Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Optional herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage)
Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables: Cut the boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and sauté the diced carrots and celery until just tender. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
- Build the Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper, add any optional herbs of your choice, and let it cook until the chicken is tender and the flavors meld together.
- Make the Dumplings Dough: In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and milk or cream to form a soft dough. Mix gently to avoid overworking, which keeps the dumplings light and fluffy.
- Add Dumplings to Broth: Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the simmering broth. Cover the pot and cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes so the dumplings steam perfectly and puff up.
- Finish and Serve: Once dumplings are cooked through and fluffy, gently stir the stew. Adjust seasoning if needed and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for juicier, more tender meat than breasts.
- Do not lift the lid while dumplings cook to prevent them from deflating.
- Mix dumpling dough gently to avoid dense, tough dumplings.
- Add fresh herbs at the end to preserve their bright aroma and flavor.
- Adjust stew thickness by adding more flour or broth as desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Southern
- Diet: Gluten Free (if gluten-free flour blend is used)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: chicken and dumplings, Southern chicken recipe, comfort food, easy chicken stew, homemade dumplings, gluten-free chicken and dumplings