Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Between their buttermilk pancakes and hashbrown casserole, there are quite a few delicious options to choose from on the Cracker Barrel menu. While their breakfast items are always a great option, the famous Cracker Barrel Chicken n' Dumplins are a customer favorite for dinner—or lunch! So of course, we had to attempt our very own copycat Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings recipe for ourselves.

While there are a lot of different ways to make chicken and dumplings, this specific recipe mimics the chicken and dumplings you would find at Cracker Barrel. According to their website, their chicken and dumplings are "slow simmered in our own chicken stock right in our kitchen. It comes in two different sizes and served with your choice of two or three country sides and homemade Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins."

No extra vegetables were added to this specific recipe, which is why this Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings recipe simply includes those two ingredients. Slowly simmered in chicken broth, then in a rich creamy sauce, this recipe is the most authentic way to make Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings. To give it the full Cracker Barrel experience, I served it with a side of green beans and a fresh-baked buttermilk biscuit!

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken soup ingredients

4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups water
1 lb. chicken breast
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp pepper

Dumpling ingredients

2 tbsp butter, softened
2 eggs
6 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

How to Make It

Cook the chicken

Add 4 cups of water and the 4 chicken bouillon cubes to a stockpot. Cover with a lid and turn on medium heat, until the water is boiling. Once boiling, add the chicken, close the lid, and turn the heat on simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway. Once cooked, shred the chicken in a separate bowl.

Whisk the butter and eggs

While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the softened butter and the eggs. There may be some clumps of butter, this is okay! It will smooth out in the dough.

Mix the dumpling dough

Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda into the egg mixture with a spoon. Continue to mix until the lumps smooth out.

Drop in the dumplings

Add the heavy cream into the stockpot, then drop the dough into the pot by spoonfuls. Place the stockpot over medium-low heat and cook for another 8 minutes with the lid on.

Serve with Cracker Barrel sides!

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When the chicken and dumplings are done, break apart the cooked dumplings with a spoon and sprinkle on the pepper. Serve with green beans and biscuits for the full Cracker Barrel experience.

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Full Recipe

1. Heat 4 cups of water and the 4 bouillon cubes in a stockpot, until it starts to boil.
2. Make sure the bouillon cubes are fully broken up once boiling.
3. Add in the chicken breast and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
4. While the chicken is cooking, make the dumpling dough. Whisk together the butter and eggs in a medium bowl. Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix with a spoon.
5. When the chicken is done, take out the breast and shred it up with two forks.
6. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot with the heavy cream.
7. Spoon in small spoonfuls of the batter on top of the liquid. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
8. Break up the dumplings with a wooden spoon, and sprinkle in the pepper.

The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.