Ah yes 😍🍲 — Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food: tender chicken, rich broth, and pillowy dumplings. Here’s a classic, homemade version that’s cozy and satisfying.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 whole chicken (3–4 lbs) or 4 bone-in chicken breasts/thighs
- 8 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 cups carrots, sliced
- 2 cups celery, sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp thyme or poultry seasoning
- 2 tbsp butter or oil
For the Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Cook the chicken
- In a large pot, place chicken and cover with broth/water.
- Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer 45–60 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken, let cool slightly, shred meat, discard bones/skin.
- Prepare the dumplings
- In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in milk and melted butter until a soft dough forms.
- Combine and cook dumplings
- Return shredded chicken to the pot.
- Bring soup to gentle boil.
- Drop dumplings by spoonfuls into simmering broth (do not stir).
- Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes until dumplings are cooked through.
- Finish
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, if desired.
Tips & Variations 🔥
- Shortcut: Use rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth—reduce simmering time.
- Creamy version: Stir in ½ cup cream or half-and-half for a richer stew.
- Vegetable boost: Add peas or corn in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Dumpling texture: For extra tender dumplings, don’t lift the lid while cooking.
This is the kind of meal that warms the soul and tastes even better the next day.
If you want, I can give a slow-cooker version that’s basically dump-and-go for an all-day comfort meal 😏.
