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A white bowl filled with homemade chicken dumplings garnished with fresh thyme.
4.86 from 55 votes

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

This Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe comes with big, fluffy dumplings and juicy shredded chicken in a light and creamy vegetable-filled broth. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 557kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion - chopped
  • 5 medium carrots - chopped
  • 5 celery ribs - chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves - minced
  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt - plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups water - (or low-sodium chicken broth)
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 cup half and half
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley - plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme - plus more for serving

For the Dumplings

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted

Instructions

  • Melt the butter and add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic to the vegetables and sauté for 1 minute more, stirring often.
  • Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and flour, stirring well to combine. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often to prevent burning.
  • Slowly whisk the water or chicken stock and dry white wine in with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, sugar, and bay leaves, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and vegetables have softened.
  • Meanwhile, as the soup simmers, prepare the dumplings. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and thyme). Use a spoon or spatula to dig a well, or hole, in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the milk and melted butter to the center. Use a wooden spoon to mix together into a giant dough ball. Set aside.
  • Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the cooked chicken from the pot and allow it to rest until it is cool enough to shred.
  • Add the chicken, after it has been shredded, back to the pot and add the peas.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to form equal-sized dumplings. Add each dumpling, one at a time, directly into the simmering soup, each in a different part of the pot.
  • Once each dumpling has been added to the pot, gently press them down to submerge beneath the broth. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook dumplings for approximately 20 minutes.
  • Once the dumplings are fully cooked, remove the cover and gently add half and half, parsley, and chopped thyme. Stir to combine.
  • Best served hot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, thyme, or hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

  1. You may also use bone-in chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts. They will be less likely to dry out if cooked for too long.
  2. If the dough is dry, add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
  3. If you’re short on time, grab a can of canned biscuits and use those instead. I don’t recommend simmering the store-bought pre-made biscuits for longer than needed.
  4. To make your soup a little creamier, swap the half-and-half for heavy cream, adding more or less to taste. Alternatively, keep it light by skipping the half-and-half altogether.
  5. Avoid the temptation to check the status of your dumplings every two minutes as they cook. After all, the whole idea is that in addition to cooking in the broth, they also steam gently.
Originally published on January 8, 2019

Nutrition

Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1506mg | Potassium: 1130mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2510IU | Vitamin C: 10.1mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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