Chicken and Dumplings Classic (Printable)

Hearty stew with tender chicken and fluffy dumplings in a creamy, flavorful broth perfect for a comforting meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken Stew

01 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into large chunks
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
15 - 1 cup frozen peas
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dumplings

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

# Directions:

01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat; cook for 2 minutes while stirring frequently.
04 - Gradually pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
05 - Add chicken chunks, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through.
06 - Remove bay leaf, then stir in milk or heavy cream, frozen peas, and chopped parsley. Simmer uncovered while preparing dumplings.
07 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in melted butter and milk until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
08 - Drop spoonfuls of dough, roughly 2 tablespoons each, evenly over the surface of the simmering stew.
09 - Cover the pot tightly and simmer on low heat without lifting the lid for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
10 - Adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if needed. Ladle the stew and dumplings into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dumplings emerge tender and cloud-like, soaking up every drop of that creamy, herb-kissed broth.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day, and honestly, it's hard to mess up once you know the small tricks.
02 -
  • Never lift that lid while the dumplings steam—I learned this the hard way when curiosity cost me 10 minutes of wasted effort and denser dumplings.
  • If your dumplings sink instead of float, your broth temperature wasn't high enough; the simmer needs to be active enough to create steam, but not so vigorous that it breaks them apart.
03 -
  • Use chicken thighs instead of breasts—they're more forgiving and stay moist and tender even if you accidentally simmer a bit longer than planned.
  • Don't overmix the dumpling dough; lumpy is exactly what you want, and the dough will smooth out as it steams.
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