Traeger Chicken Dumpling Soup
Traeger Smoked Chicken and Dumpling Soup takes our classic chicken and dumpling soup and swaps the plain cooked chicken for a whole bird smoked right on the pellet grill. It's the same cozy, family favorite soup, just with a deeper, smokier flavor running through every bite.
Traeger Smoked Chicken and Dumpling Soup
A few weeks ago we smoked a spatchcock chicken for dinner and had way more meat left over than we knew what to do with. Instead of doing the usual sandwiches, I pulled out the dumpling recipe and built a pot of soup around it. My family has been asking for it every cold week since.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Smoky flavor - Smoking the chicken instead of boiling it adds a depth you just can't get from a plain simmered bird.
- Crispy skin bonus - You'll have crispy, seasoned chicken skin to pick at while the soup comes together.
- A great use for leftover smoked chicken - This is one of our favorite ways to use up a smoked chicken from earlier in the week.
- Simple, one-bowl dumplings - The dough comes together fast with basic pantry ingredients.
- Makes a big pot - This recipe feeds a crowd, and it reheats well for lunches all week.
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the chicken
- Whole Chicken - A 4-5 lb bird works best.
- Oil or Melted Butter - Helps the rub stick and the skin crisp up.
- OWYD Roasted Chicken Rub - Substitute with your favorite all-purpose chicken rub if you haven't picked up my chicken rub yet.
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Rubbed Sage
For the sTOCK
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Bay Leaves
- Peppercorns
- Chicken Base
For the dumplings
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Salt
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Spatchcock and Season - Cut out the backbone, flatten the bird, and rub it down with oil and seasoning on both sides. Full method in our Traeger Spatchcock Chicken recipe.
- Smoke - Grill skin-side up at 425°F for 30 minutes, then drop to 325°F until the chicken hits 165°F.
- Rest and Shred - Let the chicken rest 15-20 minutes, then pull the meat off the bone.
- Make the Stock - Put the chicken carcass, skin, and any drippings into a large stock pot with water, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, herbs, and peppercorn. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
- Strain Stock - Strain out all of the vegetables from the stock. Add in your fresh, chopped carrots and celery. Simmer until tender.
- Add the Chicken - Stir the shredded smoked chicken into the pot and bring it back to a simmer.
- Mix the Dumplings - Whisk the eggs, milk, and salt, then work in the flour until the batter drops off a spoon.
- Drop and Cook - Spoon the dumplings into the simmering broth, cover, and boil for 5 minutes.
- Serve - Ladle into bowls and enjoy while it's hot.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. If you're short on time, a store-bought rotisserie chicken will still make a great pot of soup. You'll just miss out on the smoky flavor that makes this version different.
A 4-5 lb bird gives you enough meat for this recipe with some left over for sandwiches or snacking.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The dumplings lose some texture in the freezer, so if you want to freeze a batch, freeze the soup base without the dumplings and make a fresh batch when you reheat it.
Check out our 40+ Ways To Use Smoked Chicken for more ideas beyond soup.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this soup as a starter or as the main event, especially alongside something light.
- Homemade Caesar Salad - A crisp, garlicky salad that balances out the richness of the soup.
- Milk Rolls - Soft, buttery rolls for soaking up every last bit of broth.
- Greek Salad - Bright and briny, it's a nice contrast to the cozy soup.
- Broccoli Salad - A crunchy, make-ahead side that rounds out the meal.
More Traeger Chicken Recipes
- Traeger Spatchcock Chicken - The chicken recipe this soup is built on, great on its own too.
- Easy Traeger Chicken Recipes - More easy ways to cook chicken on the pellet grill.
- Easy Soups, Stews, and Chowders - More cold-weather favorites from the site.
- 25 Easy Pellet Grill Recipes for Beginners - A good place to start if you're new to your Traeger.
Traeger Chicken Dumpling Soup
This delicious homemade chicken dumpling soup uses a Traeger grilled chicken and fresh, homemade dumplings to make one of the heartiest, comforting bowls of soup you've ever tasted!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
- ½ cup oil or melted butter
- ¼ cup OWYD Roasted Chicken Rub
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
Stock
- Grilled chicken carcass
- Water
- 3 whole peeled carrots
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 whole yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 3 peppercorns, whole
Soup
- Meat from 1 smoked whole chicken, cubed
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 tablespoons chicken base (you may need more or less, depending on how big of a batch of soup you make. Add to taste.)
- Salt, to taste
Dumplings
- 3 cups flour (you may need more than this. Go by the texture, not strict measurements)
- 12 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- Preheat your pellet grill to 425°F.
- Place the chicken breast-side down with the legs pointing towards you, and cut up either side of the backbone through the ribs to remove the spine. Flip the chicken over and press down until it lays flat.
- Combine the oil and seasonings and rub all over the chicken, both sides. Place skin-side up on the preheated grill.
- Grill for 30 minutes at 425°F, then turn the temp down to 325°F for the remainder of the cook.
- Check the chicken around the 45-minute mark. It's done when it reads 165°F at the thickest part.
- Remove from the grill and rest 15-20 minutes. Pull the meat off the bone and cube it. Put it in the fridge while the rest of the soup cooks.
- Add the chicken carcass to a large stock pot. Fill the pot with water, leaving about 3" of room at the top. Add the whole carrots, celery, and onion from the stock section of the recipe along with the bay leaves, poultry seasoning, and peppercorns.
- Simmer for 2-3 hours. The water should be nicely colored and the carcass should break apart when you press it with a wooden spoon.
- Strain out all the solids from the stock, carefully, and return to the pot. Add the diced celery and carrots, stir in the chicken base, and bring back to a simmer. Taste and add salt as needed.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and salt together. Mix in the flour one cup at a time for the first two cups, then slowly add the last cup until the batter drops off a spoon instead of pouring. You may need more or less flour than called for depending on your eggs. Go by texture, not by a strict measurement of flour.
- Mix until there are no big lumps. Don't overmix.
- Drop the dumpling batter into the simmering soup by the spoonful.
- Once all the dumplings are in, cover the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Boil for 5 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Add the cubed chicken back to the pot and let sit over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 18gNutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
