Across the fertile agricultural valleys of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Holmes County, Ohio, the Amish tradition of hospitality is anchored by one monumental dish: Farmhouse Chicken and Dumplings. In authentic Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, dumplings are not fluffy, leavened drop biscuits; they are flat, tender, hand-rolled pastry squares simmered gently in rich, golden homemade chicken broth.

This heritage recipe represents rural American cooking at its finest: whole bone-in chickens simmered slowly with garden vegetables, yielding a broth so rich with natural gelatin that it glistens with golden droplets of schmaltz.

The Difference Between Rolled and Drop Dumplings

Southern chicken and dumplings often utilize round drop biscuits made with baking powder, which float on top like pillowy clouds. By contrast, Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish dumplings (often called ‘chicken and bot boi’) are rolled flat like wide noodles, cut into squares, and cooked directly submerged within the simmering broth.

Because the dough relies on cold butter or lard and cold milk with just enough baking powder for tenderness without puffing into cake, the dumplings absorb the savory chicken broth directly into their gluten structure. They become silky, substantial, and meltingly tender—thickening the broth naturally with the flour dusted across their surface.

The Two-Hour Golden Broth

You cannot make authentic Amish chicken and dumplings with store-bought canned broth and boneless skinless chicken breasts. The foundational magic requires simmering a whole cut-up roasting chicken on the bone with onions, celery, carrots, and black peppercorns.

As the bones, skin, and connective tissues simmer gently for ninety minutes, they release natural gelatin and deep, savory poultry flavor that commercial bouillon cubes can never replicate. The chicken meat is pulled from the bones in rustic, tender chunks and folded back into the thickened stew at the very end.

Farmhouse Heritage

Old-School Amish Farmhouse Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Yield
8 hearty servings
Cuisine
Pennsylvania Dutch / Amish

Ingredients

  • Golden Chicken Stew:
  • 4 1/2 to 5 pounds whole bone-in chicken, cut into parts (or bone-in thighs and breasts)
  • 8 cups water (or low-sodium chicken broth)
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 3 stalks celery with leaves, roughly chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Rolled Pastry Dumplings:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or lard, cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (ice-cold)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Simmer the chicken and broth: In a large 7-quart Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, combine the chicken pieces, water/broth, quartered onion, celery, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 1 hour until the chicken is tender and registers 165°F.
  2. Shred the meat and strain: Remove the chicken to a large platter and let cool until comfortable to handle. Remove skin and bones, and shred the meat into large, tender chunks. Strain the broth through a colander into a large bowl, reserving the carrots and discarding the onion, celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Return the strained golden broth and carrots to the Dutch oven and keep at a gentle simmer over low heat.
  3. Make the dumpling dough: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk the cold milk and beaten egg together, then pour into the flour. Stir with a fork just until a cohesive, shaggy dough forms.
  4. Roll and cut: Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Knead gently 4 to 5 times. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares, dusting lightly with extra flour to keep them from sticking.
  5. Simmer the dumplings: Bring the strained chicken broth to a steady, gentle simmer over medium heat. Drop the dumpling squares into the simmering broth one by one, gently shaking the pot occasionally so they submerge without clumping together (do not stir aggressively). Once all dumplings are in, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a tight lid, and simmer undisturbed for 15 to 18 minutes. The dumplings will puff slightly and the flour coating will transform the broth into a rich, silky gravy.
  6. Combine and serve: Gently fold the shredded chicken back into the pot. Simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken is hot and the stew is thick and luxurious. Ladle into deep, warm bowls and garnish generously with freshly cracked black pepper and chopped fresh parsley.
Cook’s Rule of Dumpling Tenderness

Resist the urge to uncover the pot and stir during the 15-minute dumpling simmer. Trapping the steam inside the Dutch oven is what cooks the rolled pastry through to the core while keeping it melt-in-your-mouth tender.

The True Soul of Farmhouse Cooking

Amish chicken and dumplings is not fast food; it is an act of patient love. From the aroma of the simmering golden broth to the first forkful of tender chicken and silky rolled pastry, it represents the heart and soul of traditional American agrarian life.