Chicken & Dumplings
intro
Hearty, creamy stew with tender slow-simmered chicken and light, fluffy steam-cooked dumplings—the ultimate cozy Southern comfort food.
Ingredients
Steps
Sear the chicken pieces
Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat 680g chicken thigh pieces completely dry with paper towels, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons (28g) of butter to the pot, once melted and foaming, add chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Sear for 3 minutes per side until golden brown on all edges, then transfer seared chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons (28g) of butter to the same pot with leftover chicken drippings. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften slightly and onion turns translucent. Add minced garlic and dried thyme, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in 3 tablespoons (24g) of all-purpose flour, cooking for 1 full minute to remove raw flour taste.
Simmer the stew base
Slowly pour in 960ml (4 cups) chicken broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps from the flour, then bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Return seared chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate back to the pot, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until chicken is nearly cooked through and vegetables are fork-tender. Stir in 120ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, adjust heat to keep the liquid at a low, steady simmer.
Mix the dumpling dough
While the stew simmers, make the drop dumpling batter: in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until fully combined. Pour in 180ml (3/4 cup) whole milk and 2 tablespoons (28g) melted, cooled unsalted butter, stir with a wooden spoon just until no dry flour remains—do not overmix, as this will make tough dumplings. The batter will be thick, sticky, and slightly lumpy.
Cook the dumplings
Once the stew has simmered 15 minutes, drop heaped tablespoon-sized scoops of dumpling batter directly onto the surface of the simmering stew (leave 2cm of space between each dumpling, as they will expand as they cook). Add 80g frozen green peas to the stew around the dumplings, cover the pot tightly with a lid, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes without lifting the lid—this traps steam to cook the dumplings light and fluffy. After 15 minutes, dumplings will be puffed, cooked through (no raw dough in the center when cut open), and floating on the stew surface.
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat, let the dish rest, covered, for 5 minutes to allow the broth to thicken slightly and flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt if needed, then ladle into wide, shallow bowls, making sure each serving gets 2-3 dumplings, a generous portion of chicken and vegetables, and creamy broth.
Tips
2.Never lift the pot lid while dumplings cook: trapped steam is critical for making dumplings rise properly, and releasing heat early will cause them to deflate and turn gummy.
3.Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast for this recipe: thighs stay tender and juicy during simmering and will not dry out easily, even with slightly longer cook times.
OMG this is exactly the chicken and dumplings my grandma used to make! I was so nervous I’d mess it up since it’s my first time making it from scratch, but the steps were so straightforward. My kids devoured two bowls each and asked for seconds before they even finished their first. Perfect cozy Sunday dinner, 10/10.
Wait a second, this only takes 50 minutes total? I thought good chicken and dumplings had to simmer half the day! I threw this together on a random weeknight after soccer practice and my whole family thought I spent hours in the kitchen. The dumplings came out so fluffy, not gummy at all like the last recipe I tried.
Total newbie cook here—was this easy enough for someone who’s never made dumplings before? I’m hosting a small potluck next weekend and really want to bring something cozy that everyone will like, but I’m scared my dumplings will turn into hard lumps 😅
Y’all know I’m super picky about my Southern chicken and dumplings—no flat, tasteless dumplings for me, thank you very much. This recipe hit every single note! The broth is rich and herby, the dumplings are soft with just the right chew, and the chicken is fall-apart tender. I added a tiny pinch of cayenne like my mama does and it kicked it up just right.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with a single hot plate and it still slapped! Used pre-shredded rotisserie chicken to cut down on even more prep time, and my roommates are already begging me to make it again before our midterm study session next week. So cheap to make too, perfect for a college budget.
I’ve been making chicken and dumplings for over 50 years, and I have to say this recipe is right up there with my own! I used homemade chicken stock from the batch I made last weekend, and it made the flavor even deeper. Served it with a side of collard greens and cornbread for our Sunday family dinner, and even my great-grandson who hates all “soft food” ate a whole bowl. So impressed!
Has anyone tried making this with gluten-free all purpose flour for the dumplings? I have celiac and have been craving chicken and dumplings so bad, but I don’t want to waste ingredients if the dumplings turn out weird.
Game. Changer. I’ve been searching for a no-fuss chicken and dumplings recipe that doesn’t use canned biscuits (don’t get me wrong, canned biscuit dumplings are fine, but they’re not the real deal) and this is it! The dumpling dough comes together in like 5 minutes, no rolling required if you just drop them by spoonfuls. Absolute perfection.
Made this when it was 20 degrees out last week and it was the ultimate comfort food. I added extra carrots and celery because I love more veggies in my chicken and dumplings, and it held up great in the fridge for meal prep all week. Didn’t get gummy or weird when I reheated it in the microwave, which is a huge win for work lunches.
I made this last night with boneless skinless chicken breasts because that’s all I had on hand, and the chicken was a little drier than I wanted. Did I do something wrong? The broth and dumplings were amazing though!
This recipe is so easy that I let my 10 year old granddaughter help me make it when she visited last weekend! She loved dropping the dumpling dough into the pot, and she was so proud to tell her parents she helped make dinner. We added a little extra black pepper like we always do, and it was perfect. Making memories in the kitchen for the win!
I know this is a Southern dish, but I threw in a little can of diced green chiles for a Southwest twist and it was SO good! The chiles added a nice little tang and mild heat that paired perfectly with the creamy broth and fluffy dumplings. My husband said it’s the best thing I’ve made all month, even better than my usual taco night spread.
Brought this to my neighborhood block party last Saturday and people were lined up for seconds! I doubled the recipe because I knew there’d be a big crowd, and it still cooked perfectly in my big stock pot. The only thing I did differently was add a handful of frozen peas at the end for a little pop of color. 10/10, will be making this for every potluck from now on.
I was looking for a cozy post-workout meal that wasn’t just plain chicken and rice, and this hit the spot! I used low-sodium chicken broth and added extra chicken for more protein, and it kept me full for hours. It feels like a total cheat meal but it’s actually pretty balanced if you load it up with veggies. Will be adding this to my regular meal rotation.
I grew up eating those instant chicken noodle soup packets when I was sick, so I thought I’d make this when I came down with a cold last week. Let me tell you, this is the ultimate sick day food! The warm broth soothed my sore throat, the dumplings were soft and easy to eat, and I felt so much better after a big bowl. Way better than canned soup, that’s for sure.
Wait, are these the fluffy drop dumplings or the flat rolled kind? My family is split half and half on which dumplings count as “real” Southern chicken and dumplings, and I don’t want to start a family dinner argument lmao
Made this up at our family cabin last weekend over the camp stove, and it was the perfect cold-weather meal after a day of hiking! We didn’t have fresh veggies so we used a bag of frozen mirepoix and it still tasted amazing. No fancy ingredients needed, just good old comfort food. Even my picky brother-in-law went back for thirds.
I made a big batch of this on Sunday for my weekly meal prep, and I was worried the dumplings would get mushy by the end of the week, but they held up perfectly! I stored the dumplings and broth separately just to be safe, and it reheated like a dream in the microwave. This is going to be a staple for my busy work weeks when I don’t feel like cooking after a long day. SO good!