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Bowl of creamy chicken and dumplings with fluffy dumplings and vegetables
Lana

Chicken and Dumplings

Tender chicken and vegetables in a creamy, savory broth, topped with fluffy drop dumplings. Cooked in one pot in about an hour.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Stew
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
  • 3 celery stalks sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour about 45 g
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth about 1.4 liters
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 680 g
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk 120 ml
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for serving
Dumplings
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour about 250 g
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup cold milk 180 ml, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if the dough is dry

Method
 

  1. Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
    Cooking onion, carrots and celery in butter for chicken and dumplings
  2. Build the stew. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth, then add the chicken, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, for 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
    Stirring broth and chicken into the stew for chicken and dumplings
  3. Shred the chicken. Move the chicken to a plate, shred it with two forks and return it to the pot. Remove the bay leaves.
    Shredding cooked chicken for chicken and dumplings
  4. Make the dumpling dough. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk just until a sticky dough forms. Don't overmix.
    Mixing the dough for chicken and dumplings
  5. Cook the dumplings. Stir the cream and peas into the stew and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on top, leaving a little space between them. Cover the pot tightly and cook for 12 to 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
    Dropping dumpling dough onto the chicken and dumplings stew
  6. Serve. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away in wide bowls.
    Finished chicken and dumplings with fluffy dumplings and parsley

Notes

Keep the stew at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or the dumplings can fall apart. Resist lifting the lid while they steam.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dumplings soak up liquid, so add a splash of broth when you reheat.