Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

I finally perfected my Chicken And Dumplings Recipe and I’m sharing the simple trick that yields light, airy dumplings in a silky homemade chicken soup.

I always thought chicken and dumplings was just a Sunday thing until I chased the trick to dumplings that are actually light and airy. This Easy Chicken And Dumpling Recipe Simple somehow makes a creamy bowl sing when you start with bone in chicken and a good low sodium chicken broth for real depth.

There’s a little surprise about the dumplings that I won’t spoil, a texture flip that got me grinning, and once you notice it you keep coming back. It looks like comfort food but with a sly twist, honest and not fussy, you’ll want to know more.

Ingredients

• Chicken: Packed with lean protein, iron and B vitamins, gives rich savory flavor and comfort.
• Chicken broth: Hydrating base with electrolytes, low calorie, deepens savory taste without heaviness.
• Whole milk: Adds creaminess and calories, offers calcium and some protein, makes dumplings tender.
• Butter: Gives buttery richness and mouthfeel, adds fat and flavor, use sparingly if watching calories.
• Onion and garlic: Build savory depth, provide fiber and antioxidants, make the stew taste homey.
• Carrots and celery: Add sweetness and crunch, vitamins A and K, great for texture, color.
• Flour and baking powder: Provide carbs and structure to dumplings, make them soft and bready.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds bone in chicken, or about 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced or diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour for thickening
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• For the dumplings 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt for the dumplings
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces for the dumplings
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk for the dumplings
• 1 large egg for the dumplings

How to Make this

1. If using bone in chicken, put 1 1/2 to 2 lb chicken into a medium pot with the 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, bring to a simmer and poach 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through; remove chicken, let cool a bit, shred about 3 cups and reserve the broth. If you already have cooked shredded chicken skip this and just warm the broth.

2. In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 sliced carrots and 2 sliced celery stalks and sauté until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes; add 3 minced garlic cloves in the last minute.

3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup all purpose flour over the softened veggies, stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and 2 cups whole milk until smooth and starting to thicken.

4. Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes so flavors meld.

5. Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

6. Make the dumpling dough: in a bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Cut in 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until pea sized bits remain. In another small bowl beat 1 large egg with 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk then pour into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix or the dumplings will be tough.

7. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Drop dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons or a small ice cream scoop onto the simmering soup, leaving space between each so they can expand.

8. Cover the pot tightly and simmer on low for 12 to 15 minutes without lifting the lid so the dumplings steam through. They should be puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you want slightly browned tops, uncover for the last 2 minutes but that’s optional.

9. Remove bay leaves, gently spoon soup around the dumplings to coat, sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve hot with extra black pepper if you like.

Equipment Needed

1. Medium pot or saucepan for poaching the chicken and reserving the broth
2. Large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot to make the soup and steam the dumplings
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for chopping veggies and shredding chicken
4. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for sautéing and stirring
5. Whisk for finishing the roux and smoothing the soup
6. Mixing bowls — one bigger for the dumpling flour mix and one small for the egg and milk
7. Pastry cutter or clean fingers to cut the cold butter into the dumpling flour
8. Measuring cups and spoons for flour, milk, broth and seasonings
9. Small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to portion the dumplings onto the simmering soup
10. Tongs or slotted spoon plus a ladle for removing the chicken, serving and skimming broth

FAQ

Chicken And Dumplings Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken: rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (about 3 cups), boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (cook and shred), or leftover roast turkey — all give good flavor.
• Chicken broth: swap with low sodium vegetable broth, homemade bone broth, or water plus a teaspoon of chicken bouillon (taste for salt).
• Milk / buttermilk (for dumplings): use buttermilk, plain yogurt thinned with a little milk or water, or whole milk soured with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (let sit 5 minutes).
• Butter (for cooking and dumplings): use ghee or olive oil for the soup; for dumplings cold butter can be replaced with chilled vegetable shortening or chilled coconut oil (use same amount).

Pro Tips

– Poach the chicken with a little onion, carrot or a smashed garlic clove if you can. It gives the broth more flavor and when you cool it in the fridge first the fat will firm up on top so you can skim it off easy. Don’t throw away that reserved broth, you can reduce some of it to intensify the soup if it tastes weak.

– Keep the dumpling dough cold and stop mixing as soon as it comes together. Little cold butter bits are what make them flaky, and overworking the dough will make the dumplings chewy. If you want extra tender dumplings use buttermilk instead of milk.

– Control the soup thickness by going slow. Whisk the flour into the veggies and cook it a minute before adding liquid so you lose the raw taste. If it ends up too thin, simmer longer or add a small slurry of flour mixed with cold milk. If it’s too thick, thin with reserved broth a splash at a time.

– Gentle heat is everything once the dumplings go in. Keep the soup at a low simmer, cover and don’t lift the lid until the time is up or they wont steam through properly. Taste and finish with fresh parsley and a little black pepper or a squeeze of lemon right before serving to brighten the flavors.