Turkey and Dumplings

Turkey and dumpling recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Turkey and dumplings is a warm and hearty dish that is prime for using those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. It's very similar to Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings, where the dumplings are rolled into a sheet and sliced into squares. As an added bonus, the extra flour on the dumplings thickens the broth and creates the perfect creamy texture.  

Reading this and it's not near Thanksgiving? Not a problem. This recipe can use any turkey or chicken leftovers that you may have and makes a great meal for those colder nights. If you can make homemade stock from a leftover turkey or chicken, it will taste even better, as bone broth is full of nutrients and creates a delicious and hearty flavor. Enjoy this gem of a bowl, no matter the season.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached, plus additional for dusting

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, cold and cubed

  • 1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar

  • 2 quarts chicken broth, or turkey broth

  • 3 cups cooked turkey, white and/or dark meat

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Chopped parsley, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for turkey and dumplings
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

    Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine using 2 forks or a pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas. You can also use a food processor to combine the ingredients as well. 

    Add butter
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  4. Pour the buttermilk over the flour and butter mixture and stir with a spatula to combine until it becomes a soft dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough. The less it is mixed up, the more tender the dumplings will be.

    Pour buttermilk in
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  5. After you have created the dough for the dumplings, heat the broth in a large Dutch oven or pot until boiling.

    Heat broth
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck 
  6. While the broth is heating, dust a clean kitchen surface with a generous amount of flour and roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick sheet. 

    Roll out dough
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  7. Slice the dough into small squares using a pizza cutter to create the dumplings.

    Slice dough
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  8. Add the dumplings a few at a time into the boiling broth, making sure not to dust off too much of the extra flour as it will thicken the broth.

    Add dumplings
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  9. Continue adding dumplings until there are no more left. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the dumplings are tender and fluffy and the broth has thickened. 

    Continue adding dumplings
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  10. Add the cooked turkey to the broth and heat until it is warmed through.

    Add cooked turkey
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  11. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Add salt and pepper
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
  12. Serve with the parsley if using and enjoy.

    Serve with parsley
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
248 Calories
6g Fat
27g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 1177mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 253mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)