Chicken and dumplings — ahhh, the epitome of comfort! Here’s a belly-warming, hug-in-a-pot kind of dish, just like mother used to make. Though, admittedly, my mom has always been more of a chicken and rice kinda gal. That all said, with a few pantry staples and just a little bit of effort, you too can prepare this dinnertime classic for friends and family alike. Still not easy enough? If you’re looking for a few shortcuts you can sub the flour and half and half from the stew for a can of cream of chicken soup, and skip the homemade dumplings for refrigerated biscuits. But, I ask you, where’s the fun in that? Enjoy readers!
Stovetop Chicken and Dumplings
Servings 0
Ingredients
For the Stew
- Olive oil
- 3-4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 cup half and half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Dumplings
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsps freshly parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 3/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat chicken thighs dry and liberally season with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches so as to not crowd the pot, sear the chicken on both sides. Once seared, remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Add a bit more olive oil to the Dutch oven if needed. Add butter. Once butter has melted, add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté a few minutes until the onions have softened and gone translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant.
- Add 1/4 cup of flour to the pot and mix to combine with the vegetables. Continue to sauté a few minutes until the raw flour has cooked off.
- Slowly pour in chicken stock, stirring to combine with the flour mixture. Add the chicken and any juices back to the pot. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the chicken is done or reaches 175 degrees F.
- While the chicken is simmering, make the dumplings.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, dried thyme and fresh parsley. Add in melted butter and milk, and stir until the mixture becomes a thick biscuit-like batter.
- Once the chicken has finished cooking, carefully remove the thighs and roughly chop or shred them depending to your liking. Add back to the pot.
- Add in 1 cup of half and pot to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Using an ice cream scooper, carefully scoop and form about 8 large uniform dumplings and drop them into the pot one by one. They should float; do not stir or mix them in.
- Once all dumplings have been added to the pot, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until they have risen and cooked through.
- Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired.
