Chicken and dumplings is a time-honored recipe and the ultimate comfort food. The ingredients have always been economical, and the end result is so delicious that it makes a great Sunday dinner too.
This one-pot meal makes enough to feed a crowd, and it’s surprisingly easy to make. I’ve even included a couple of shortcuts at the end should you want to make the process as quick and easy as possible!
Chicken And Dumplings
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:
For the soup:
- 1 whole chicken (they’re easier to break down at home than you might think!)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
For the dumplings:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
Directions:
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a large, heavy pot (like an enameled Dutch/French oven) and set it on your stove over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the pot and sear them on both sides until nicely browned, then remove them to a plate and set it aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter to the pot, and let it melt for a moment or two.
Add the diced celery, carrots, and onions to the butter and cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and flour. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, until well combined and fragrant, then add the chicken back to the pot along with the chicken broth.
Stir, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, start on dumplings by whisking together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, then pour in the milk. Stir until just combined—if the mixture seems a bit dry, add another splash of milk.
After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove the chicken to a clean plate and use a couple of forks to remove the meat from the bones. Return the chicken to the pot, add the milk, and stir to combine.
Finally, use a tablespoon to scoop dumplings from the dough and drop them right on top of the soup. Cover the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes, then serve.
Short On Time?
Use these tips to get your chicken and dumplings on the table even faster:
- Use a rotisserie chicken. Remove all the meat from the chicken and add it to the pot just before simmering for 20 minutes.
- Use Bisquick mix for the dumplings. Rather than making dumplings from scratch, just combine 2 cups Bisquick mix, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2/3 cup of milk.
Do you have a favorite recipe for chicken and dumplings?
Easy Chicken And Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken broken down
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 carrots diced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup flour all-purpose
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
For dumplings
- 1-1/2 cups flour all-purpose
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Dry chicken pieces with a paper towel, season them with salt and pepper, then place in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken on both sides until nicely browned, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and flour to the pot, and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pot and add the chicken broth. Stir, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start making the dumplings by whisking the dry ingredients together.
- Add the milk to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. (If it's too dry, add another splash of milk.)
- After simmering the soup, remove the chicken and use two forks to remove the meat from the bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, add the milk, and stir well.
- Use a spoon to transfer dumpling-sized portions of dough to the soup, continuing until you've used up all the dough. Cover the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes, then serve warm.