Cracker Barrel Chicken n’ Dumplins is pure comfort food, built around slow-cooked chicken and soft dumplings that feel unmistakably homemade.
Photo by Adinaplus
Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken n Dumplins
Cracker Barrel Chicken n’ Dumplins is a simple, hearty dish of tender chicken simmered with thick, rustic dumplings in a savory broth. It’s filling, familiar, and intentionally no-frills.
This recipe is all about patience and simplicity. Gentle simmering and properly cooked dumplings are what give it that signature Cracker Barrel texture and old-fashioned appeal.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Comfort dinners, cold weather meals, family-style cooking
- Flavor Profile: Savory, mild, chicken-forward and comforting
- Skill Level: Beginner friendly
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Thick rolled dumplings and a simple, seasoned chicken broth
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel is known for preserving a traditional American roadside dining experience built around comfort food and consistency. The menu leans heavily on recipes that feel familiar, hearty, and intentionally uncomplicated.
Rather than chasing trends, Cracker Barrel focuses on dishes rooted in Southern and rural cooking traditions. Items like Chicken n’ Dumplins reflect that approach, offering food that feels dependable and nostalgic to generations of guests.
The Very Definition of Comfort Food
Chicken and dumplings have long been a staple of Southern and Midwestern home cooking. The dish evolved as a practical way to stretch simple ingredients into a filling meal.
Restaurant versions like Cracker Barrel’s favor rolled dumplings over drop-style ones, creating a denser, more substantial texture. That choice gives the dish its signature bite and distinguishes it from soupier interpretations.
Cracker Barrel Chicken n Dumplins Recipe
Make our Cracker Barrel Chicken n Dumplins Recipe at home tonight for your family. Our Secret Restaurant Recipe for their Chicken n Dumplins tastes just like Cracker Barrel's.
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 pounds Chicken Pieces Try to get a good selection of both white and dark meat pieces
- 2 quarts Water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt divided, to taste
- 2 stalks Celery with leaves, chopped
- 1 large Onion with skin, chopped in quarter
- 2 clove Garlic crushed or minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Dumplins
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Shortening
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
Instructions
- In a Dutch Oven place the chicken pieces, water, 1 teaspoon salt, celery, onion and garlic.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 - 2 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bones.
- Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.
- Strain the stock to remove the veggies and scum. Discard those and save the clear broth.
- When the chicken has cooled enough to handle comfortably, skin and bone the chicken and remove any fat and gristle. Cut or tear the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Dumplins
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Cut in the shortening, then add the buttermilk, a little at a time, stirring with a fork until just moistened.
- Let the dough rest for 5 - 10 minutes.
- In a large saucepan, bring the broth back to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Place the dough on a floured counter-top, knead 4 to 5 times, and then roll or pat to a thickness of about 1/2-inch.
- Carefully cut or pinch off 1/2-inch square pieces of the dough and drop into boiling broth
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, stir in the chicken and serve.
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Questions People Ask
Are these drop dumplings or rolled dumplings? Cracker Barrel uses rolled dumplings, which are thicker and more noodle-like.
Is this dish creamy? No. It’s broth-based, not cream-based.
Can I make this ahead? Yes. The flavor holds well, though dumplings may soften slightly when reheated.
Is this served as a main dish? Yes. It’s hearty enough to stand on its own.
Can leftovers be frozen? It can be frozen, but the dumpling texture is best when fresh.
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Photo of Cracker Barrel Chicken n Dumplins is by Adinaplus and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) License. Photo of Cracker Barrel Sign by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) License. Read full license here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. Thank you, Adinaplus and Mike. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
May 7, 2015 @ 9:31 am
You have put Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipes on before, but they were hardly authentic; this recipe, however is genuine Cracker Barrel. They are delicious. Personally I add a couple of carrots to the chicken mixture while cooking. I have also been known to use bacon grease instead of shortening for an even richer taste. Thanks for sharing the “real” recipe with all of us.
May 7, 2015 @ 5:45 pm
E.M.,
Thank you for the kind words.
We are always looking to improve our recipes as we find new and better ones. Thank you for letting us and everyone know that this one is better.
We considered adding carrots. And, being from the South, bacon is ALWAYS welcome in our recipes. Maybe we will experiment a bit, on your advice.
Thank YOU for sharing, also,
Alton