, with a lighter broth and some extra vegetables thrown in. It doesn’t skimp on flavor and it can be ready in just one hour.

This shortcut version of the comfort classic uses already cooked and shredded chicken (like rotisserie chicken) to help it come together in under an hour. A bit of heavy cream helps add creamy thickness while pepper, thyme and bay leaves add warm, herbal flavor. Top with freshly-chopped parsley and serve.

This hearty pot of chicken and dumplings requires a whole broken down chicken, which means every bite is packed with savory, tender chicken bits. Unlike more standard chicken and dumpling recipes, this one gets a dash of complex flavor from ground turmeric. The cornmeal-based dumplings get simmered to perfection and served with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

If you’re looking for a warm and cozy meal to let simmer on the stove all day, let this be it. The classic comfort food uses a whole chicken to make a hearty and savory stock, while classic chicken soup additions—like dill, carrots, onion and celery—add deep flavor. Soft and pillowy dumplings soak up the savory flavor of the soup while cooking.

This hearty, heart-warming dish might look like it simmered on the stove all day, but it takes just 40 minutes to whip up. The secret? Boxed biscuit mix means much of the dish is already mixed. Simply combine the prepared mix with water and parsley, then scoop and drop into the simmering bowl of chicken.

The secret to this shortcut version of the comfort classic is using rotisserie chicken and prepared biscuit dough: With these two products on hand, a three-hour dish becomes fast enough for a weeknight dinner and easy enough (just one pot!) that you can make it almost anywhere—from a camping trip to a vacation rental.

Bright and flavorful herbs help add deep flavor to this cozy dish. Just like your favorite bowl of chicken soup, it’s packed with dill to make for a vibrant, earthy broth. Ready in just 40 minutes, it’s perfect for a cold and cozy winter night—even in the middle of a busy work week.

This hearty chicken and dumplings dish has extra veggies added in for extra flavor and nourishment. Cubes of sweet potato help offset the savory flavor of the broth with gentle sweetness. Fresh spinach adds earthy flavor and nutrient-dense greenery.

This soup is packed with fiber, thanks to the quinoa and the whole-wheat dumplings. It’s a lightened-up version of the cozy dish that still delivers maximum flavor and texture. For a pop of color, use black or red quinoa-which also hold their shape better than the white variety, but keep in mind that cooking times will vary.

If you’re looking for a way to display and serve your chicken and dumplings that puts their beauty on full display, opt for a cast iron skillet. The heavy-duty pan helps ensure even and thorough heat distribution, so the chicken soup gets tender and thick while the biscuits on top get crispy and golden.

This easy iteration of the classic ready yields up to 50 dumplings in just one hour. Instead of mixing the dumpling dough and dropping it into simmering stock, these biscuits get rolled out and cut into triangles. That means each dumpling is uniform in shape and size, which makes it easier to serve up equal portions.