Chicken and Dumplings
This is old-fashioned chicken and dumplings: tender pulled chicken and soft vegetables suspended in a creamy, herb-flecked broth, crowned with pillowy drop dumplings that steam right on the surface of the stew. Browning bone-in thighs and stirring up a quick roux gives the sauce deep, savory body, while a splash of milk keeps it silky rather than heavy. Cook the dumplings covered and undisturbed and they come out fluffy on top and just-set underneath every single time.
Brown 900 g bone-in chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, then set aside; soften a diced onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks in the fat, add garlic, then stir in 45 g flour and cook one minute to make a roux. Whisk in 1.4 L chicken broth, add thyme and a bay leaf, return the chicken, and simmer covered for about 25 minutes until tender. Pull the meat off the bones, return it to the pot with 240 ml milk and a cup of peas, then bring to a gentle simmer. Stir together a quick batter of 250 g flour, baking powder, salt, melted butter, and 240 ml milk, drop heaping spoonfuls over the surface, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes without lifting the lid until the dumplings puff and set.
- Stir the dumpling batter just until it comes together; overmixing develops gluten and gives you tough, dense dumplings instead of fluffy ones.
- Keep the lid on the whole time the dumplings cook, the trapped steam is what makes them rise, and peeking lets them collapse and turn gummy.
- Hold the pot at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, so the creamy sauce doesn't break and the dumplings stay intact.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
Ингредиенты
For the chicken stew
- 900 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 6; drumsticks work too
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- yellow onion, diced
- carrots, peeled and diced
- celery, diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- 45 g all-purpose flour, for the roux
- 1.4 L low-sodium chicken broth
- 240 ml whole milk, or half-and-half for a richer sauce
- fresh thyme, leaves, or 1 tsp dried
- bay leaf
- 150 g frozen peas, no need to thaw
- kosher salt, plus more to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground
For the drop dumplings
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted
- 240 ml whole milk or buttermilk
- fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to serve
Приготовление
- ШАГ01
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the thighs skin-side down and sear, without moving them, until deeply golden, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; they won't be cooked through yet.
- ШАГ02
Lower the heat to medium and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- ШАГ03
Sprinkle the 45 g flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the raw taste. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking to keep the sauce smooth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- ШАГ04
Nestle the seared thighs and any collected juices back into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook until the chicken is tender and pulls easily from the bone, about 25 minutes. Keep it at a lazy simmer, not a rolling boil.
- ШАГ05
Remove the chicken to a plate and discard the bay leaf. When cool enough to handle, pull off and discard the skin and bones and shred or chop the meat. Return the meat to the pot along with the milk and frozen peas, then bring back to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust the salt.
- ШАГ06
In a bowl, whisk together the 250 g flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the melted butter, milk (or buttermilk), and parsley with a fork just until a thick, shaggy batter forms with no dry pockets. Do not overmix, a few lumps are fine and keep the dumplings tender.
- ШАГ07
With the stew at a gentle simmer, drop heaping tablespoons of batter over the surface, spacing them apart, to make about 12 dumplings. Cover tightly and cook without lifting the lid until the dumplings are puffed and a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
- ШАГ08
Turn off the heat and let the pot stand, covered, for 5 minutes so the dumplings finish setting and the sauce thickens slightly. Ladle chicken, sauce, and a couple of dumplings into each bowl and finish with more chopped parsley and cracked pepper.
Make ahead
The stew base is very make-ahead friendly: complete the recipe through shredding the chicken, cool, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, bring the base back to a gentle simmer, add the milk and peas, then mix and cook the dumplings fresh, they take only about 15 minutes and are best made just before serving. You can also measure the dry dumpling ingredients ahead and stir in the wet ingredients at the last minute.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dumplings will keep absorbing liquid and soften over time, so store the stew and any extra dumplings together and expect a thicker, more casserole-like texture the next day. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce, stirring occasionally so it doesn't scorch. Freezing is not recommended, as the dumplings turn spongy and the milk-based sauce can separate on thawing.
Variations
Rolled (flat) dumplings
For the chewier, noodle-like dumplings common in the American South, knead the dumpling dough briefly, roll it out about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick on a floured surface, and cut into 2.5 cm (1-inch) strips or squares. Drop them one at a time into the simmering stew and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring gently, until tender and the broth thickens from the released flour.
Rotisserie chicken shortcut
Skip the searing and simmering: start with the butter, oil, and vegetables, make the roux and broth, then stir in the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 500 g shredded) along with the milk and peas. Bring to a simmer and cook the dumplings as written. This gets dinner on the table in about 35 minutes total.
Dairy-free version
Swap the butter for extra olive oil in both the stew and the dumplings, and use unsweetened oat milk or a plain unsweetened soy milk in place of the whole milk. The sauce stays creamy and the dumplings still rise, just choose an unflavored milk so it doesn't turn the broth sweet.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Частые вопросы
Why did my dumplings turn out gummy or dense?
The two usual culprits are overmixing and peeking. Stir the batter only until it just comes together, and keep the lid on the entire 15 minutes so the dumplings steam and rise instead of collapsing. A stew that's boiling hard rather than gently simmering can also waterlog them, so keep the heat moderate. Done right, chicken and dumplings should have dumplings that are light and fluffy on top and just cooked through underneath.
Can I make chicken and dumplings ahead of time?
Yes, with one caveat. The stew base reheats beautifully and even tastes better the next day, so make it up to two days ahead. The dumplings, however, are best cooked fresh right before serving because they keep soaking up liquid and soften as they sit. If you're meal-prepping, store the base separately and drop fresh dumplings in when you reheat.
What's the difference between drop and rolled dumplings?
Drop dumplings (used in this recipe) are a thick biscuit-style batter spooned onto the stew, where they steam into fluffy, cloud-like puffs. Rolled or flat dumplings are a stiffer dough rolled thin and cut into strips, giving a chewier, noodle-like bite and a thicker broth. Both are traditional; drop dumplings are quicker and more forgiving for a first attempt at chicken and dumplings.
Can I use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken?
Absolutely. Skip the searing and simmering steps, build the roux and broth with the vegetables, then stir in about 500 g of shredded cooked chicken along with the milk and peas. Simmer just long enough to heat through, then cook the dumplings on top. It's a great weeknight shortcut that trims the recipe to roughly 35 minutes.
How do I make the sauce thicker or thinner?
For a thicker sauce, let the finished pot rest a few extra minutes off the heat, or simmer uncovered for a bit before adding the dumplings; the flour from the dumplings will also thicken it as they cook. If it's too thick, whisk in a splash of warm broth or milk until it reaches a creamy, ladleable consistency.
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