Chicken and Dumplings
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
657 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Chicken and Dumplings
Description
This Chicken and Dumplings recipe starts by optionally searing bone-in, skinless chicken to develop flavor and color before adding to the broth. Aromatic vegetables like onion, carrot, and celery are sautéed with garlic and enhanced by Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and an array of herbs and spices including thyme, rosemary, mustard powder, basil, and sage.
The broth is thickened with flour and enriched with half and half, with peas added near the end. Dumplings composed of cake or all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sour cream, milk, and melted butter are dropped onto the simmering broth and cooked until fluffy. This combination yields a comforting texture balance between hearty dumplings, tender chicken, and a flavorful broth.
The dish suits cold weather or anytime a filling, homestyle soup is desired. Using bone-in chicken adds a depth to the broth, but cooked or leftover chicken may be used as well. The recipe provides adaptable seasoning with both mild heat and herbaceous notes.
For best results, searing the chicken adds complexity, but it is optional. Cake flour produces lighter dumplings, though all-purpose flour works too. The broth can be adjusted for sodium by omitting bouillon and choosing unsalted ingredients. The dish stores well and pairs with rustic bread or a fresh salad.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs. chicken breast see notes, bone-in, skinless, or chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion diced, small
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 2 celery diced, sticks
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Teaspoon hot sauce I use Franks hot sauce
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube optional
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- ¾ cup peas frozen
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon sage ground
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dumplings
- 2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour, see notes
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream cold
- ¼ cup milk cold
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
Sear the chicken:
- Note: (Searing the chicken is optional, raw or cooked chicken can be added right to the broth in later steps. Searing first adds a lot of flavor to the soup pot which makes the broth more flavorful. It also adds color and texture to some of the chicken.)
- Season each side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4 ½-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side, until a little bit of a brown color has developed. The middle will still be uncooked. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then dice into bite-sized pieces. (Discard the bones.)
Make the Soup
- Combine the seasonings and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the flour and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously. Scrape up any remnants from the bottom of the pot as you do so. Add the half and half in the same manner. Add the chicken bouillon, if using.
- Add frozen peas. Bring to a gentle boil and let it simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumplings.
Make the Dumplings
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add the milk, sour cream, and melted butter. Use a folding motion to combine and form a dough, but don’t overmix or they will be dense.
- Add the chicken back to the soup along with any juices from the plate. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low. (If using leftover chicken, add it now.)
- Use a small cookie scoop and carefully place the dumplings over the soup in an even layer. Spoon a little liquid over each one.
- Cover tightly and increase heat slightly to bring it to a gentle simmer. Set a timer for 15 minutes, don’t lift the lid during this time, the dumplings need to steam.
- Open the lid and insert a toothpick into the middle of a dumpling to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. If not, cover and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Once the middle is set, garnish with parsley and serve!
Notes
- Using bone-in chicken breast or thighs adds depth of flavor to the broth; cooked chicken may be added later if preferred.
- Cake flour yields fluffier dumplings, but all-purpose flour is a suitable substitute.
- Mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce enhance flavor subtly without standing out distinctly.
- To reduce sodium, omit bouillon cube and choose unsalted butter and low/no sodium broth.
- Consider trying a similar Chicken Stew recipe with potatoes for variation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 657 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 657kcal | 33% |
| Carbohydrates | 50g | 17% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 38g | 58% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 136mg | 45% |
| Sodium | 1410mg | 59% |
| Potassium | 793mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 4678IU | 94% |
| Vitamin C | 24mg | 27% |
| Calcium | 218mg | 22% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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