A Bowl of Pure Comfort: Mastering Authentic Amish Chicken & Dumplings

If you ask five different Americans to describe chicken and dumplings, you might get five different answers. In the South, they are often fluffy, biscuit-like clouds floating on stew. In other regions, they are dense little drop-biscuits. But if you travel to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country or the Amish communities of Ohio and Indiana, “dumplings” mean something entirely different.

Authentic Amish chicken and dumplings—sometimes confusingly called “chicken pot pie” in Pennsylvania, despite the lack of a crust—is perhaps the ultimate expression of frugal, comforting farmhouse cooking. It is a dish designed to feed a crowd of hardworking people using simple staples from the larder.

The defining characteristic of this dish is the dumpling itself. It is not fluffy. It is not leavened with heaps of baking powder. It is a flat, rolled-out square of dough, cooked in rich broth until it becomes slippery, chewy, and incredibly satisfying.

The Anatomy of the Amish Dumpling

The magic of this dish lies in the contrast between the rich, golden broth and the dense noodle-like dumpling.

The Broth: Traditionally, this dish was made using an old “stewing hen”—a bird past its egg-laying prime. These older chickens were tough, but possessed incredible, deep flavor and a good amount of yellow fat. That fat (schmaltz) is crucial; it gives the broth its signature golden hue and velvety mouthfeel. While modern grocery store chickens are younger, we can replicate this richness by using a whole bird with the skin on and not being afraid of the fat that renders out.

The “Slick” Dumpling: Amish dumplings are essentially thick, rustic pasta. They are made from flour, fat (butter or lard), liquid (milk or broth), and usually an egg for structure. The dough is rolled out thin, like a pie crust, cut into squares, and dropped into boiling broth. As they cook, they release starch, thickening the broth naturally into a silky gravy without the need for a roux.

This is slow food at its finest. It requires time to make the stock and patience to roll the dough, but the result is a bowl of heritage comfort that soothes the soul.

Recipe: Authentic Amish Farmhouse Chicken & Dumplings

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours (includes stock making)

Part 1: The Rich Chicken Stock & Meat

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs), or an equivalent mix of bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts. (Using a whole bird is best for flavor).
• 3 quarts cold water (enough to just cover the bird)
• 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped (include the leafy tops)
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt (plus more to taste later)
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken, vegetables, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven.
2. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low. Skim off any gray foam that rises to the top during the first few minutes.
3. Cover loosely and simmer gently for roughly 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and falling off the bone.
4. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding the vegetables and spices.
5. Crucial Step: Do not skim off all the fat. That golden fat on top is essential for the authentic flavor and texture of the final dish.
6. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized chunks. Set the meat and the strained broth aside.

Part 2: The Flat Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (optional—some traditionalists omit this, but a tiny amount adds a nice bite)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed (traditional lard can also be used)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ to ¾ cup whole milk (or reserved cooled chicken broth)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.
3. Make a well in the center. Pour in the beaten egg and ½ cup of the milk. Stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. If it is too dry and floury, add the remaining milk a tablespoon at a time. Do not overmix.
4. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead gently 4 or 5 times just to bring it together into a cohesive ball.
5. Divide the dough in half to make it easier to handle. On the floured surface, roll one half of the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness (think thick pie crust).
6. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, slice the rolled dough into roughly 1.5-inch by 1.5-inch squares. Dust them lightly with flour so they don’t stick together. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

Part 3: Assembly

1. Return the strained chicken broth to the large pot. Bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Taste the broth; it should be well-seasoned. Add more salt if necessary.
2. Drop the dumpling squares into the boiling broth one at a time, stirring gently occasionally to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom or each other.
3. Once all dumplings are in the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low. Let them simmer uncovered for about 15–20 minutes. They will float when they are mostly done, but taste one to ensure the raw flour taste is gone and they are tender-chewy. The broth should have thickened nicely from the starch.
4. Stir the shredded chicken meat back into the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes until the meat is heated through.
5. Serve immediately in large bowls, topped with freshly cracked black pepper and, if desired, a sprinkle of fresh parsley.