Mains · American
Chicken and Dumplings
Tender chicken thighs in a thick, buttery broth, with fluffy chive dumplings steamed right on top.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hands-off
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Serves
- 4
About 30 minutes hands-on (chopping, searing, building the stew, mixing and dropping the dumplings) and 60 minutes of covered simmering (45 for the chicken, 15 for the dumplings). Mix the dough while the chicken simmers. Total = 30 + 60. Many versions say 1 hour 15 minutes; ours includes the chopping.
- easy
- comfort-food
- one-pot
- fall
- winter
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? If you double it, use a wider pot so the dumplings still fit in a single layer on top of the stew, about 6 mm (1/4 in) apart. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: large braiser or Dutch oven with a lid · plate · wooden spoon · large bowl · whisk · fork · 2 spoons · 2 forks for shredding · instant-read thermometer · separate chopping board for raw chicken
Contains: milk · wheat
Method
Sear the chicken
Heat the braiser over medium-high heat and melt 4 tbsp (57 g) of the butter. Season the 6 chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook them until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Move them to a plate (they finish cooking later).
Ready when: Golden on both sides. The inside will still be raw at this point: it cooks through in the simmer.
Soften the vegetables
Add the remaining 2 tbsp (28 g) butter, the onion, the 4 celery stalks and the 4 carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, about 3 minutes.
Ready when: Vegetables are glossy with butter and just starting to turn golden.
Flour and garlic
Stir in 2 tbsp flour until it coats the vegetables. Add the 2 chopped garlic cloves and cook about 30 seconds.
Ready when: The garlic smells fragrant and no dry flour is visible.
Simmer the chicken
Pour in the 1.4 L (6 cups) stock, add the bay leaf, then return the chicken and any juices from the plate. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook about 45 minutes.
Ready when: The chicken is tender enough to pull apart with a fork and reads at least 74°C (165°F) in the thickest piece.
Otto tried this firstOtto puts the seared chicken back on the plate that held it raw and then uses that plate for serving. Raw-chicken plates go straight to the sink.Mix the dumpling dough
Near the end of the simmer, whisk 125 g (1 cup) flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Work in 2 tbsp shortening with a fork. Pour in the 160 ml (2/3 cup) buttermilk slowly, mixing gently just until it comes together, then fold in 2 tbsp chives.
Ready when: A soft, sticky dough with no dry flour left.
Otto tried this firstOtto stirs the dough like he's beating eggs. Overworked dough gives tough dumplings: stop as soon as there's no dry flour.Shred and drop
Shred the chicken in the pot with two forks. Bring the stew back to a lively simmer, then drop about 1-tablespoon scoops of dough over the top using two spoons (spray them first if you like, so the dough slides off).
Ready when: The stew is bubbling steadily before the first dumpling goes in.
Cook the dumplings
Turn the heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, fish out the bay leaf and scatter the parsley over the top.
Ready when: The dumplings have about doubled in size and look puffed and set on top.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Make ahead
- Make the stew through the shredding step up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat it to a steady simmer, then mix the dough fresh and cook the dumplings just before serving.
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a pot, stirring gently, until it's steaming hot all the way through (74°C / 165°F).
If something goes wrong
- Tough, heavy dumplings Why: The dough was overmixed.
Mix just until the flour disappears, and mix the dough right before you drop it. - Dumplings stuck to the spoon Why: Sticky dough on a dry spoon.
Spray the spoons lightly with cooking spray and use a second spoon to push the dough off.
Good to know
- Drop the dumplings in a single layer, about 6 mm (1/4 in) apart, so each one has room to puff.
Safety
- Don't rinse raw chicken: it is ready to cook, and rinsing splashes germs around the sink. Use a separate board for it and wash your hands, the board and the knife in hot, soapy water afterwards.
- Sear in butter over medium-high heat: lay the thighs in away from you so hot fat doesn't splash toward you. Kids should stay back from the stove for this step.
- Check the chicken with a thermometer: at least 74°C (165°F) before you shred it.
- Lift the lid away from you: the steam that rolls out is hot enough to burn.