Go Back

Chicken and Dumplings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
There are maybe five meals in the world that can actually fix a bad day, and this is one of them. Chicken and dumplings was in heavy rotation on the boat when the weather got rough — and I don't mean
Mike

Ingredients  

For the soup
  • 1.5 pounds bone-in
  • skin-on chicken thighs
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
  • 3 carrots (peeled and sliced into coins)
  • 3 stalks celery (sliced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the dumplings
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter (cut into small pieces)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • Everything here is basic pantry and fridge stuff. No specialty ingredients
  • no trips to three different stores

Method
 

Step 1: Sear the chicken
  1. Season the thighs with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken skin-side down for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and sear another 2 minutes. Remove and set aside — it doesn't need to be cooked through yet.
  2. Searing is optional but I'm telling you it makes a huge difference. All those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot? That's flavor. That's what separates homemade from something out of a can.
Step 2: Build the soup base
  1. In the same pot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for about a minute — you're cooking out the raw flour taste.
  2. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring, scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom. Add the milk, thyme, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil — and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  3. Pull the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and stir the meat back into the soup. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper.
Step 3: Make the dumplings
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a fork until you have coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir until just combined. The dough will be sticky and shaggy. That's what you want.
Step 4: Cook the dumplings
  1. Make sure the soup is at a gentle simmer. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the surface — you should get about 10-12 dumplings. Don't crowd them too much; they'll expand as they cook.
  2. Put the lid on. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Walk away. Seriously, do not touch that lid. When 15 minutes is up, the dumplings should be puffed up, fluffy, and cooked through. Cut one open to check — it should be light and airy inside, not doughy.