Chicken • Winter Comfort

Chicken and Dumplings

Name: Chicken and Dumplings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt; 3/4 cup whole milk with 3 Tbsp melted butter

A one-pot winter stew of tender chicken, carrots, and celery topped with fluffy drop dumplings.

Updated: Nov 9, 2026

⏱ 1 hour 10 mintotal

6servings

460 kcalper serving

Mediumlevel

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Why you'll like it

Ready in about 1 hour 10 min.
Serves 6 — easy to halve or double.
Medium level — everyday equipment only.
Stays juicy when cooked to 165°F (74°C).
Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.

This Chicken and Dumplings recipe takes 1 hour 10 minutes and makes 6 servings. It is a one-pot winter dinner of chicken thighs, sweet carrots, and celery simmered in a gravy thick enough to coat a spoon, with soft drop dumplings steamed on top.

Food safety: do not wash raw chicken — it spreads bacteria around the sink. Pat dry, avoid cross-contact with ready-to-eat food, and cook to 165°F (74°C) internal temperature.

Helpful guides

Instructions

Step 1

Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches, about 4 minutes each, then transfer it to a plate. Dry chicken browns instead of steaming, and browning is where the stew gets its depth.

Step 2

Lower the heat to medium, cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 6 minutes until softened, then stir in the 1/3 cup flour and cook 1 minute. Coating the vegetables in flour is what turns the broth into a gravy as it simmers.

Step 3

Whisk in the broth a cup at a time to prevent lumps, return the chicken and its juices, and simmer partially covered 20 minutes. Check that the thickest piece of chicken reads 165 degrees F before adding the dumplings.

Step 4

Stir the dumpling flour mixture, then add the milk and melted butter and mix just until a shaggy dough forms. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the dumplings tough, so a few dry streaks are fine.

Step 5

Drop the dough in 12 rounded spoonfuls onto the simmering stew, leaving space between them. Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid, because the trapped steam is what cooks the tops.

Step 6

Check that the dumplings are set and the stew coats a spoon, simmering uncovered 3 minutes if it is thin. Cool 5 minutes off the heat so the gravy thickens before serving.

Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats

If the dumplings sink and turn gummy, the stew was boiling too hard; hold it at a bare simmer and do not stir after the dough goes in.
If the gravy is thin, whisk 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons cold water and simmer 2 minutes. If it tightens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth.
If the stew tastes flat, add salt in small amounts plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice or cider vinegar, since acid makes chicken stew taste rich rather than dull.
If you use chicken breast instead of thighs, cut it larger and add it in the last 10 minutes, because lean breast meat dries out in a long simmer.

Make it your way

Leftover roast chicken works well: stir 3 cups shredded cooked chicken in after the vegetables are tender and simmer 5 minutes, which keeps the meat moist.
Add 1 teaspoon dried thyme to the vegetables or 2 tablespoons chopped parsley at the end for a more herbal pot.
For a creamier version, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream after the dumplings are cooked and warm it through without boiling.

Storage & reheating

Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).

Cool leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate in shallow containers up to 4 days, and reheat to 165 degrees F on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth.

Dumplings soften on reheating, so reheat gently and only once.

FAQ

How do I keep the dumplings from falling apart?
Keep the stew at a bare simmer, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the surface rather than into the liquid, and leave the lid on for the full 15 minutes. Stirring or fast boiling breaks the dumplings before they set.

Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes. Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend for the dumplings and thicken the stew with 2 tablespoons cornstarch whisked into cold broth instead of the flour. Check that the broth and baking powder are gluten-free.

How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
A thermometer in the thickest piece should read 165 degrees F. Chicken thighs are forgiving and stay juicy a few degrees beyond that, but they shred if simmered much longer than 30 minutes.