Classic Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings
A comforting, from-scratch classic featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich, flavorful broth, topped with light, fluffy drop-style buttermilk dumplings.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
- Fine mesh strainer (optional)
Ingredients
Chicken and Broth
- 1 whole (about 3-4 lbs) Whole chicken — cut into 8 pieces, or use bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts
- 1 large Yellow onion — diced
- 3 medium Carrots — peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 3 ribs Celery — sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 cloves Garlic — minced
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoons All-purpose flour — for thickening the broth
- 6 cups Chicken broth — low sodium
- 2 whole Bay leaf
- 3 sprigs Fresh thyme — or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 0.25 cup Heavy cream (optional) — for a richer broth
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt — plus more to taste
- 0.5 teaspoons Black pepper — freshly ground
Buttermilk Dumplings
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons Baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoons Baking soda
- 1 teaspoons Salt
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter — melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup Buttermilk — cold
- 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley — finely chopped
Chicken and Broth
| 1 whole (about 3-4 lbs) | Whole chicken | cut into 8 pieces, or use bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts |
| 1 large | Yellow onion | diced |
| 3 medium | Carrots | peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds |
| 3 ribs | Celery | sliced into 1/4-inch pieces |
| 3 cloves | Garlic | minced |
| 3 tablespoons | Unsalted butter | |
| 1 tablespoons | All-purpose flour | for thickening the broth |
| 6 cups | Chicken broth | low sodium |
| 2 whole | Bay leaf | |
| 3 sprigs | Fresh thyme | or 1 tsp dried thyme |
| 0.25 cup | Heavy cream (opt.) | for a richer broth |
| 1.5 teaspoons | Salt | plus more to taste |
| 0.5 teaspoons | Black pepper | freshly ground |
Buttermilk Dumplings
| 2 cups | All-purpose flour | |
| 1 tablespoons | Baking powder | |
| 0.5 teaspoons | Baking soda | |
| 1 teaspoons | Salt | |
| 4 tablespoons | Unsalted butter | melted and slightly cooled |
| 1 cup | Buttermilk | cold |
| 2 tablespoons | Fresh parsley | finely chopped |
Instructions
-
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, sear the chicken skin-side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
~10 minSearing the chicken builds a fond on the bottom of the pot, adding incredible depth of flavor to your broth. -
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
~8 min -
Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
~1 min -
Gradually pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits. Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
~2 min -
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
~50 min -
Carefully remove the chicken from the pot using tongs and place it on a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream if using.
~15 min -
While the broth is simmering gently over medium-low heat, prepare the dumpling dough. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chopped parsley.
~5 min -
In a small bowl, combine the cold buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon or fork just until combined. Do not overmix; the dough should look a bit shaggy.
~2 minOvermixing will result in tough, dense dumplings. Lumps are perfectly fine. -
Ensure the broth is at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop 1-inch balls of the dough directly onto the surface of the simmering liquid.
~3 min -
Cover the pot tightly with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let the dumplings steam for 15 minutes. DO NOT lift the lid during this time.
~15 minThe trapped steam is crucial for cooking the dumplings through and making them fluffy. Peeking lets the steam escape! -
Remove the lid and gently test a dumpling with a toothpick; it should come out clean. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
~10 minThe broth will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
Tips & Storage
- To ensure fluffy dumplings, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh.
- Do not overmix the dumpling dough; handle it as little as possible.
- If you prefer a thicker stew-like base, you can mash a few of the cooked carrots and potatoes against the side of the pot before adding the dumplings.
- A rotisserie chicken can be used to save time; simply shred the meat, skip step 1, sauté the aromatics, and simmer in broth for 20 minutes before adding the chicken and making the dumplings.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The dumplings will absorb more broth as they sit, so you may need to add a splash of chicken broth or water when reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.