Chicken and Dumplings (Printable Version)

Tender chicken in creamy broth topped with fluffy dumplings

# What You Need:

→ Chicken Stew

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into large chunks
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
14 - 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
15 - 1 cup frozen peas
16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish

→ Dumplings

17 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
18 - 1 tbsp baking powder
19 - 1 tsp salt
20 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
21 - 3/4 cup whole milk

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
03 - Sprinkle flour evenly over the vegetables and stir well to coat completely. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to remove raw flour taste.
04 - Gradually pour in chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
05 - Add chicken pieces, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.
06 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in milk or heavy cream, frozen peas, and fresh parsley. Simmer uncovered over low heat while preparing dumplings.
07 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter and whole milk until just combined. Do not overmix; small lumps are acceptable.
08 - Drop rounded spoonfuls (approximately 2 tablespoons each) of dough onto the surface of the gently simmering stew, spacing them evenly apart.
09 - Cover pot tightly with lid and maintain low simmer. Do not lift lid during cooking. Steam for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed, firm to the touch, and cooked through.
10 - Taste stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle hot stew with dumplings into serving bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dumplings come out impossibly light, like savory pillows that soak up all that creamy broth
  • Its one of those meals that makes people pause mid bite and go quiet, just pure comfort in a bowl
02 -
  • The most crucial rule is never lifting the lid while dumplings cook, that trapped steam is what makes them light instead of dense
  • Letting the stew simmer uncovered after adding cream helps it thicken slightly before the dumplings go in
03 -
  • Cutting chicken into slightly larger chunks than you think necessary helps them stay juicy during the long simmer
  • If your dumplings are spreading too much, the stew might be too thin, let it reduce a bit before dropping them in
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