This classic Amish chicken and noodles turns simple ingredients into heartwarming bliss!
Tender shredded chicken melds with thick egg noodles in a rich, savory, deliciously thick veggie-infused broth.
It’s the kind of homemade comfort that speaks to your soul.
This dish is perfect for chilly nights when the family craves something warm, cozy, and satisfying.
Why You’ll Love This Amish Chicken and Noodles
Time-Tested: This traditional Amish dish has been around for generations. So you know you’re in for a delicious meal.
Family-Friendly: Kids and adults will both devour this dish, picky eaters included!
Easy Comfort: Simple ingredients, minimal prep, and major comfort: that’s what Amish chicken and noodles are all about!
Budget-Friendly: This noodle dish is a cost-effective meal that can feed a large family on the cheap.
Ingredients
- Amish-Style Egg Noodles: An absolute must! These thick, hearty, chewy noodles hold up well in the broth.
- Whole Chicken: Use a whole, uncooked chicken. Chicken thighs also work.
- Chicken Broth: The foundation for this dish.
- Onion, Garlic, Carrots, Celery Stalks: Classic aromatics and vegetables create the flavorful broth.
- Bay Leaf: It adds subtle depth and earthiness to the broth. One leaf is all you need!
- Salt and Black Pepper: Essential seasonings enhance all the flavors.
- Dried Thyme and Dried Parsley: For flavoring the broth.
- Fresh Parsley: It adds a burst of freshness to complement the comforting flavors.
How to Make Amish Chicken and Noodles
Sometimes, the most humble ingredients make the most satisfying meals. That’s Amish chicken and noodles!
With a few basic staples and a pot, anyone can make this easy dinner.
1. PLACE the whole chicken in a large stock pot and cover with chicken broth. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover.
2. SIMMER on medium-low for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
3. REMOVE the chicken and set aside to rest. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the vegetables.
4. SHRED the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
5. RETURN 4 cups of broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add extra carrots and celery (if using) and cook for 5–10 minutes until tender.
6. ADD thyme, parsley, egg noodles, and shredded chicken. Stir, cover, and let sit off the heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the broth thickens.
7. STIR in the butter until melted. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Amish Chicken and Noodles
What makes this dish special is its simplicity. A handful of quality ingredients creates something truly incredible.
You’ll often see it without the veggies, served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Yum!
Make it even more memorable with these tips.
- Try thighs! Use chicken thighs if you don’t want to cook a whole chicken. They’re flavorful and tender.
- Swap out the noodles. Amish-style egg noodles are traditional, but you can use other wide egg noodles. Or, you can even cut spaghetti or fettuccine noodles.
- Broth consistency. This dish is known for its thick broth. But if you want it thinner, add 5 cups back to the pot instead of 4.
- Why discard the veg? The first batch of veggies will be too mushy for the final dish, which is why you’ll strain them out. You can add more veg after that if you like.
- Mix it up. Add frozen peas and carrots, use cream of chicken soup, stir in some heavy cream, or add Tony’s Creole seasoning for a twist.
How to Store
Don’t let those leftovers go to waste! Here’s how to keep them fresh:
To Store: Place cooled leftovers in an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To Reheat: Warm in a pot over medium heat, adding extra chicken broth or water as needed to reach desired consistency. Microwave individual portions until heated through, stirring halfway through.
Note: Don’t freeze leftovers as the noodles will not thaw well.
More Hearty Chicken Dinners You’ll Love
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken
Chicken Lombardy
Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Amish Chicken and Noodles
6
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutes400
kcalThis old-fashioned Amish chicken and noodles will fill you with goodness! It’s a hearty version of chicken noodle soup everyone will love.
Ingredients
1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken
8-10 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover the chicken)
1 large onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, quartered
3 celery stalks, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh thyme)
2 teaspoons dried parsley
12 ounces Amish-style egg noodles
1/4 cup butter
optional: 1 large carrot + 1 celery rib, sliced
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot and cover with chicken broth. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium and cover.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2-3 hours or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked (the meat should easily pull away from the bone).
- Carefully remove the chicken and set aside to rest. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or large pot. Discard the vegetables.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
- Return 4 cups of broth to the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer on low. If using, add the extra carrots and celery and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until tender.
- Add thyme, parsley, egg noodles, and shredded chicken. Stir well, cover with a lid, and turn off the heat. Let the pot sit for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the broth has thickened.
- Stir in the butter until melted, and serve hot with with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Save any excess liquid and the chicken bones to make more broth! Just add some more veggies and cook again until the liquid is golden. Strain, cool, and refrigerate.
Hi Kim,
I’m cooking this now. I do have one question, after straining the liquid to remove the veggies you say to return the chicken to the broth but there is no mention of what to do with the veggies after that
Hi Bob!
Great question – I’ve clarified this in the recipe:
You’ll strain out the veggies because they’re too soft for the dish.
If you want to, add more sliced veggies once the chicken is cooked.
Hope this helps 🙂