The ultimate comfort food is homestyle chicken and dumplings.
Fluffy, wholesome and soft dumplings sit atop creamy chicken and vegetable stew.
It's all made in one pot and something the entire family will love.
How to make chicken and dumplings
Featured Ingredients
For the stew:
- Butter or oil: To saute the vegetables and make a roux.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless breasts and/or thighs.
- Mirepoix: Onion, carrots and celery.
- Flour: To make the roux that will thicken the stew.
- Chicken stock: For that flavorful stew base.
- Herbs and spices: Thyme, bay leaf, mustard powder.
For the dumplings:
- Flour: The base of the biscuits.
- Baking powder and soda: To make them rise and get fluffy.
- Butter: For flavor and moisture.
- Milk: To bring the biscuit topping together.
- Salt: Flavor, flavor, flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat butter or oil in a large Dutch oven to medium heat.
- Season chicken breasts or thighs with a pinch of the salt and pepper, then place in the hot butter or oil and cook 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove from the pot and place on a cutting board.
- Shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Add onion, carrot and celery to the pot.
- Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in flour, increase heat to medium-high, then whisk in chicken stock.
- Add chicken back to the pot. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs to the stock.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk in remaining salt, pepper, celery salt, mustard powder and bouillon, if using.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
- Reduce heat to medium and remove discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in butter and milk until combined.
- Drop 8 balls of dough into the pot.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes with the lid on, until dumplings are soft and cooked through.
Recipe Substitutions and Alterations
- For the chicken: This recipe calls for using raw chicken breasts or thighs.
- You can use pre-cooked chicken (such as a rotisserie chicken) that's been chopped or shredded and add it to the stew after adding the stock.
- For the vegetables: Another shortcut is to purchase a frozen bag of mirepoix so you don't have to chop all of the vegetables.
- For the stock: You can purchase stock or broth or make your own.
- For the biscuit topping: You can use any all-purpose flour, such as whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white or regular all-purpose flour.
- For the milk: Use whatever milk you have or sub in buttermilk.
Nutrition Considerations
- To make this gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour for the biscuit topping.
- Also use gluten free all-purpose flour to make the roux.
- To make this dairy free: Use a plain dairy free milk alternative, such as soy, pea, oat, almond or rice milk for the biscuit mixture.
- To make this nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts. Be sure all ingredients you use are nut free.
- To make this egg free: This recipe does not contain eggs.
Comfort food faves:
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake
- Cornflake-Crusted Buttermilk Chicken
- Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings
Fluffy dumplings sit atop creamy chicken and vegetable stew. Quite possibly the best comfort food.
- Prep Time: 20-25 mins
- Cook Time: 30-35 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins-1 hr
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Stew:
- 4 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs*
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 5 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cube all-natural bouillon or 1-2 tablespoons bouillon paste (like Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
Dumplings:
- 2 cups flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk
Instructions
- Heat butter or oil in a large Dutch oven to medium heat.
- Place the chicken in the hot butter or oil and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the pot and place on a cutting board. Shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, until soft. Stir in the flour, salt, black pepper, mustard powder and celery salt, then increase the heat to medium-high. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a low simmer.
- Add the chopped or shredded chicken back to the pot. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs to the stock. Stir occasionally, until thickened, about 8-10 minutes. WHisk in the Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Reduce heat to medium and remove discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in butter and milk until combined. Drop 8 balls of dough into the pot. Cook for 12-15 minutes with the lid on, until dumplings are soft and cooked through.
Notes
Substitution Tip: Use any all-purpose flour, such as whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white, regular all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour.
Cooking Tip: If you're using pre-cooked chicken, skip the step of sauteing it in the butter/oil, and go straight to the step of sauteing the vegetables. Add the cooked chicken as listed in the ingredients.
Cooking Tip: Add bouillon for an extra flavorful broth. Adjust salt, based on how much salt the bouillon has in it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
- Calories: 495
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 586mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 121mg
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