Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Recipe {Video}

Easy Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Recipe made with homemade dumplings—the perfect Southern comfort food dinner for the entire family.

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Woohoo! It is time for another copycat Cracker Barrel Recipe to be shared! If you have followed our site for a while, you know that we LOVE Cracker Barrel Restaurants. We always visit them while traveling, especially since our closest Cracker Barrel is almost an hour away in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

I started making copycat recipes at home to save the multiple hours of driving. I don't have a deer head, rifle, or horseshoe that you find on the wall in every Cracker Barrel in our house, but I do have a love of making copycat recipes at home, so that is enough. LOL!

This homemade chicken and dumplings is the perfect comfort food meal. Packed with flavors, easy to make, and filling.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make epic Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Butter
• Buttermilk
• Chicken Broth/Stock
• Cooked Chicken Breast

Equipment Needed

• Measuring Cups/Spoons
• Medium Mixing Bowl 
• Kitchen Spoon/Spatula
• Cutting Board
• Rolling Pin
• Pizza Cutter
• Large Pot/Dutch Oven
• Fork or pastry blender to mix dough

Preparation and Storage

Make-Ahead + Storage: You can make a large batch of Chicken and Dumplings in one cooking session, making this recipe the perfect make-ahead family meal! Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy them within three to four days.

Freezing/How to Freeze: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container and enjoy them within three months.

How to Reheat: You can reheat leftovers using your stovetop or microwave, depending on how many servings you need to prepare. Add a splash of chicken broth as needed to rehydrate.

Recipe Variations

Substitutions:

I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for this copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings recipe. You can also use cooked shredded chicken that you have boiled or cooked in the CrockPot.

Whatever is most accessible and the least stressful for you. We have had readers use chicken tenders, skinless chicken breasts to make this recipe. 

Add in veggies on the side or mixed into the dish.

Vegetarian Option: Replace the shredded chicken and chicken stock with meatless alternatives to make this copycat recipe vegetarian.

Vegan Option: In addition to the guidance for vegetarians, vegans should replace butter and buttermilk with plant-based alternatives to make this Cracker Barrel recipe vegan.

Gluten-Free: Gluten-free eaters should make this recipe with gluten-free all-purpose flour and chicken stock to ensure it is safe for a gluten-free diet.

Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings and scales quickly to your desired yield. Be sure you have a large enough pot to contain the dumplings and the broth if you scale up.

Make It Spicy: Cracker Barrel does not make this dish spicy, but you can add red chili pepper flakes to taste for some heat.

Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 5 grams of sugar per serving. Make it sugar-free by using chicken stock with no sugar added.

Tips for the Best Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

• I use a plastic cutting board for my floured surface. That way, I can move the it to the sink and wash it instead of having flour and dumpling dough all over the counter. A rolling pin will make it easier to roll out the dumpling dough. 
• We use a pizza cutter to slice the dumplings. It is fast and oh-so-easy.
• When you bring the broth to a boil, make sure you watch it and don't get it boiling over. You want the broth to heat and simmer.
• Watch the dumplings when boiling them, especially if you put a lid on the pan. I turned around for a few minutes and returned to chicken stock overflowing from the pan to the stovetop. Trust me, you do not want to have to clean this off the stove top.
• Check out our Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings for a slow cooker version of this recipe.

What to Serve with Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

These Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings are perfect when you crave a bite of this homestyle American chain from home. Here are some menu planning suggestions.

Sides: BLT Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans, CrockPot Tater Tot Chicken Casserole, CrockPot Corn Pudding, 2 Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Cups, Easy Homemade Banana Bread, Cornbread with Sour cream, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese

Main Dishes: Bacon Pot Pie, Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs, Crock Pot Steak Stroganoff, Crockpot Mushroom Pasta Casserole, Easy German Apple Pancake, French Toast Casserole, Apple & Raisin French Toast, Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes, Crock Pot Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Desserts: 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars, Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling, Orange Dreamsicle Salad, Bisquick Peach Cobbler, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies, Air Fryer Donuts, Cinnamon & Sugar Crescents, Raspberry Coffee Cake, Biscuit Donuts

When to Serve

• Lunch
• Dinner
• Potlucks
• Holidays
• Sunday Supper

Great Recipe Collections

Celery Recipes that taste great - Are you wondering what to make with the celery that has been in your fridge? These are our favorite recipes with celery in them.

Comfort Foods - An entire collection of comfort food recipes!

Side Dishes for Chicken - Check out our favorite side dishes for chicken.

Potluck Recipes - Easy potluck recipes that are perfect for a work party, holiday party or event, or church picnic. These potluck ideas are great for a crowd of any size.

Casserole Recipes - Delicious casseroles everyone will love!

Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

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Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Easy Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings copycat recipe you can make at home. Homemade chicken and dumplings that taste amazing

3.71 from 51 votes

Print Rate

Servings: 8

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Tammilee Tips

Ingredients

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3 cups Chicken shredded, cooked
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 7 cups Chicken Stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Shred cooked chicken and measure out 3 cups
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt
• Cut the butter into the flour mixture
• Stir in buttermilk to form a dough
• Flour a cutting board and roll out dough with a rolling pin
• Cut dough with a pizza cutter into strips, aim for similar size dumplings
• Bring chicken stock/broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into chicken stock one at a time stirring to make sure they do not stick together.
• Once all of the dumplings are in the broth cook them for 15-20 minutes, watch to make sure the mixture does not boil over the pan. You want it to simmer
• Once the dumplings are cooked add in shredded chicken.

Kitchen Tools

• Rolling Pin

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 49mg16%

Sodium 388mg17%

Potassium 406mg12%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 204IU4%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 64mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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