Description
Warm, creamy chicken and dumplings made with seared chicken thighs and fluffy dumplings, perfect for chilly nights.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (plus 1/2 cup to deglaze)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup whole milk
- Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pat the thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil or butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering.
- Add chicken skin-side down and sear undisturbed 5–6 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
- Drop heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sauté 5–7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic during the final 30 seconds.
- Pour 1/2 cup stock into the hot pot to deglaze, scraping browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add remaining stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 30–40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- While the chicken simmers, make the dumplings: whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in milk just until combined—do not overmix. Batter should be thick but soft enough to drop from a spoon.
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Increase heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the simmering broth.
- Cover the pot and cook 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove lid, stir in frozen peas if using, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discard bones, and return meat to pot.
- Warm through 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Serve with crusty bread or a simple green salad. For leftovers, shredded chicken is great in sandwiches.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American