Chicken and Dumplings

Y’all, Chicken and Dumplings is the bowl that fixes a long day. 💛 Fluffy dumplings floating in a creamy golden broth with tender chicken, carrots and celery. It’s pure comfort food.

You start by softening the onion, carrots and celery in butter, make a quick creamy broth with flour, chicken broth and milk, and then add shredded cooked chicken and thyme. The dumpling dough comes together in one bowl, gets dropped right on top, and steams under the lid until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.

It serves 6, and it all happens in one big pot on the stovetop. It’s a perfect Sunday dinner or a cozy weeknight meal when it’s chilly outside.

Why You’ll Love It

• Real comfort food. Creamy broth, tender chicken and soft, fluffy dumplings.
• One pot. The soup and dumplings cook together.
• Simple dumplings. Just flour, baking powder, salt, butter and milk.
• Great for leftover chicken. It uses 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken.
• Feeds the family. It serves 6.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Butter, onion, carrots, celery and garlic: The cozy base of the soup.
• Flour: Stirred in to thicken the broth.
• Chicken broth and milk: Whisked together into a creamy golden broth.
• Shredded cooked chicken: Three cups of whatever cooked chicken you have.
• Dried thyme, salt and pepper: For classic, homey flavor.
• For the dumplings: Flour, baking powder, salt, cold butter and milk.

You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.

How to Make It

Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the onion, carrots and celery until they’re soft, then add the garlic for just a few seconds. Stir in the flour, cook it for a minute, and slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until smooth. Add the cooked chicken, thyme, salt and pepper and let it simmer. While it simmers, stir together the dumpling dough: flour, baking powder and salt, then the cold butter cut in until crumbly, then the milk just until it comes together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the simmering soup, cover the pot, and let them cook without peeking until they’re puffed and cooked through. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Tips for the Best Chicken and Dumplings

• Whisk the broth in slowly. Adding the broth a little at a time keeps the soup smooth, without lumps.
• Keep the butter cold. Cut the cold butter into the flour until crumbly, then stir in the milk just until combined. Don’t overmix.
• Don’t lift the lid! Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook 12 to 15 minutes without peeking, so they puff up and cook through.
• Keep it at a simmer. Drop the dumplings onto soup that’s gently simmering, a tablespoon at a time.

Drop dumplings or rolled-and-cut, how does your family make them? Either way, this is a bowl full of love. 🥣

Chicken and Dumplings

Fluffy dumplings floating in creamy golden broth. This is the bowl that fixes a long day.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion diced
• 3 carrots sliced
• 3 celery stalks sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Dumplings

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter cubed
• ¾ cup milk

Equipment

• Large pot with a lid

Method

 

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery 6–7 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
2. Stir in ⅓ cup flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and 1 cup milk until smooth.
3. Add the chicken, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Make the dumplings: whisk 1½ cups flour, baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly, then stir in ¾ cup milk just until combined.
5. Drop tablespoon-size dumplings onto the simmering soup. Cover and cook 12–15 minutes WITHOUT lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through!

Notes

Don’t lift the lid while the dumplings cook.