Easy Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter (divided)
• 2 carrots (diced small)
• 2 ribs celery (plus their leaves, diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1.25 cup all-purpose flour (divided)
• 4 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 cup whole milk (divided)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (chopped; or 1/2 tsp dried, plus more for garnish)
• 2 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium high heat until softened a bit and beginning to brown (about 3 minutes).

2. 2

   Add 1/4 cup flour and stir to coat the vegetables.

3. 3

   Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

4. 4

   Turn the heat down to simmer and add 1/2 cup of the milk and the cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, mix together the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves in a separate bowl.

6. 6

   Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter until the flour mixture looks crumbly.

7. 7

   Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir until JUST combined. Do NOT over mix, or your dumplings may be dense.

8. 8

   Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture to the simmering pot. A small cookie scoop or a tablespoon works well for this.

9. 9

   Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy, cooked, and float to the top. Do not open the lid during this time!

10. 10

    Serve garnished with extra fresh thyme and fresh ground pepper, if desired.

Notes

The broth may seem thin at first but will thicken as the dumplings cook and as the dish cools. For fluffiest results, ensure you do not overmix the dumpling dough and keep the lid closed during the final simmer.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• comfort food
• chicken
• dumplings
• 30-minute meal
• dinner
• one-pot