Turkey and Dumplings

This Turkey and Dumplings recipe is filled with shredded turkey, a thick creamy broth, cooked vegetables, biscuit-style dumplings and loads of flavor! This is a holiday leftover recipe you’ll be craving all year long.

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A large spoon of a dumpling along with vegetables and turkey

Nothing says classic comfort food like biscuits, gravy, and some sort of protein. Whether we’re talking Chicken and Dumplings, Biscuits and Gravy, or Mississippi Pot Roast there’s a classic comfort food for every occasion. And nothing quite says comfort like a pair of elastic pants and a full belly, am I right?

Roast turkey, carrots, onions, celery, butter, spices and flour to make dinner recipe

Ingredients

  • Butter – I decided to use this instead of olive oil for the additional richness it adds to the recipe.
  • Onion, Celery and Carrots – these aromatics add a wealth of flavor
  • Chicken Stock – I also like to add additional chicken bouillon if I don’t make homemade stock to ensure that the recipe is very flavorful.
  • Turkey – This is a great way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or another holiday.  You can also sub rotisserie chicken if you want to make a traditional dumplings recipe.
  • Buttermilk – I love to use this in my dumplings to give that rich flavor.

How to Make Turkey and Dumplings

Celery, carrots and onion being sauteed in a large pot

Saute the vegetables until nice and tender. Remove from the pot and add butter and flour to create a roux.

Flour in pan

Add the broth slowly while whisking to finish the roux. Add the turkey and vegetables along with any final seasonings. Allow to simmer while you make the dumplings. 

Dumpling mixture after being whisked together

Create the dumplings by combining the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add in the buttermilk, eggs, and butter, stirring until just combined. 

Dumpling mixture after being spooned over a stew in a large pot

Spoon the dumplings into the soup and cover tightly for 20 minutes. Serve with a smile and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

A large cut into dumpling ready to serve

What is the secret to good dumplings?

Don’t use your hands to mix the dough. While tempting as it may be, mix the dough ingredients just until combined. This will prevent them from being tough and chewy. Instead you’ll end up with a light biscuit dumpling with buttery chunks to soak up the broth. 

How to tell when they are cooked? 

After about 20 minutes simmering in the soup broth, cut one open. The inside should not be raw. As long as the dumplings are cooked, you’re ready to serve. 

Two large bowls of turkey and dumplings ready to serve

Do you cook them with the lid on or off?

You’ll want to cook turkey and dumplings with the lid on in order to steam the dumplings. This will allow you to cook the dumplings from all sides and not risk over cooking them or reducing the soup during the cooking process. 

What to serve with Turkey and Dumplings?

This can easily be served as a one pot meal. However, if you’re trying to extend the soup to feed guests consider a side salad, cranberry sauce, or nearly any other side dish you would serve at Thanksgiving. 

A large pot of turkey and dumplings ready to enjoy

Storage

Storage: Just like with my chicken and dumplings, make sure to store Turkey and Dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Microwave: To reheat, just transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish and microwave for about 2 minutes stopping and stirring around the dumplings and stew in 30 second intervals until reheated.

A delicious white bowl of turkey and dumplings ready to enjoy

Turkey and Dumplings

This Turkey and Dumplings recipe is filled with shredded turkey, a thick creamy broth, cooked vegetables, biscuit-style dumplings and loads of flavor!
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 3 celery stalks finely diced
  • 5 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups turkey stock make sure you use a flavorful one or add chicken bouillon cube to yours for additional flavor
  • 2 cups turkey shredded

For the Dumplings

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil melted
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

For the Chicken

  • Add ¼ cup of the butter to large pot over medium heat until melted.
  • Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies get somewhat tender and soft, about 5-6 minutes then remove and set aside until later.
  • Melt remaining ¼ cup of butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk, allowing it to brown somewhat until it becomes golden brown, about 8-12 minutes.
  • Whisk in stock (make sure you are getting the bits of roux stuck to the bottom of the pan too), turn heat back up to medium and allow it to get smooth then bring to a boil.
  • Add the shredded turkey and cooked vegetables to the pot and allow sauce to somewhat thicken. Taste for seasoning and add final salt and pepper to taste.

For the Dumplings

  • In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and whisk together.
  • Next add in buttermilk, egg and melted butter until just combined. The mixture should be thick.
  • Using a spoon, drop dollops of dough into the pot spacing out somewhat. They will stay on top and won’t sink. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
  • Allow dumplings to cook and puff up without lifting the cover for about 20 minutes, then test dumpling by cutting in half. The dough shouldn’t be raw. If it needs more time, cover with lid and allow to cook a bit longer.
  • Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Notes

A super easy test for your dumplings is after the 20-minute cook time, cut into a dumpling and make sure the inside isn’t raw.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7179IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg
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Filed Under:  Dinner, Fall Recipes, Main Dishes, Seasonal Recipes, Stovetop, Turkey, Winter Recipes

Comments

  1. The perfect soup to use up my leftover turkey from my holiday gathering! Love this turkey and dumplings idea and will definitely make it.

  2. great recipe, and yes sourcing turkey all year round is fine with me, but the sourcing is sometimes hard outside of November! Thank you

5 from 5 votes

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