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Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Old-fashioned chicken and dumplings — tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory broth, topped with soft, fluffy homemade dumplings. Pure comfort food in one pot.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Course: Main dish
Cuisine: American Southern
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken stew
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs ​
  • 2 tbsp butter ​
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 ​ carrots sliced
  • 3 ​ celery stalks sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour ​
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth ​
  • 1 tsp dried thyme ​
  • 1 ​ bay leaf ​
  • ​ ​ salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream ​
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
For the dumplings
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour ​
  • 1 tbsp baking powder ​
  • 1 tsp salt ​
  • 3 tbsp cold butter cubed
  • 3/4 cup milk ​

Equipment

  • 1 large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot ​
  • wooden spoon ​
  • Measuring cups and spoons ​
  • pastry cutter or fork (for dumplings) ​
  • lid for pot ​

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; sear 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
  2. In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery 6–7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute.
  3. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
  4. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaf and return the chicken to the pot. Simmer 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Remove chicken, shred it, and return to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream. Discard the bay leaf.
  6. Make the dumplings: whisk flour, baking powder, and salt; cut in the cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form, then stir in milk just until combined.
  7. Drop tablespoon-sized dumplings onto the simmering stew. Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
  8. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Don't lift the lid while the dumplings steam — that's what keeps them fluffy. Chicken breasts work too, but thighs stay juicier. Leftovers thicken overnight; thin with a splash of broth when reheating.