🍲 Chicken and Dumplings (Classic Comfort Food)
This is a cozy, hearty dish with tender chicken simmered in a creamy broth and topped with soft, fluffy dumplings. It’s warm, filling, and perfect for a comforting homemade meal.
🧾 Ingredients
🍗 Chicken Stew Base
- 500–700g chicken (breasts, thighs, or mixed pieces)
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 2 celery stalks (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour (for thickening)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme or mixed herbs
- Optional: peas (1/2 cup)
🥟 Dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- Optional: 1 tbsp chopped parsley
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the chicken base
- Heat butter or oil in a large pot.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in flour and cook 1 minute (this helps thicken the stew).
2. Build the stew
- Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring.
- Add chicken, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Simmer 20–25 minutes until chicken is cooked and tender.
- Remove chicken, shred it, then return it to the pot.
- Stir in milk or cream. Add peas if using.
3. Make dumpling dough
- In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in milk and melted butter until just combined (don’t overmix).
4. Cook dumplings
- Bring stew to a gentle simmer (not boiling hard).
- Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter on top of stew.
- Cover tightly with a lid.
- Cook 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid (important for fluffy dumplings).
5. Finish
- Dumplings should be puffed and cooked through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
🍽️ Serve
- Ladle stew into bowls with dumplings on top.
- Serve hot and creamy.
🔥 Tips
- Don’t overmix dumpling batter—keeps them light and fluffy.
- Keep the lid closed while dumplings cook or they may collapse.
- Thigh meat gives richer flavor than chicken breast.
If you want, I can also make a Southern-style chicken and dumplings (thicker, noodle-like dumplings), a slow cooker version, or a extra creamy restaurant-style version.
