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Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

serving bowl of homemade chicken and dumplings with crusty bread
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This homemade chicken and dumplings recipe is the ultimate cozy comfort dinner. A rich, creamy broth loaded with tender chicken and vegetables is topped with fluffy, from-scratch dumplings that steam until light and pillowy. Ready in about an hour and made with simple pantry ingredients, this is the kind of meal the whole family asks for again and again.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 lbs bone-in skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 2 sticks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Frank’s recommended)
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas

For the Seasonings:

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Dumplings:

 

  • 2 cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup cold sour cream
  • 1/4 cup cold milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a 4 1/2-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove, rest for 10 minutes, cut into bite-sized pieces, and discard bones.
  • In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Scrape the bottom with a silicone spatula. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and combined seasonings. Cook 1 more minute.
  • Add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
  • Pour in chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add half and half the same way. Add bouillon cube if using.
  • Add frozen peas. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer uncovered while making the dumplings.
  • For the dumplings: combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add cold sour cream, cold milk, and melted butter. Fold gently to form a dough do not overmix.
  • Add chicken and its resting juices back into the soup. Stir and reduce heat to low.
  • Use a small cookie scoop to drop dumplings evenly over the surface of the soup. Spoon a little broth over each dumpling.
  • Cover tightly and increase heat slightly to a gentle simmer. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
  • Insert a toothpick into the center of a dumpling to check doneness. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. If not, cover and cook a few more minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Do not overmix the dumpling dough — a folding motion is all you need. Overmixing leads to dense, tough dumplings.

Keep the sour cream and milk cold for the fluffiest dumplings.

Do not lift the lid during the 15-minute steam — the trapped steam is essential for proper cooking.

Leftover rotisserie chicken works great — add it after reducing the heat, right before adding the dumplings.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add extra broth when reheating if the soup has thickened.

Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://allmealsrecipes.com/chicken-and-dumplings/