Here’s a classic, comforting Chicken and Dumplings recipe 🍲 — creamy, hearty, and perfect for a cozy meal.
🥘 Ingredients
For the chicken stew:
- 1 whole chicken (about 3–4 lbs), cut into pieces or 4–6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- ¾ cup milk (or buttermilk)
🥄 Instructions
- Cook the chicken:
- In a large pot, heat butter or oil over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Place chicken pieces in pot, pour in broth and water.
- Add thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45–60 minutes, until chicken is cooked and tender.
- Make the dumpling dough:
- In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Stir in milk until just combined (do not overmix).
- Shred the chicken:
- Remove chicken from pot, discard bones and skin, and shred meat.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add dumplings:
- Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto simmering stew (they should float).
- Cover and cook 12–15 minutes, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
- Avoid lifting the lid while cooking, so dumplings steam properly.
- Finish and serve:
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, ladled with plenty of broth and vegetables.
💡 Tips:
- For extra creamy stew, stir in ½ cup cream or milk at the end.
- You can add peas or corn for added color.
- Dumplings can be flavored with fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
If you want, I can give a shortcut version using store-bought biscuit dough that’s even faster but just as delicious. Do you want me to?
