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Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings simmered in a rich, creamy broth with tender shredded chicken and fluffy homemade dumplings. This one-pot method drops spoonfuls of thick batter onto a gentle simmer for dumplings that cook through without splitting.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion small, diced
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 2 celery stalks sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 3 cup shredded chicken cooked
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Dumplings
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5–6 minutes, until softened (steam should start to rise and the vegetables should look slightly glossy).
Simmer the broth
  1. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth, shredded chicken, thyme, salt, and pepper, then bring to a simmer (small bubbles should break the surface steadily).
Make dumpling batter
  1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt for the dumplings. Stir in the milk and melted butter just until a thick batter forms (it should hold a mound when scooped).
Drop dumplings
  1. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling batter directly onto the simmering soup, spacing them apart so they can expand (you should see each spoonful sit on top without sinking immediately).
Cook without lifting the lid
  1. Cover and simmer for 15–18 minutes, without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy. Look for dumplings that have risen and spring back lightly when pressed with a spoon (keep the simmer gentle).
Finish with cream
  1. Stir in the heavy cream just before serving for extra richness. The broth should look creamy and evenly colored around the dumplings.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the soup at a steady, gentle simmer when you add the dumplings—rapid boiling can make them dense or uneven. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or milk if the dumplings thicken too much. Freezing is not recommended because dumplings can become soft and grainy after thawing; for a dairy-light swap, use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream for finishing.