Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Course: Main courseCuisine: United State6
people20
minutes1
hour10
minutesChicken & Dumplings is a warm, hearty dish that combines tender chicken, flavorful broth, and pillowy dumplings. A Southern staple, it’s a comfort food that has soothed generations on cold days and family gatherings.
Ingredients
3 lb whole chicken, cut into pieces
8 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
2 carrots — peeled and diced
2 celery stalks — diced
1 medium yellow onion — chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for thickening)
½ cup heavy cream
- For Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter — cold, cubed
1 cup whole milk
Directions
Make broth & cook chicken. In a large Dutch oven, add chicken pieces, chicken stock, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 45 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Shred chicken. Remove chicken from pot. Let rest 5 minutes, then shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Return shredded chicken to pot.
Thicken base. In a small pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, then stir mixture into soup. Add cream. Simmer 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Prepare dumplings. In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until dough forms.
Cook dumplings. Drop spoonfuls of dough directly into simmering soup. Cover pot tightly and cook for 15–20 minutes without lifting lid, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
Finish & serve. Remove bay leaves. Taste broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently; add splash of stock if thickened.