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This Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe is a cozy and hearty dinner with a creamy chicken soup topped with light and fluffy dumplings. There is nothing better on a chilly day than this delicious, stick to your ribs dinner!
When the weather turns chilly, nothing sounds more warm and comforting than a bowl of hearty chicken and dumplings. I’ve simplified chicken and dumplings to make this recipe simple and easy without sacrificing flavor.
Ingredients in Chicken and dumplings
For the Chicken Stew
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and pepper
- avocado oil (or other high heat oil)
- butter carrots
- celery
- onion
- flour
- white wine (or sub chicken broth)
- low sodium chicken broth
- whole milk
- fresh thyme leaves
- bay leaves
- peas
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
Dumplings
- Flour
- whole milk
- butter
- baking powder
- salt
How to make easy chicken and dumplings
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven (I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point) over medium high heat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside, pour excess fat from pan.
- Add butter to the Dutch oven and then the carrots, celery and onion with a pinch of salt. Sauté until soft, 5-10 minutes .
- Add the flour to the pan and stir together until combined and no dry spots remain.
- Whisk in wine, stirring and scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, thyme and bay leaves. Return the chicken to the pot, stir to cover the chicken with liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 30 minutes.
- When chicken is cooked and tender, remove from pan and shred with two forks, then return meat to pot. Next, make the dumplings.
How to make the dumplings
These dumplings are light and fluffy and very easy to make. Make these right before you are ready to drop them into the chicken stew.
- First whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Next, warm the milk and butter in a microwave safe container until butter is melted.
- Pour the warm milk and butter mixture into the flour mixture and gently stir to combine, just until no dry spots of flour remain. Don’t over mix.
- Add the peas and parsley to the stew, taste stew and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, or two spoons, scoop batter into balls about two tablespoons each, and drop into the chicken stew. Be sure stew is gently simmering and not boiling.
- Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Can you freeze chicken and dumplings
Yes, you can freeze chicken and dumplings, but it is best to do this without the dumplings. If you want to make ahead and freeze, make the soup without adding the dumplings. Cool completely and freeze. After reheating, make the dumplings as directed.
If you want to freeze leftovers and have already added the dumplings, first remove the dumplings from the soup. Cool completely, then freeze the dumplings separately in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, reheat the soup and bring to a simmer. Add the dumplings back into the soup and gently simmer until reheated.
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Easy Chicken and dumplings
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Stew
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- pepper
- 1 tablespoons avocado oil or other high heat oil
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 celery sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 medium onion minced
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine or substitute chicken broth
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 tbsp fresh minced parsley
Dumplings
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven (I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point) over medium high heat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside, pour excess fat from pan.
- Add butter to the Dutch oven and then the carrots, celery and onion with a pinch of salt. Sauté until soft, 5-10 minutes .
- Add the flour to the pan and stir together until combined and no dry spots remain.Whisk in wine, stirring and scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken broth, milk, thyme and bay leaves. Return the chicken to the pot, stir to cover the chicken with liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 30 minutes.
- When chicken is cooked and tender, remove from pan and shred with two forks, then return meat to pot. Next, make the dumplings.
Make the dumplings and finish stew
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, set aside.
- Warm the milk and butter in a microwave safe container until butter is melted.
- Pour the warm milk and butter mixture into the flour mixture and gently stir to combine, just until no dry spots of flour remain. Don’t over mix.
- Add the peas and parsley to the stew, taste stew and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, or two spoons, scoop batter into balls about two tablespoons each, and drop into the chicken stew. Be sure stew is gently simmering and not boiling.
- Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
