Easy Chicken& Dumplings

This old-school Southern shortcut swaps traditional dumpling dough for flour tortillas cut into strips, and the results are downright convincing.

Four chicken breasts get simmered until fall-apart tender, then the seasoned broth does double duty as the base for thick, pillowy tortilla “dumplings” that soak up every drop of flavor.

The whole pot comes together in about 40 minutes, feeds a crowd of 8, and tastes like you spent all afternoon at the stove.

Kitchen Tips

• Use small flour tortillas (6-inch) and cut them into roughly 1-inch wide strips for the best dumpling texture.
• Do not substitute corn tortillas. They break apart and won’t hold together the way flour tortillas do.
• For deeper flavor, use the leftover chicken-cooking liquid as your primary broth rather than draining it.
• Let the pot rest for 10 minutes after cooking. The broth thickens as it sits and the dumplings firm up beautifully.

Variations

• Creamy version: Stir in ½ cup of heavy cream during the last 5 minutes for a richer, thicker broth.
• Veggie-loaded: Add diced carrots, celery, and frozen peas when you drop in the tortilla strips.
• Rotisserie shortcut: Skip the boiling step entirely and use a store-bought rotisserie chicken with boxed broth.