Chicken and Dumplings (2024)

I’m thoroughly obsessed with this chicken and dumplings recipe. This is some serious comfort food and I’m all about comfort food. We’re talking tender chicken thighs cooked in a rich gravy with a medley of colorful vegetables and then topped with tender, fluffy, and flavorful dumplings. This recipe is so cozy that eating a bowl of these chicken and dumplings feels like being wrapped up in a big warm hug. And the best part? They’re made 100% from scratch. Ugh, brb, I need to go make another batch because my mouth is WATERING.

What Are Chicken and Dumplings?

Chicken and dumplings can mean different things depending on w you live, but they’re always super cozy, filling, and comforting. While they usually always have tender chicken smotd in a savory gravy as their base, the dumplings can either be a thick noodle, or a pillowy biscuit steamed on top of the gravy. I love both versions, but today we’re making the pillowy cloud dumplings!

How to Store the Leftovers

Leftover chicken and dumplings are SO delicious, so make sure to save some for lunch the next day! Simply divide the leftovers into single-serving containers and refrigerate. The gravy will get quite thick when refrigerated, but they’re still delicious! Chicken and dumplings will stay good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.

You can also freeze the chicken and dumplings. Once chilled in the refrigerator, transfer the chicken and dumplings to the freezer and store for 2-3 months. To reheat the frozen chicken and dumplings either thaw in the refrigerator overnight before microwaving until hot, or use the defrost function on the microwave.

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes

Tender chicken simmered in a rich gravy and topped with fluffy dumplings makes these chicken and dumplings the perfect comfort food for cold nights.

Servings: 6 (about 1.5 cups each)

Prep time: 20 minutes mins

Cook time: 35 minutes mins

Total time: 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

Chicken and Gravy

1. 4boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb.)($3.29)
2. 1Tbspolive oil($0.12)
3. 1yellow onion, diced($0.32)
4. 2clovesgarlic, minced($0.16)
5. 2stalkscelery, diced($0.50)
6. 2carrots, diced($0.31)
7. 1/4cupall-purpose flour($0.04)
8. 4Tbspbutter($0.50)
9. 1tspdried parsley($0.10)
10. 1/2tspdried thyme($0.05)
11. 1/2tspdried rosemary($0.05)
12. 1/2tspdried sage($0.05)
13. 1/4tspfreshly cracked black pepper($0.02)
14. 2cupschicken broth($0.34)
15. 1cupwhole milk($0.48)
16. 1/2tspsalt($0.02)

Dumplings

1. 1cupall-purpose flour($0.16)
2. 1.5tspbaking powder($0.09)
3. 1tspdried parsley($0.10)
4. 1/2tspsugar($0.01)
5. 1/2tspsalt($0.02)
6. 1/8tspgarlic powder($0.02)
7. 1/8tspfreshly cracked black pepper($0.02)
8. 1/2cup milk($0.24)
9. 2Tbspbutter, melted($0.25)

Instructions

Chicken and Gravy

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and brown on each side. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point, just make sure they get very brown on the outside. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl.
2. After removing the chicken from the skillet, add the diced onion and minced garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened. Stir to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet as the onions cook.
3. Add the diced carrot and celery to the skillet with the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for about five minutes more.
4. Add the butter and flour to the skillet and stir until the butter has melted and created a paste with the flour that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook and stir this mixture for about two minutes.
5. Add the parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, chicken broth, and milk to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to stir and cook until the mixture comes up to a simmer and thickens into a gravy.
6. Dice the chicken and add it back to the skillet with the vegetables and gravy. Cover with a lid and let the chicken simmer in the gravy over medium heat while you prepare the dumplings.

Dumplings

1. To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, parsley, sugar, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Pour the milk and melted butter into the flour mixture, then stir until a soft, scoopable batter is formed. Do not over stir.
3. Remove the lid from the chicken and gravy and drop the dumpling batter onto the surface of the gravy in 2 tablespoon dollops. You should get about 12 dumplings.
4. Make sure the gravy is still simmering, then place the lid back on the skillet and allow the dumplings to simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure they’re simmering the entire time. After 15 minutes the dumplings should have doubled in size and will be fluffy and cooked in the center. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 20gFat: 19gSodium: 991mgFiber: 2g

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How to Make Chicken and Dumplings

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add four boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the pan and allow them to brown very well on each side. The chicken doesn’t need to cook through at this point, just make sure it gets very brown. Remove the browned chicken to a clean cutting board and set aside.

Add two minced cloves of garlic and one diced yellow onion to the skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened. Add two diced carrots and two diced celery stalks and continue to sauté over medium for 2-3 minutes more.

Add four tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of all-purpose flour to the skillet. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat. The butter will melt and combine with the flour to create a sort of paste that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook this mixture for about two minutes more.

Add 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried sage, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup milk to the skillet. Whisk the ingredients together, making sure to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow this mixture to come back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken into a gravy.

Once the mixture has thickened to a gravy, dice the chicken thighs and stir them back into the skillet. Cover with a lid and allow the chicken to simmer in the gravy while you prepare the dumplings.

To make the dumplings, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 1.5 tsp baking powder, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried parsley, and ½ tsp sugar in a bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and combine it with ½ cup milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture.

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms a soft, sticky dough. It should be soft enough that you can easily scoop it with a spoon.

Make sure the gravy is fully simmering, then drop the dumpling dough into the gravy in 2 Tbsp portions. The dumplings will expand quite a bit as they steam, so don’t worry that they don’t fully cover the surface.

Place the lid on the skillet and allow the dumplings to steam in the simmering gravy for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Make sure the gravy is simmering the whole time. After 15 minutes they should be about double in size. Cut one open to make sure it’s fluffy all the way through.

Serve the chicken and dumplings hot and enjoy! (shown garnished with parsley for color)

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes