Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
A comforting classic dish featuring tender chicken, flavorful broth, and fluffy dumplings, perfect for family dinners or chilly nights.
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Broth
- 2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour for coating
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 Large Carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 1 Large Onion, diced
- 2 each Bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 5-6 cups Chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups Frozen peas, thawed
For the Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 each Eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (for chicken & sauce)
Instructions
Preparation
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Toss with 1/2 cup flour until lightly coated. Brown the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 3–5 minutes, then transfer it to a plate.
- In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the carrots, celery, and onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the browned chicken back to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in heavy cream and thawed peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add buttermilk and eggs. Mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough into the simmering broth, leaving space for expansion.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until dumplings are puffed and chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
For a richer flavor, you can brown the chicken in butter instead of olive oil. Feel free to add your favorite vegetables like green beans or corn for extra color and nutrition. Make sure not to overmix the dumpling dough; mix just until combined to keep them fluffy.