American
Chicken and Dumplings
A chicken and vegetable stew topped with simple dropped dumplings. The dumplings are done when they are puffed and no longer raw in the center.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Why you’ll love it
- The dough is flour, baking powder, milk, and butter. No yeast.
- You can see the failure mode: raw flour in the middle, and the step tells you how to check.
- Chicken thighs stay tender in a simmer.
- It is a one-pot dinner once the dough is mixed.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt. Brown it in the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high, about 3 minutes per side. Remove it.
- 2
Cook the onion, carrots, and celery 5 minutes. Add the broth and thyme. Return the chicken.
- 3
Simmer 15 minutes, until the chicken is 165°F. Remove it, shred it, and return it to the pot. Keep the stew at a steady simmer.
- 4
Stir the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in the butter until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- 5
Drop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of dough onto the simmering stew. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid for the first 12 minutes.
- 6
A dumpling is done when it has puffed and a skewer in the center comes out without wet flour. If it is raw, cover and give it 3 more minutes. Serve hot.
Pro tips
- The lid stays on. Steam cooks the dumplings. Peeking collapses them.
- A furious boil breaks the dumplings apart. A simmer is enough.
- If the dough is wet and sticky, that is correct. A dry dough makes heavy dumplings.
Easy substitutions
- Thighs
- Bone-in breasts, removed when they hit 165°F and shredded.
- Milk
- Buttermilk, for a slightly tangier dough.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Dumplings soften.
Reheating
Warm gently on the stove with a splash of broth. The dumplings will not be as light.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
You might also like
Baked Potato Soup
Potatoes simmered in broth and milk, then blended partly so it stays a little chunky. Cheddar, bacon, and chives go on at the end.
45 min · Easy
View recipe
Chicken Pot Pie Skillet
Chicken, carrots, peas, and onion simmer in a milk-and-broth sauce, then a puff pastry lid bakes on the skillet. The chicken should already read 165°F before the pastry goes on.
1 hr 5 min · Medium
View recipe
Baked Chicken and Stuffing
Chicken thighs sit on a pan of herbed stuffing that soaks up the juices as the chicken roasts. It is a Sunday plate on a Tuesday clock.
50 min · Easy
View recipe
Classic Mac and Cheese
Elbow pasta is coated in a cheddar sauce that starts with a cooked butter-and-flour roux and milk. A breadcrumb layer can go under the broiler or into the oven, or you can stop at the pot.
45 min · Easy
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Tomato Basil Soup
Canned tomatoes simmered with onion, garlic, broth, and basil, then blended smooth. A grilled cheese on the side is optional. The soup stands alone.
35 min · Easy
View recipe
Shepherd's Pie
Ground beef, peas, and carrots under a mashed potato lid, baked until the top browns. Lamb is the classic swap if you want the older name to match.
55 min · Medium
View recipe
Beef Pot Pie
A beef and vegetable filling, already simmered until thick, bakes under a sheet of puff pastry until the lid is deep gold. It is not the chicken pot pie skillet.
1 hr · Easy
View recipe
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Rice, broccoli, and a simple cheddar sauce bake until the top is browned and the broccoli is tender. It is a side that can be dinner with a salad.
45 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.