Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (The Ultimate Version!)
This is the very definition of goodness to me. Thick and hearty, cozy and comforting, but most importantly – absolutely, positively delicious. Every bit of this recipe has been maximized for flavor and ease, resulting in a steaming pot of savory chicken and dumplings that is as low fuss to whip up (thanks, rotisserie chicken!) as it is a joy to eat.
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Southern Cooking
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Stew
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 - 3 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried sage
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled/shredded or about 2 pounds cooked and shredded chicken (light and/or dark meat is great)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1.5 cups frozen sweet peas
For the Drop Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup half and half (plus more as needed)
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For Serving: Hot sauce, freshly chopped parsley, more sour cream (because why not)
Instructions
- Add the 5 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil to a large, deep pot set over medium heat. When melted/hot, add the onion, celery, carrots, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning/sage, and fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies are soft.
- Add the chicken stock concentrate, Worcestershire sauce, and scatter the flour over everything. Stir to mix well, and let the flour cook for about a minute.
- Add the pulled chicken, the chicken stock, half and half, and stir. Add the peas and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and make sure it’s got enough salt, add more as needed. Cover while you whip up the dumplings.
- To make the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Add the sour cream, half and half, and melted butter and stir just until everything is well combined and no dry bits remain. It should be easily scoopable so if it seems a little dry to you, just add a splash more half and half until it somewhat resembles a fluffy sugar cookie dough.
- Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, gently drop heaping tablespoons of the dumpling mixture in an even layer on top of the chicken stew (they will float). Cover the pot and, over low heat, simmer gently until the dumplings are done, about 20 – 25 minutes.
- Serve with hot sauce, freshly chopped parsley, and extra sour cream, if you like.
Notes
You know what would would be EVEN BETTER? Cheese. Yes, cheese. If you add 3/4 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese to the dumplings mix before stirring it together, you will wind up with something that, while clearly untraditional, will make you smile from ear to ear. Just saying …