Chicken and Dumplings in a Dutch Oven

Updated OnJuly 28, 2017
Written by
ReserveAmerica

Warm up at the campfire with chicken broth and dumplings. Save time at camp by doing the prep work at home before your trip.

Submitted by Tim Riley

Prep Time: About 1 hour
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp chicken base (or 3 cubes bullion)
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp sage (or poultry seasoning)
  • 1 Med onion
  • 2 Large carrots
  • 1/2 Bunch (5-6 stalks) celery
  • 1 Whole chicken (cut into 6-8 pieces)
  • 1 Cup cold water
  • 1/2 Cup flour
  • 4 Cups Bisquick or biscuit mix
  • 2 cups water (approximately)

Directions:

Must use Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a good lid. Cook on stove or campfire.

  1. Combine water, chicken base and spices in Dutch oven--place on fire to boil.
  2. Dice onion, celery and carrot --add to water.
  3. Add cut-up chicken. Cover pot, bring to boil, and simmer for 45 minutes. You may need to add water to keep chicken just covered. Chicken should be tender & start to fall off bone.
  4. Mix 1 cup cold water with 1/2 cup flour. Whip to smooth paste.  Add to chicken mixture to thicken broth slightly (stir to avoid lumps). Mix biscuit mix with some water -- you want a thick dough about the consistency of peanut butter.
  5. Use spoon to drop golf-ball size dumplings into broth on top of the chicken pieces. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
  6. Cover and simmer 10 more minutes until the dough is cooked. Dough will turn into fluffy bread. It should not be soggy.
  7. Serve by scooping chicken pieces and a dumpling with some broth into bowls. Enjoy. 

Note: all quantities and cooking times are approximate and will vary with the size of the pot and the heat of the flames. If the fire is too hot the broth will thicken too much and you will burn the mixture. The dumplings must be single layer on top of the chicken pieces.

Time saving tip: The cut-up chicken, the vegetables, the chicken base and the spices may be combined at home in a large zip bag and frozen ahead of time. Thaw or just add frozen mix to the pot of water and start cooking. You will still need to thicken and cook the dumplings as above.